Question

Discuss the levels of consciousness put forward by Freud.

Answer 1

Freud divided human consciousness into three levels of awareness: The conscious, preconscious and unconscious. Each of these levels corresponds and overlaps with Freud’s ideas of the id, ego, and superego. The conscious level consists of all the things we are aware of, including things we know about ourselves and our surroundings. The preconscious consists of things we could pay conscious attention to if we so desired, and is where many memories are stored for easy retrieval. Freud saw the preconscious as comprised thoughts that are unconscious at the particular moment in question, but that is not repressed and are therefore available for recall and easily capable of becoming conscious.

The unconscious consists of things that are outside of conscious awareness, including many memories, thoughts, and urges of which we are not aware of. Much of what is stored in the unconscious is thought to be unpleasant or conflicting for example; sexual impulses that are deemed unacceptable. While these elements are stored out of our awareness, they are nevertheless thought to influence our behavior.