Hidden Minds: A History of the Unconscious

In 1917 Sigmund Freud claimed that the unconsciousness is “the third blow” to narcissistic humanity (after Copernicus and Darwin). That free will, rationality and a sense of self might be mere illusions. Soon after Freud fell out of favor and so did the notion of the unconscious. But it is very much on its way back, considering the amount of recent related scientific experiments and published books. Tallis' book from 2002 was probably a frontrunner.

The subtitle fits: a history of the unconscious. Tallis presents in informative and insightful way how we discovered, studied and tried to make sense of all the processes, memories and knowledge that lie below our awareness level. How the concept of the unconscious went from philosophy to spiritualism to scientific knowledge. From Mesmerism, dream interpretation, lucid dreaming to subliminal stimuli, Libet's half second and the evolutionary advantage of self-deception. There are definitely stories to tell, and Tallis' book was a interesting read.