Two varieties of unconscious processes

Unconscious processes come in two varieties, the preconscious, whose contents may become conscious, and the never-conscious, whose contents may not. In this chapter we make use of Global Workspace Theory and its LIDA model to catalogue never-conscious and preconscious processes, and offer an explanation of the functionally of the distinction. The LIDA/GWT model suggests that the functional distinction between never-conscious and preconscious processes derives from one of the major purposes of an agent’s consciousness mechanism: that is to select the most salient portion of the agent’s current situation to which to attend, in order for it to be broadcast globally, in order to choose the best next action.