Subconscious Ethology

Why it is so beneficial to be involved with this giant iceberg called the ‘unconscious’ by Freud and ‘subconscious’ by contemporary scientists?

The answer is simple. It appears that 60 % of our mind and body are influenced by contents of subconscious characteristics. Accordingly our acting, our thinking, our physical and psychic reactions are ruled by innate instinctive measures (Prof. K. Lorenz and social/evolutionary fixed behaverioul patterns (Prof. Eibl-Eibelsfeldt). As mentioned earlier, these percentage figures should not be taken literally they should indicate the dimensions. We would have to clarify where ‘subconscious’ starts or how we call the possible very long pre-subconscious period, when basic elements and physical forces merged and built the fundament of life. The mineral content of our body, for instance, is rather important and influences the wellbeing of subconsciousness immensely. Consciousness and subconsciousness are entwined with each other and in detail it is difficult to define each others borderline. The ‘Character’ of a person, for instance, is nearly 100% related to subconsciousness, ‘metabolic processes’ may reach deeper and ‘mind’ relates to the consciousness.

Most people don’t know even what subconscious means, what it is and how it affects us. Intellectually respectable people would assume that the subconscious is something esoteric, transcendental and is affecting mentally handicapped people, others would be reminded of the word ‘Freudian slip’ and see this as the subconscious. For the man on the street is with this slip of tongue the subject ‘subconsciousness’ exhausted.

In other contexts it is seen as the beast of nightmares, in religious language it is the innate devil, and for Freud and his disciples, the perverted Oedipus. This may simplify the views, but we don’t think it is wrong. Common social rules recommend that well behaved people would keep their distance of subconscious desires and apply self discipline if tempted by it. We see this issue differently.

So called perverted drives or addictions are in the first instance a social view, they are invented in society and gained their reputation in society. They are not necessarily expression of ill mindedness but mirroring a morally crippled society.

Devil is the one who preaches the devil.

Less crippling social rules would overcome a lot of problems, but behind this there have to be considered consequential rights issues, like the right of parents to protect their kin or their property with unlimited power, for instance. This is not easily workable. It may more likely the future society will go the opposite way and that means more restrictions – the wheel cannot be turned back.

The problems of human social structure is not related to the low moral of ‘animal’ subconsciousness, but the combination of rational cleverness and lack of moral (the human conscious and disregard of Ethos) and the powerful but naïve drives (the emotional subconscious).

These pictures are a dramatic display of the other side of the coin of the achievements of the Western dualistic culture. The man in politics and business hides his bitter face, distorted by pain, behind a young and socially conforming mask. He will still smile once he is lying in his early coffin because the mask became part of him and is burnt into his skin.

The other young person is drugged, has lost already their ‘ethos’. All that is left is the shell of a formerly motivated life. She is weakened by false ideologies, social uniformity, brought up with lots of rights, lack of duty and respect thanks to legislative influence of so-called social-humanitarian pressure groups. She escaped into the dream world of drugs. The brain cells are crushed in the meantime. Her once ‘good’ education is lead into narrow minded repetition of ideological phrases.

The punishing hell of religions, the destruction of duty and respect expressed as rightful social conformity, the brutal exploitation, oppression and genocide of other life, the creation of social parasitism, religious fundamentalism resulting in crusades and terror, the technocratically masterminded destruction of the environment; they all have one thing in common: their moral consciousness has been put into the dungeons. They feel free and entitled to act without morals.

We are still reflecting on our long past tasting on our skin the salty contents of our single cellular life. This was a period of one billion years when single eukaryote cells, our ancestors, apparently lived surely not undisturbed on our Earth and were forced by mutation to try to increase the degree of efficiency by dividing themselves and what is popular called cloning. An early invention recognized much later by Adam Smith (1723 -1790) famously as organisational principle and reminds us on characteristics of our biological cell organisation.

As mentioned it is likely that in such a long period the variety and variability of cell life was equally dramatic, but this is not kept in our active memory but like scars in the subconscious and still visible in our tests.

Cell division was a stroke of genius – in hindsight - and allowed the multiple developments of species of all kinds and opened the door to up to then unknown variety of life, the creation of plant and animals. A process, which has not stopped today and involves us so very much, forces us to grow and expand.

Conception is a similar stroke of the genius of life to increase the variety of life through genetic mutative introduction of diversity as principle by introduction of related but still differing chromosomes. But it was a traumatic time, a desperate fight for survival and is still reflected in us subconsciously as periodically repeating time of turbulences in our metabolic system and frustration of our mind. It is still visible in our Conception Chart as the deciding key for orientation.

Every step of evolution is kept alive as sediment; human life’s request for minerals and the early metabolic processes have not changed in 3.8 billion years and are still working unchanged. Evolution forces further growth and specialisation but it doesn’t allow starting it all again and keeping what we already have. Therefore, life has to specialize further and further up to the moment when it tips over: The tools and behavioural instincts of the biological cell structure of our body and our consciousness are still look at the end like they looked at the beginning; nothing is there to replace basics. But these preconditions are hidden like geological sediment. The difference is that they are alive and influencing our daily life to an extent we don’t want to believe. This is reflected in the Conception chart.

The subconscious has been shaped in 3.8 billion years. In itself it is so different and controversial, similar how we are discussing here the problematic roles of consciousness-subconsciousness with each other. There is no homogeneous uniformity of subconsciousness! To us it appears strange, that the ‘old’ archetypal characteristic of Jung’s research, the collective archetypes, the subconscious experience of the early human culture is comparatively young, and as we know only too well, as emotional niggles or temperamental outbreaks are very much present in nowadays social life.

We are not very familiar with this recent past of us, however, the motivator for our daily life, the biological conscious cell life, is in this respect truly an unknown continent altogether.

The amazing thing is that nearly all people, even the ones who have been trained in matters of subconsciousness, still don’t know their inner self, but they are well read to know about Jung’s archetypes, but hardly recognize their own stone-age-mentality as valued part of the personality not to mention the long period before development of the Homo sapiens.

We cannot see 1mm deep into the body; we cannot stand our recorded voice; we cannot see ourselves from the back but we can see closely the surface of Mars; we dislike seeing ourselves walking or gesticulating in a video.

We gained only very recently a clue of our lifelong big co-habitant, the very vital subconscious. We know theoretically about it and wish he is not a bad boy, however, we still don’t know what the substance of the subconscious entails. Wouldn’t we wish the subconscious to be a pleasant and helpful as addition to our ‘social’ obligations? The answer is somehow disappointing as it is not so easy cut and dry.

Firstly, we have to be aware that we became in our lifetime on Earth a well fitted mask hiding our true face from society, because it is not accordingly to the desired standards. Knowingly we could not even describe how this other, our inner face looks like and get only sometimes a glimpse what it feels. Look on the first page and hold on for a minute.‘Persona’ means ‘mask’ in Greek and this is literally true.

Secondly, our ‘subconscious’ is comparatively individualized; our ‘social’ outfit make us to behave like a bee or ant and we are struggling to live a positive life in this combination of contra dictionary conditions and hypocritical standards of moral.

Thirdly, there is most importantly the innate subconsciously expressed position of desires, drives or inherited attitudes, which the levelling society cannot plausibly accommodate.

As we have limited influence to change inner or outer set conditions we should learn to adapt, but where things are amendable, and this is on the hypocritical social side or on our own subconscious self, we should do so and stand up for it. We should start to question the validity of some ‘holy cows’ of our general moral positions of society.

Equally we have to raise with our subconscious the point, that expressing individuality is only so long acceptable as other people are not inflicted against their will.

For the time being we become aware about discussions in scientist’s circles about the evolution of moral and consciousness. Traditional thinking sees the moral as granted to Homo sapiens exclusively as we explained earlier; some philosophers and biologists include primates to this top league.

Newer thoughts are relating the moral to the subconscious or refusing any direct relationship; however, the problem is the difficulty at least to state any time or moment, when or how moral has been implanted in which form of life. The creation of moral as human attribute has obviously a similar problem of timing and shape, but religions are fond not to discuss this subject at length and call it God’s act of mercy – however, applicable only to the human kind as image of God’s divinity. Generally scientists recognize there is a degree of moral or/and consciousness with some higher developed species. However, mankind as crown of life sets the benchmark for moral and consciousness, is the egocentric wide spread belief.

But what is the basis of moral? What does it describe and contain?

Prior is mentioned the ability to act altruistic, which in this shape is regarded as human uniqueness. We think it is easy omitted, that altruism in its origin is a preventive move to protect the position of the own species. A gardener can confirm that in a primeval mode plants are acting ‘altruistic’ to their own kin – more so if there is competitive threat from other species. Furthermore, intellectual and religious groups accept the definition of moral as the ability to decide between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and this includes awareness about oneself. However, this Monotheistic-Cartesian model has proved all times to be a failure, especially since religions and sciences are competing with each other both applying dualistic methods. Last century was in this respect a peak point of lack of moral unheard of in the whole history of the Earth.

With the knowledge of long experience over thousands of years we have to state human societies don’t apply any moral of this kind, to themselves or to the environment. The ‘good’ and ‘evil’ moral is discredited through and through. It is in the best interest of a maturing society to disregard moral of this genre.

Should we not recognize, that any form of life is quite ‘geocentric’ orientated and should we not accept that any form of life is equipped with moral - and consciousness - according to the point of its own state of development?

Should we not see moral as the shape or standard of conduct and consciousness as standard of receptiveness, both adapted to the specific level of life form?

If an army has a remarkable strong moral, one cannot deny that this is a valid statement. It is not easy to deny, that the same highly moralized army acts consciously but immorally, at least, this is how the civil population of the conquered country will feel it. The population of the home country of the army feels casualties of its forces as ‘bad’ and is ambivalent about the suffering of the millions of civil people of a conquered country which additionally suffers now under civil war, like Iraq in these days in the first century of the new millennium. Surely Iraqis feel the occupiers are the evil ones.

Therefore, moral is first and utmost the standard of conduct. And consciousness is the level of receptiveness.
Moral has obvious not arrived there like a lightening from sky, it is a result of evolution and the nucleus of moral and consciousness is already hidden in a biological single cellular life. The level of development represents also the level of moral and consciousness. Human beings tend – understandably – to see the question of moral related to themselves – the famous geocentric and widespread view of people confronting Copernican positions. For other forms of life is this geocentric view to set benchmarks to human levels not applicable.

The point is not to make so much out of human dualistic moral as it is so obviously failing. It is a superfluous manifestation of human myopia, or worse, of human egoism.

The nucleus of moral and consciousness is already part of the biological cell and flourishes in all shapes and forms of life. Human moral is not better and not worse than the moral of a butterfly. Unfortunately, a butterfly cannot talk and we don’t understand its primeval expression. An Albatross science celebrity could point out, that human consciousness is so badly developed, that a person gets lost in 100m bush walk, whereas his species flies down to this tiny island north of the Antarctis without any geographical help with no problem.

It is easy to get in touch with your subconscious partner. Don’t ask questions, don’t tell him what to do or request anything. Just listen and behold and adapt. Be friendly with your subconscious, it’s simple. It doesn’t bite, it doesn’t sting and it is no devil and it is no angel, because these are pure inventions of society. Your twin opens the doors wide.

What happens then?

The mind gains clarity, health turns to the better, but most important: patience and understanding of the world and its circumstances finds a reciprocal reply miraculously.

The eyes you are seeing are the eyes seeing you.

Endurance and ethos gives the sovereignty that we need so much. Like lasting calm enters our inner self, it is the wordless response of the subconscious to your friendly gesture.

The personality gets stronger already during the test period. It is normal that people don’t want to give up this daily few minute’s insight also after the testing period.

Other benefits are the awareness of motivation and vitality, a degenerating natural development takes a turn to the better and stabilises health. To observe the increased sensibility or to be aware of other people or facts without predigesting or assuming is very helpful – not like driving with accelerator and brake at the same time.

The character stays calm, when threats, injustice and hardship put you to the edge. The functioning of the body-rhythm makes you running fast without exhaustion.

It helps to show your feelings, also your love. But love is not only a smoochy ballad; it is equally a strict teacher. But first of all the best achievement of love is independency of the mind. Faithfulness is the best and trusted companion of independency.

Have you thought about the quality and meaning of food. Most industrially manufactured food in the shelves is damaging our metabolic processes and leads to problems of malnutrition? The food industry offers unsuitable nutrition, really dead stuff, but it is cleverly produced to taste well and cheats our natural senses to judge the quality of food.

Is your natural instinct to establish yourself in the world successfully balanced with the generosity to care?

Is metabolism in line with lifestyle in order to keep diseases of our civilisation away from you or are you in danger to fall from the tree like a rotten apple and to catch one of those plagues? There do not need to be diseases like cancer, diabetes and circulatory disorders in the world, tries the subconscious to communicate to you.

Subconsciousness is not able to talk.

Don’t try with reason and logic intelligence to establish your ideas. Subconsciousness doesn’t know guilt and is strange to expressions of pitiful sentiments, but it is shrewd and persistent, fights still for your life once you have lost already your consciousness. It knows about the power of colours, feels the sensitivity of music, the aesthetics of an acacia, softens your stiff body movements, tells you via the ‘gut’ feelings, keeps you healthy and open minded. It keeps you physically and mentally fit and warns you, consciously or unconsciously to avoid undesired ‘coincidences’. Your subconsciousness is aware there is no coincidence, but you are not!

Are your dreams reminding you of your fears and hopes? Are you daydreaming? Are you able to take in ‘osmotically’?
Do you know clearly how to handle your direction in life or are you drifting a bit aimlessly and are easy to be influenced by people around you? Or are you the realist and adapt to opportunities and hurdles or do you stand by your innate principles?
Can you truly trust other people or strange situations and still keep your sense of reality? Most people cannot because they are trusting naively and once emotionally deviate, they lose any critical view regarding the other person or situation. If they are emotionally persuaded to overlook clear facts, it is naive and foolish, and they call it ‘heartbreaking’ or ‘losing love’. Others foil any shy move of a hint of trust, being brought up with suspicion and assumption. It is equally foolish to suppress a shy emotion to trust only because people have to learn to be ‘streetwise’ in order to succeed and visualize their own advantages.

Are you relaxed and open or in fear to fail, to be run over, to be attacked by surprise? Is your sleep interrupted by worries?
Nearly everybody carries with him the ‘phantom’ of a suppressing background as child or being chased by family and job career, by inherited physical shortcomings or poverty of parents, by oppressive religious or cultural ethnic background, doesn’t lose his depressions despite intense group therapies, is fighting a losing battle against his mental complexions of inferiority and arrogance, by epileptic, stutter, obese, heart problems or dermatitis and obesity.

This is all expression of the hurt and strangled subconsciousness, we can beat it, we can weep, deny and disown it, (and be blinded by medical consultants) it just doesn’t go away so long as we are alive.

This all can be healed or at least be eased. However, now it becomes complicated. People get used to their unfortunate situation. They know about the impoverished childhood, the vanity of the career, the inherited problems, the depression, the inferiority complex, the stutter and the obesity, of the heart problem and the skin, but it is like a pair of shoes, which is made comfortable by use – the toes are crippled in the meantime – but it doesn’t matter. Because they are fascinated by one big advantage: one can shy behind this shortcoming and it is felt as a good excuse to limp in order not to be competitive.

It is so comfy to be fed by social solidarity with no need to struggle. This is the problem: the person needs want to improve and who wants?

Because this is their socially accepted protective human-rights- curtain they are used to hiding behind it as an excuse to escape from their responsibilities in life – and to claim social benefits.

Subconsciousness is not only an inseparable part of your life; it is your life history. Life is still motivated, not degenerating at all and able to eradicate without much effort and with no expression of sentiment unfavourable developments if this serves the continuity of life.

This life was able to master 3.8 billion years despite all evolutionary set backs and harsh environmental changes and it will also survive the recent attempt by mankind to destroy life’s worthy conditions on earth – may be without by the then eradicated Homunculus sapiens.