CHAPTER VI 



CLASSICAL THEORIES OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS 



IT would seem that the recent influx of ideas on the 

 Subconscious should have disconcerted the classical 

 psycho-physiology. 



Nevertheless many attempts have been made to 

 reconcile the new facts with the old theories. 



Most are based on very conscientious work, but 

 none has attained its object. We shall examine each 

 in turn and endeavour to show wherein they are insuffi- 

 cient and inadmissible. 



Classical theories of the subconscious may be placed 

 in two categories: the physiological and the purely 

 psychological. 



Physiological Theories. 



There are two physiological theories: the theory 

 of Automatism and the theory of Morbidity. 



I. THE THEORY OF AUTOMATISM 



For the tentative interpretation of the subconscious, 

 the first hypothesis was that of psychological automatism, 

 following naturally on that of physiological automatism. 

 In each case what is observed is held to be merely a 

 passive manifestation ; and unconscious psychism, accor- 

 ding to this, is simply a result of the automatic activity 

 of the brain unconscious cerebration. 



To support this theory P. Janet specially studied 



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