Who are all those strangers inside your skull?
Who are you…really?
A straightforward definition of “you” is the mélange of conscious thoughts, perceptions, feelings and memories that live in your skull. Along with these percepts, “you” might also include personality and abilities: that collection of tendencies and potentials that defines how you’ll feel, think , perform and behave under different circumstances. Finally, lets round “you” out by adding your body to all of the mental stuff.
A mind and a body: what else could there be?
Yes, you’ve heard of the subconscious and unconscious, but, by definition, you’re not aware of those, so how do you know they’re real?
Well, the subconscious, unconscious—call it what you want—is not only real and directly observable, but it’s as important a part of you as your conscious mind.
It also makes you a different person—even a very different person– than you think you are.
Let’s prove it.
Originally Published In Psychology Today
© Dr. Eric Haseltine
Dr. Eric Haseltine is an author, futurist, and neuroscientist. He has held senior executive positions in private industry and the public sector, including serving as the associate director and CTO for national intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Eric holds 15 patents in optics, special effects, and electronic media. He has published in Discover magazine, Brain Research and Society for Neuroscience Proceedings, and Psychology Today. His books include Long Fuse, Big Bang, The Listening Cure, with Dr. Chris Gilbert, and Brain Safari.