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Applied Sciences
Special Issues
Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain
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Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2017) | Viewed by 72769

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Peter Walla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Webster Vienna Private University, Department of Psychology, CanBeLab, Praterstrasse 23, 1020 Vienna, Austria
2. School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
Interests: applied neuroscience; non-conscious affective and cognitive information processing; emotions; memory; olfaction; product evaluation; consumer behavior; decision making; neuroconsulting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Clearly, there is growing interest in non-conscious brain processes in the human brain. We all know that initial interest started centuries ago, but with the advent of modern technologies that give us objective access to processes below the level of awareness, the endeavor to better understand our non-conscious mind has gained a totally new perspective. There is a strong need for all scholars to do as much as we can to contribute to that endeavor, because the non-conscious mind still has largely unknown effects on basically all kinds of human behavior, in both clinical and non-clinical environments, in political and economical, as well as any other social settings.

With biggest pleasure I am thus asking for contributions to this Special Issue on non-conscious brain processes, with a focus on the distinction between sub- and unconscious processes, which are both non-conscious. Unconscious processes do not have the potential to enter the stream of consciousness, while sub-conscious processes do. If you feel like you can contribute to this fascinating topic, please do not hesitate to submit your piece to Applied Sciences, which is the perfect open access platform for this purpose.

Prof. Dr. Peter Walla
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sub-conscious
  • un-conscious
  • cognitive processes
  • affective processes
  • objective measures
  • brain imaging
  • startle reflex modulation
  • neurobiology
  • neuroconsulting

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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4 pages, 185 KiB  
Article
Editorial: Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain
by Peter Walla
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(6), 979; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app8060979 - 15 Jun 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2829
Abstract
This Special Issue about sub- and unconscious information processing in the human brain finally became a collection of 6 accepted contributions, 2 articles, 2 reviews, 1 opinion and 1 concept paper. Even though more papers were submitted this rather small number of accepted [...] Read more.
This Special Issue about sub- and unconscious information processing in the human brain finally became a collection of 6 accepted contributions, 2 articles, 2 reviews, 1 opinion and 1 concept paper. Even though more papers were submitted this rather small number of accepted contributions mirrors the still existing lack of focus on non-conscious human brain processes that surely influence human behavior to a much larger extent than one would ever imagine. Our brains contain evolutionary old neural structures that much more primitive organisms have in their brains too and crucially those old structures have more or the less the same functional properties regardless of what brain they belong to. Consciousness as an individual experience is a rather young evolutionary product, which means that those older structures that are strongly involved in the generation of human behavior work largely without being associated with conscious experience. This explains why people not always do what they say. In other words, the brain knows more than it admits to consciousness and since we have more and more access to that knowledge we should be interested in gaining it. The evidence grows that demonstrates how non-conscious processing occurs and influences our decision making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain)
1129 KiB  
Article
Conscious, Pre-Conscious and Unconscious Mechanisms in Emotional Behaviour. Some Applications to the Mindfulness Approach with Wearable Devices
by Michela Balconi, Giulia Fronda, Irene Venturella and Davide Crivelli
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(12), 1280; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app7121280 - 08 Dec 2017
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 9375
Abstract
Conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious mechanisms are implicated in modulating affective processing in daily activities. Specifically, mental practice fostering awareness and control of affective reactions to external stimuli and stressful events (such as mindfulness and neurofeedback protocols) can be used to improve our ability [...] Read more.
Conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious mechanisms are implicated in modulating affective processing in daily activities. Specifically, mental practice fostering awareness and control of affective reactions to external stimuli and stressful events (such as mindfulness and neurofeedback protocols) can be used to improve our ability to manage unconscious negative emotions. Indeed, it is possible to empower self-monitoring and regulation skills, as well as our ability to manage stress and negative emotions coming from everyday events and activities. This can be accomplished, on the one hand, by regularly practicing self-observation and by promoting bodily awareness and an awareness of automatic responses (e.g., uncontrolled affective reactions); on the other hand, by undergoing implicit training protocols that take advantage of brain responses. The present paper elucidates the contribution of both conscious and unconscious levels in emotion regulation and stress management, with a focus on their neural correlates and their role in mindfulness practice and on the potential of body-sensing devices for supporting meditation sessions, for fostering motivation to practice, and for making meditation more appealing and sustainable. We will finally present preliminary evidence on the effect of an intensive technology-mediated meditation protocol based on mindfulness practices and supported by a brain-sensing wearable device. The experimental procedure included three levels of outcome indices: psychometric measures related to perceived stress; neuropsychological and behavioural measures related to cognitive performance; and instrumental measures (resting-state and task-related electroencephalographic markers—EEG-ERPs). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain)
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1422 KiB  
Article
Conscious and Non-Conscious Measures of Emotion: Do They Vary with Frequency of Pornography Use?
by Sajeev Kunaharan, Sean Halpin, Thiagarajan Sitharthan, Shannon Bosshard and Peter Walla
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(5), 493; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app7050493 - 11 May 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 27123
Abstract
Increased pornography use has been a feature of contemporary human society, with technological advances allowing for high speed internet and relative ease of access via a multitude of wireless devices. Does increased pornography exposure alter general emotion processing? Research in the area of [...] Read more.
Increased pornography use has been a feature of contemporary human society, with technological advances allowing for high speed internet and relative ease of access via a multitude of wireless devices. Does increased pornography exposure alter general emotion processing? Research in the area of pornography use is heavily reliant on conscious self-report measures. However, increasing knowledge indicates that attitudes and emotions are extensively processed on a non-conscious level prior to conscious appraisal. Hence, this exploratory study aimed to investigate whether frequency of pornography use has an impact on non-conscious and/or conscious emotion processes. Participants (N = 52) who reported viewing various amounts of pornography were presented with emotion inducing images. Brain Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) were recorded and Startle Reflex Modulation (SRM) was applied to determine non-conscious emotion processes. Explicit valence and arousal ratings for each image presented were also taken to determine conscious emotion effects. Conscious explicit ratings revealed significant differences with respect to “Erotic” and “Pleasant” valence (pleasantness) ratings depending on pornography use. SRM showed effects approaching significance and ERPs showed changes in frontal and parietal regions of the brain in relation to “Unpleasant” and “Violent” emotion picture categories, which did not correlate with differences seen in the explicit ratings. Findings suggest that increased pornography use appears to have an influence on the brain’s non-conscious responses to emotion-inducing stimuli which was not shown by explicit self-report. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain)
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Review

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242 KiB  
Review
The Role of the Cerebellum in Unconscious and Conscious Processing of Emotions: A Review
by Silvia Clausi, Claudia Iacobacci, Michela Lupo, Giusy Olivito, Marco Molinari and Maria Leggio
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(5), 521; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app7050521 - 17 May 2017
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 12115
Abstract
Studies from the past three decades have demonstrated that there is cerebellar involvement in the emotional domain. Emotional processing in humans requires both unconscious and conscious mechanisms. A significant amount of evidence indicates that the cerebellum is one of the cerebral structures that [...] Read more.
Studies from the past three decades have demonstrated that there is cerebellar involvement in the emotional domain. Emotional processing in humans requires both unconscious and conscious mechanisms. A significant amount of evidence indicates that the cerebellum is one of the cerebral structures that subserve emotional processing, although conflicting data has been reported on its function in unconscious and conscious mechanisms. This review discusses the available clinical, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological data on this issue. We also propose a model in which the cerebellum acts as a mediator between the internal state and external environment for the unconscious and conscious levels of emotional processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain)
447 KiB  
Review
Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Conscious and Non-Conscious Components of the Mind
by Anastasia Fabbro, Cristiano Crescentini, Alessio Matiz, Andrea Clarici and Franco Fabbro
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(4), 349; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app7040349 - 01 Apr 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 8148
Abstract
The aim of the present review is to investigate previous studies concerning the effects of meditation and dispositional mindfulness on conscious and implicit or non-conscious attitudes. First we present a brief perspective on conscious and non-conscious states of mind. Then we introduce the [...] Read more.
The aim of the present review is to investigate previous studies concerning the effects of meditation and dispositional mindfulness on conscious and implicit or non-conscious attitudes. First we present a brief perspective on conscious and non-conscious states of mind. Then we introduce the fundamental bases of mindfulness meditation. Third we review studies on dispositional mindfulness and meditation that employed either direct or indirect measures to assess explicit and implicit attitudes. Finally, we briefly present how meditation has been associated with the psychotherapeutic practice of psychoanalysis and, hence, as a therapeutic technique to access the unconscious. Until now, few studies have investigated the impact of meditation on non-conscious states of mind and personality; nevertheless, both scientific studies involving implicit measures and reflections from psychotherapy have underlined the importance of meditation in promoting psychological well-being, leading to de-automatization of automatic patterns of responding and to higher levels of self-awareness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain)
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Other

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1133 KiB  
Opinion
Consciousness Is a Thing, Not a Process
by Susan Pockett
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(12), 1248; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app7121248 - 02 Dec 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 8625
Abstract
The central dogma of cognitive psychology is ‘consciousness is a process, not a thing’. Hence, the main task of cognitive neuroscientists is generally seen as working out what kinds of neural processing are conscious and what kinds are not. I argue here that [...] Read more.
The central dogma of cognitive psychology is ‘consciousness is a process, not a thing’. Hence, the main task of cognitive neuroscientists is generally seen as working out what kinds of neural processing are conscious and what kinds are not. I argue here that the central dogma is simply wrong. All neural processing is unconscious. The illusion that some of it is conscious results largely from a failure to separate consciousness per se from a number of unconscious processes that normally accompany it—most particularly focal attention. Conscious sensory experiences are not processes at all. They are things: specifically, spatial electromagnetic (EM) patterns, which are presently generated only by ongoing unconscious processing at certain times and places in the mammalian brain, but which in principle could be generated by hardware rather than wetware. The neurophysiological mechanisms by which putatively conscious EM patterns are generated, the features that may distinguish conscious from unconscious patterns, the general principles that distinguish the conscious patterns of different sensory modalities and the general features that distinguish the conscious patterns of different experiences within any given sensory modality are all described. Suggestions for further development of this paradigm are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain)
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199 KiB  
Concept Paper
An Heuristic Framework for Non-Conscious Reasoning
by Felipe Lara-Rosano
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(11), 1161; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app7111161 - 12 Nov 2017
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3560
Abstract
Human non-conscious reasoning is one of the most successful procedures evolved for the purposes of solving everyday problems in an efficient way. This is why the field of artificial intelligence should analyze, formalize and emulate the multiple ways of non-conscious reasoning with the [...] Read more.
Human non-conscious reasoning is one of the most successful procedures evolved for the purposes of solving everyday problems in an efficient way. This is why the field of artificial intelligence should analyze, formalize and emulate the multiple ways of non-conscious reasoning with the purpose of applying them in human problem solving tasks, like medical diagnostics and treatments, educational diagnostics and intervention, organizational and political decision making, artificial intelligence knowledge based systems and neurocomputers, automatic control systems and similar devices for aiding people in the problem-solving process. In this paper, a heuristic framework for those non-conscious ways of reasoning is presented based on neurocognitive representations, heuristics, and fuzzy sets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub- and Unconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain)
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