Subliminal Self

A term formerly used in psychical research to denote that part of the personality is normally beneath the "threshold" (limen ) separating consciousness from unconsciousness. The phrase owed its popularity largely to pioneer researcher F. W. H. Myers, who made use of it to explain the psychic phenomena he had observed. The view of Myers was that only a fraction of the human personality, or soul, finds adequate expression through the ordinary cerebral processes, because the brain and physical organism have not yet reached a very advanced stage of evolution. The soul, in short, is like an iceberg, with a fraction of its bulk above water but with a much greater part submerged.

The subliminal self, according to Myers, is in touch with a reservoir of psychical energy, from which it draws forces that influence the physical organism. Thus the inspiration of genius, the exaltation of the perceptive and intellectual faculties in hypnosis, and such exercises as automatic writing and talking and table turning are caused by great influxes of these psychical forces rather than by any spirit influences.

These hypotheses have been advanced to explain telepathy and communication between the living and the dead, as well as hallucination, automatism, and all the phenomena of hypnotism. But the two former, even if they could be demonstrated, would have to be explained on other grounds, while the others, whose existence is undisputed, are more generally regarded as resulting from cerebral dissociation (i.e., the temporary dislocation of the connecting links between the various neural systems).

(See also Subconscious )