The human brain processes all incoming stimuli through mechanisms that are fundamentally either conscious or unconscious (non-conscious). The vast majority of this work is handled unconsciously.

The major principle in information processing is the massive discrepancy between sensory input and conscious output, highlighting the brain's “massive filtering” job.

* TOTAL SENSORY INPUT: Estimated at approximately 11 million bits per second (bps). This figure represents the physical data capacity of all sensory organs combined. * CONSCIOUS THROUGHPUT: The rate of information processed during deliberate thought, focused attention, and decision-making is drastically lower, estimated between 10 to 50 bps.

The total $\sim 11$ million bps figure is derived from estimates of the maximum resolution capacity of each primary sensory channel:

The unconscious mind is the high-speed filter, handling automatic processing, filtering out non-essential data, and performing complex pattern recognition outside of awareness.

Subliminal Information: Even information presented to the senses to swiftly to register on conscious awareness (subliminal stimuli) can still be processed by the unconscious mind and leave an imprint. Automatic vs. Controlled Processing: Unconscious processing is generally automatic (fast, involuntary), while conscious processing is controlled (slow, voluntary, requires effort). The “Sliptun”: Your invented term for a slip of the tongue (a common concept called a Freudian slip) is a great example of the unconscious influencing the conscious. A sliptun is when an underlying thought or feeling, rooted in unconscious processing, accidentally intrudes upon the conscious stream of speech, causing you to say the opposite of what you intended.

Memory is not a single process; it's a system involving encoding, storage, and retrieval. The process moves through distinct stages, often referred to as the Multi-Store Model or similar structural frameworks.

• What it is: The initial, momentary storage of sensory information (visual, auditory, tactile, etc.).
• Capacity/Duration: High capacity, but lasts only milliseconds to a few seconds.
• Processing: This is entirely unconscious. It quickly registers the massive 11 million bits of raw data before it fades or is filtered.

• What it is: The temporary storage system where you actively hold and manipulate information. This is where your conscious awareness is focused.
• Capacity/Duration: Very limited (about $7 \pm 2$ chunks of information); lasts around 20–30 seconds without rehearsal.
• Processing: This is the realm of conscious, controlled processing. If you actively rehearse information (e.g., repeating a phone number), you maintain it here. If the information is deemed important, it moves on.

• What it is: The relatively permanent storage system for knowledge, experiences, and skills.
• Capacity/Duration: Essentially unlimited capacity and indefinite duration.
• Processing:
  • Encoding: The conscious effort (like studying) to transfer data into LTM is controlled, but the biological process of consolidation (see below) is unconscious.
  • Retrieval: When you consciously try to remember a fact, it's a controlled effort, but retrieving implicit memories (like riding a bike) is often automatic and unconscious.

Key Role of Sleep (Consolidation): The physical and chemical changes that solidify memories into LTM (consolidation) largely happen unconsciously while you sleep.

Dreaming is the most profound example of the unconscious mind generating complex, vivid, and emotional content in the total absence of external sensory input or conscious control.

• Dreaming most frequently occurs during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, but also happens during non-REM stages.
• During REM sleep, the brain is highly active (similar to waking), but the motor cortex signals are blocked, causing temporary muscle paralysis (atonia).

• Source Material: Dreams are fueled by information stored in the unconscious LTM—memories, unresolved emotions, recent experiences (the “day residue”), and deep-seated fears or desires.
• Generation: The brainstem activates the cortex, and the cortex attempts to make sense of this internal activation using stored memories, resulting in the narrative we call a dream (the Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis). This synthesis is entirely unconscious.
• Lack of Control: The bizarre and illogical nature of many dreams stems from the fact that the prefrontal cortex—the center of conscious control, logic, and reasoning—is significantly deactivated during REM sleep. This allows the unconscious narrative engine to run unchecked.

• While the dream itself is an unconscious process, the act of waking up and trying to recount the dream is a conscious effort. Dream memories are highly fragile and rapidly decay unless they are consciously rehearsed immediately upon waking.