On Writing: Psycho-epistemology

One of the most important, and overlooked, aspects of writing is the relationship between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Ayn Rand called this psycho-epistemology, which she defined as “the study of man’s cognitive processes from the aspect of the interaction between the conscious mind and the automatic functions of the subconscious.” Psycho-epistemology does not pertain to the content of our mind, but to our habitual method of dealing with that content.

(This is a very brief introduction to psycho-epistemology. Philosopher Harry Binswanger covers the topic more thoroughly in a series of lectures available on YouTube.)

The writing process involves both the conscious mind and the subconscious. Each plays a crucial role in writing, and there are specific times in the process to rely on one or the other. When we understand this, we can use each when it is most appropriate.

The subconscious mind is like a database. It stores our memories, conclusions, value judgments, and observations. The conscious mind deals with what is in our direct and immediate awareness. The writing process requires us to use our conscious mind to access the content of our subconscious. We do this by giving our subconscious an order (or trigger). For example, if I wonder which actors starred in “Gone With the Wind,” I am sending an order to my subconscious to provide me with that information. Accessing the content of our subconscious is much like using a search engine.

Writing is a process of giving orders to our subconscious and then using our conscious mind to evaluate the results. Most writing problems occur when we misuse this process.

There are two times in the process that rely on the subconscious: brainstorming and writing our draft. There are also two times when we must use our conscious mind: developing an outline and editing. (I will address each of these in more detail in subsequent posts.)

During brainstorming, we allow our subconscious to provide us with ideas about our writing topic. Then, we use our conscious mind to evaluate and organize this “laundry list” into an outline. The outline provides orders to our subconscious during the drafting phase. Finally, we use our conscious mind to evaluate and edit our draft.

One of the most common causes of writing problems is using the conscious mind at the wrong time. For example, we should not evaluate or judge the ideas we generate while brainstorming or writing our draft. Doing so disrupts the flow of thoughts and ideas from the subconscious.

Even at its best, writing can be a struggle. However, if we understand when to rely on our subconscious and when to use our conscious mind, we can reduce those struggles.