This is an important page, since Af-x and affectology are interested and operate EXCLUSIVELY in the realm of the human subconscious. There has, however, for many decades, been an unfortunate mass of common cultural misinformation about just what is meant by 'the subconscious' or 'the unconscious mind' and other similar labels.
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_Your Subconscious (Mind)
Millions of words have been written about 'the subconscious', the 'unconscious mind' and its relevance to our experience. Material 'repressed' in the subconscious was, of course, the basis of Freud’s propositions and teachings; Jung’s theories of the collective unconscious have gained traction in our society, and most therapeutic approaches have some definition about how the 'subconscious mind' fits in with the scheme of things. The sheer fact persists, that unconscious means un-conscious. There’s no such thing as a knowing of any detail held within one’s subconscious or unconscious mind. The moment a cognitive construct (idea) related to the 'subconscious' comes to our awareness, it is no longer subconscious. So, we do not define the 'unconscious' or the 'subconscious' in terms other than that part of the non-aware processes of the brain and mind that create our emotional reactive self, store the information and access it at a later time Perhaps a way to 'cut to the quick' here is to provide a passage from a transcript of an actual Af-x first session, where we talk to our client about the relevant aspects of the human unconscious/subconscious that pertain to Af-x.
The important thing to realize about Af-x is that in this mode of psychotherapy, our interest is exclusively related to the workings of the subconscious, the dynamic mechanisms by which it learns and relearns and that the ability to "make right" or more significantly, HEAL, is inherently written into its code, yet often consigned to the background in favor of external 'healing' or 'healers'.
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Humanism
Affectology and Af-x have great regard for the 'language' of affective neuroscience- that is, the conceptual language, or the way in which affective growth of the individual is explained - but bases most of its clinical method on humanistic commonsense.
In neuroscience, explanations about the human subconscious have never seemed to be a 'comfortable fit', with scientists speaking in hushed voices about something they can't quantify. This, then, is the place for humanistic thought and philosophy in Af-x terms. Humanism started its journey a thousand years BC in Greece and China, as philosophers sought to create a human identity that was focused on attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Contemporary Humanism entails a qualified optimism about the capacity of people, but it does not involve believing that human nature is purely good or that all people can live up to the Humanist ideals without help. If anything, there is recognition that living up to one's potential is hard work and requires the help of others. The ultimate goal is human flourishing; making life better for all humans, and as the most conscious species, also promoting concern for the welfare of other sentient beings and the planet as a whole. The focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world a better place for those who come after. WHAT HAS THIS TO DO WITH Af-x? ... Everything ... it's about living up to one's potential; flourishing and living well in the here and now. For instance, nowhere in the science literature can be found the notion that is so important to Af-x; and that is, "as a matter of subconscious dynamic, anything that has been learned in the past can be re-learned, given new information and new realization." But this and other formative ideals of Af-x (including the dynamics of mindfulness and self-attention) can still be explained with, and embraced by, the language of affective neuroscience. |
_- AND NOW -
You can proceed to the next sub-page in the "Model" section
and read about the affective neuroscience by clicking here.
You can proceed to the next sub-page in the "Model" section
and read about the affective neuroscience by clicking here.
_ "...the unconscious mind of the body seems
all‑knowing and all‑powerful and in some therapies can by harnessed for healing
or change without the conscious mind ever figuring out what happened"
Candace B. Pert PhD, 'Molecules of Emotion'
Candace B. Pert PhD, 'Molecules of Emotion'