The word unconscious struck me there ... conscious and unconscious as they refer to states our mind might be in. The conscious and unconscious states of our mind. Mind states triggered or materialised in response to signals, and among other, emotion-related signals also. And somatic markers, the special instance of feelings (feelings .?.), generated from secondary emotions. Emotions and feelings somatic markers connected by learning (we learn about and are able to distinguish particular feelings and emotions and attribute them as somatic markers) to predicted future outcomes of certain scenarios.
We learn to distinguish emotions and feelings by the signals they are related to or being related to them. What are emotions and what are feelings? And what are their signals, we learn about and later associate with one or the other predicted future outcome. Emotions, an umbrella concept. An instance of emotion takes place by reference to a variety of mental and behavioural states. The particular instance of emotion, which can be taken, as well, as an emotional instance, refer to or relevant to a particular mental and/or behavioural state. This might be lust to liking, joy to aggression, aesthetic appreciation to disgust. The flavour and intensity of the instance a slider control from one to the other end of a set range. Related signals are learned. knowledge gained by learning associates a specific emotional instance to particular signal(s).
What are these signals? What is their origin? External or internal? Emotions are triggered by either external or internal signals. A triggered instance of emotion sends additional signals to the brain, the frequently visceral signals, the gut feelings. The secondary emotions that generate the somatic markers? This special instance of feelings which by learning are connected to future outcomes? Where a negative instance of feeling, slider control in the range near the undesirable end, juxtaposed to a particular future outcome, combined act as an alarm bell against that particular choice and avoid that future outcome. And where a positive instance of feeling, slider control in the range near the desirable end, juxtaposed to a particular future outcome, combined act as a beacon of incentive in favour of that particular choice and future outcome.
And all these processes may operate covertly, without coming into consciousness. What? Is our consciousness untrustworthy? Can it not be trusted? What is there that knows more than our conscious mind? Our unconscious mind?
The claims brought forward in Nature magazine insist that it does. Accurate decisions can be made without awareness.
You, yourself, your precious conscious mind, that you so much marvel and proud for, can be asleep ... for all I care ... says the unconscious mind.
"I will take care of you" ... daydream and fill your heart with pleasure.
