- seCtIon tHRee: BoDY AnD WoRLD
CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS ACTIONS
There is no doubt that we seem to do some things consciously, others uncon-
sciously, and others sometimes one way and sometimes the other. On this basis,
we can divide actions into what our intuition suggests are five distinct types.1 Always unconscious. I can consciously wiggle my toes or sing a song, but
I cannot consciously grow my hair or increase my blood sugar level. Spinal
reflexes that depend on neural connections outside of the brain are always
unconscious, and much of visuomotor control is carried out too fast for con-
sciousness to play a role.
2 Usually unconscious. Some actions that are normally carried out uncon-
sciously can be brought under conscious control by giving feedback about
their effects, or ‘biofeedback’. For example, if a visual or auditory display is
provided to indicate when your heart beats faster or slower, when your left
hand is warmer than your right, or when your palms sweat more, you can
learn to control these variables, even when obvious actions that might pro-
duce the changes, such as clenching your hands or jumping up and down,
are prevented. The sensation is rather odd. You know you can do it, and feel
in control, but you have no idea how you do it. This should remind us that
the same is true of most of what we do. We may consciously open the door
but have no idea how all the intricate muscular activity required to turn the
handle is coordinated. The whole action seems to be done consciously while
the details remain unconscious.
3 Initially conscious. Many skilled actions are initially learned with much con-
scious effort but with practice come easily and smoothly. While biofeedback
moves actions into conscious control, automatisation does the reverse. You
probably first learned to ride a bicycle with the utmost conscious concen-
tration. Learning any motor skill is like this, whether it is skateboarding or
skiing, using a mouse or keyboard, or learning the movements in yoga or Tai
Chi. After complete automatisation, paying conscious attention can even be
counter-productive, making you fall off your bike or struggle to even walk
normally.
4 Either conscious or unconscious. Many skilled actions, once well learned, can
be done either way. Sometimes Sue makes a cup of tea with utmost mindful-
ness, but often she finds she has put the kettle on, warmed the teapot, found
the milk, made the tea, and carried it back to her study without, apparently,
being conscious of any of the actions. As we learnt in the previous chapter,
changing the quality of attention through mindfulness is a powerful way of
deautomatising actions and perceptions. The classic example is the uncon-
scious driving phenomenon (see Chapter 5). Here we have detailed, complex,
and potentially life-threatening decisions being made correctly without,
apparently, any conscious awareness.
5 Always conscious? Finally, some actions seem always to be done consciously.
For example, when I try to remember a forgotten name or a route in an unfa-
miliar city, I seem to struggle consciously, while a familiar name trips effort-
lessly off the tongue. When I have to make a difficult moral decision or am
composing a poem, I seem to be far more conscious than when deciding
what clothes to put on. It is tempting to say that these kinds of thinking, deci-
sion-making, or creativity require consciousness.