Psychoanalysis and the unconsciousLawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
Philosophy
Psychoanalysis and the unconscious
Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
Psychoanalysis
Sometimes, however, the free psyche really collapses, and the will
_identifies_ itself with an automatic circuit. Then a complex is set up,
a paranoia. Then incipient madness sets in. If the identification
continues, the derangement becomes serious. There may come sudden jolts
of dislocation of the whole psychic flow, like epilepsy. Or there may
come any of the known forms of primary madness. The second danger is
that the will shall identify itself with the mind and become an
instrument of the mind. The same process of automatism sets up, only now
it is slower. The mind proceeds to assume control over every
organic-psychic circuit. The spontaneous flux is destroyed, and a
certain automatic circuit substituted. Now an automatic establishment of
the psyche must, like the building of a machine, proceed according to
some definite fixed scheme, based upon certain fixed principles. And it
is here that ideals and ideas enter. They are the machine-plan and the
machine-principles of an automatized psyche.
So, humanity proceeds to derange itself, to automatize itself from the
mental consciousness. It is a process of derangement, just as the fixing
of the will upon any other primary process is a derangement. It is a
long, slow development in madness. Quite justly do the advanced Russian
and French writers acclaim madness as a great goal. It is the genuine
goal of self-automatism, mental-conscious supremacy.
True, we must all develop into mental consciousness. But
mental-consciousness is not a goal; it is a cul-de-sac. It provides us
only with endless _appliances_ which we can use for the
all-too-difficult business of coming to our spontaneous-creative
fullness of being. It provides us with means to adjust ourselves to the
external universe. It gives us further means for subduing the external,
materio-mechanical universe to our great end of creative life. And it
gives us plain indications of how to avoid falling into automatism,
hints for the _applying_ of the will, the loosening of false, automatic
fixations, the brave adherence to a profound soul-impulse. This is the
use of the mind—a great indicator and instrument. The mind as author and
director of life is anathema.
So, the few things we have to say about the unconscious end for the
moment. There is almost nothing said. Yet it is a beginning. Still
remain to be revealed the other great centers of the unconscious. We
know four: two pairs. In all there are seven planes. That is, there are
six dual centers of spontaneous polarity, and then the final one. That
is, the great upper and lower consciousness is only just broached—the
further heights and depths are not even hinted at. Nay, in public it
would hardly be allowed us to hint at them. There is so much to know,
and every step of the progress in knowledge is a death to the human
idealism which governs us now so ruthlessly and vilely. It must die, and
we _will_ break free. But what tyranny is so hideous as that of an
automatically ideal humanity?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account