week 13. second draft

* In my draft, all "inclined writing" represents that is a quotation.

The level of Preconscious processing exists. - second draft 

Are you able to recall the words that you spoke two weeks ago? Or Have you ever recall some memories of your childhood while sleeping? Some may say "Yes." and Others may say "No." Then, here is another question. Is it a conscious memory or an unconscious memory? Many people will answer to former question quiet easily but they may have trouble in answering to latter question. The confusion stems from many ambiguous concepts and memories which cannot be classified easily as one of them. -conscious mind or unconscious mind- Even though general scientific academy simply defines the kind of memories into two fields however, I would like to argue that another level of information processing called 'preconscious' exists because our information processing is too sophisticated to divide it into only two ways. Therefore, Preconsious processing is thought to be located between conscious processing and unconscious processing.

At first, I would like to define what conscious means and unconscious means exactly. Both are the types of brain's information processing. Our brain perceives information or stores memories through different level of process. One process is conscious processing which means aware of and responding to one's surroundings or having knowledge of something. Another is unconscious processing which means not awake and aware of responding to one's environment or done of existing without one realizing. Since now, some researchers have divided the level of brain's processing into these two ways. However, as I mentioned above, information processing of human mind is not so easy to classify it in just two ways. Therefore, surely, another process would exist between them. That is 'Preconscious.' 

Then, what is preconscious and how it affects to other information processing? I found the answer from Sigmund Freud's theory and plenty of cases such as hypnotherapy.(forensic hypnosis). These data show how our information processing is complicated and human mind is potential. Thus, Sigmund Freud defined the meaning of 'preconscious mind' in his article, as "a part of the mind that corresponds to ordinary memory. These memories are not conscious, but we can retrieve them to conscious awareness at any time." The point is 'retrieve' and 'awareness' even though most of people hardly realize it.

Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality includes more specific evidences which can support my argument. He explained human mind using ice berg metaphor. As we can see the picture below, conscious awareness is the tip of an iceberg, while the unconscious is showed by the ice hidden below the surface of the water. Between them, preconscious level exists. Below is the summary of Sigmund Freud's theory. This shows not only apparent differences between conscious and unconscious processing but also concept of preconscious which includes both traits but slightly closer to conscious.

캡션 추가

1. "The conscious mind includes everything that we are aware of. This is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. A part of this includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily at any time and brought into our awareness - this is the preconscious."

2. "The preconscious mind is the part of the mind that represents ordinary memory. While we are not consciously aware of this information at any given time, we can retrieve it and pull it into consciousness when needed."

3. "The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious awareness. Most of the contents of the unconscious are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict. According to Freud, the unconscious continues to influence our behavior and experience, even though we are unaware of these underlying influences."

- in 'Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality' -

Second, one good example that proves firmly the existence of preconscious is hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is an effective way of helping people make changes in their lives, like breaking a bad habit such as smoking, stress and anxiety and so on. Also, it helps people reach at their full potential surmounting their trauma. Interesting part is people who are in the state of hypnosis, can slowly address deep inner issues. It is similar to preconscious level because no one is able to recall their inner mind in the state of conscious and even in the unconscious state. Therefore, It is easy way to understanding preconscious that it plays a role as a kind of a gatekeeper between the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind. It allows only certain information to pass through and come into conscious memory. 

Technologically speaking, it is an useful way called forensic hypnosis, once was considered middle between science and ritual, now is accepted as an an official forensic science. Experts who are in this field say that the reason that people can't remember the memory is not failure of information storing but fail to elicit it. 

For instance, in Korea, there has been many kind of hit- and- run accidents. In some cases, the person who were in that accident was able to spoke all the traits of car. Based on these information, police officers could catch a criminal. 

In other cases, whole family who lived in Jeongeup-si were murdered by a criminal in 2009. However, the oldest son who was coming to home, had encountered that criminal and his witness in hypnotherapy state, considerably contributed to finding the criminal. Therefore, the montage of the criminal was made accurately and very specifically. It became a crucial evidence. As a result, forensic hypnosis helps people elicit hidden information in our subconscious that we  can hardly elicit in daily lives.

However, some people disagree with my argument. They refine brain's information processing only in two ways. In other words, they argue that brain does only two types of information processing - conscious and unconscious processing.- They argue that 'Preconscious is an ambiguous concept so it is difficult to accepted in science field.' In addition, although the experts who are in the field help other retrieve their memories about accidents and it significantly contributes to resolve the cues, however unfortunately this way of rhetoric isn't accepted as a single legal ground.

By the way, these critics have some flaws. 

Firstly In the case of America, many judges have pointed out the possibility that witness can misremember the fact in hypnosis state, although it really was an imagination or story of the books. Therefore, after these judgments, prosecutors who try to submit a result of hypnosis as an evidence, had to reveal all the process of forensic hypnosis clearly. However, Gale Sman and Marcobitz who were American psychologists found that 55.3% of the 21 people in the experimental studies had recalled the information in hypnotic state better. Such as the traumatic experience, child sexual abuse has usually been repressed by the defense mechanisms to avoid the pain can not recall well. However, In a study of Herman and Schatz has lifted a suppression that through age regression, the possibility that hypnosis can restore the memory was founded.

Furthermore, though cognitive interviewing, which is one of the more advanced form of a forensic hypnosis, can give more credible information. Also it can avoid the trap of hypnosis at high possibilities. (confusion between real experiences and imagination, vulnerable to leading questions) In this way, the methods of eliciting potential memories are developed and developed. Therefore, the possibility of preconscious processing is unlimited and absolutely undeniable.

As a result preconscious plays a role as a gatekeeper between conscious processing and unconscious processing. Famous authoritative researcher Sigmund Freud and other researchers acknowledged that and several cases such as hypnosis also represents its existence. The reason why we should focus this issue is related to the development of human brain processing levels. In contemporary society, we have to remember lots of information and store memories. Thus, more accurate and advanced quality of human mind research is needed to prevent side effects or unexpected problems in information processing such as loss of memory. Therefore, setting a obvious standard or classification of information processing should be preceded. 

Further, if human mind research academy officially accepts that preconscious exists, research of human mind will extend more and deepen. Also, researchers can have wider perspectives of studying human mind because preconscious processing includes more concept of human mind. Moreover, plenty of ambiguous concepts and memories can be explained more obviously.

In conclusion, preconscious level exists. It is not an ambiguous concept. It is more of accurate process that connects the ambiguous boundary surrounded of a conscious sphere and unconscious sphere. It is like a middle step of them. Also, an authoritative researcher, Sigmund Freud claimed that there is a level of preconscious exists. And researcher, C.G. Jung established and extended his theory based on the concept of 'preconscious'. He claimed personal unconsciousness which is similar concept to preconscious. Moreover, aside from their theory, when you think certain situation, you can easily perceive what preconscious is. For instance, it is hard to answer what did you do last week on this time. We should think about it quite long time, not immediately can aware.