The Unconscious Domain

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Books by the Author

Authored Books
The Psychoanalysis of Symptoms
Dictionary of Psychopathology
Group Psychotherapy and Personality: Intersecting Structures, 1979 (Reissued with
the subtitle: A Theoretical Model, 2015)
Sleep Disorders: Insomnia and Narcolepsy
Curing Psychological Symptoms, (Reissued edition. 2020.) Originally published
2007, as—The 4 Steps to Peace of Mind: The Simple Effective Way to Cure Our
Emotional Symptoms (Romanian edition, 2008; Japanese edition, 2011)
Love Is Not Enough: What It Takes to Make It Work
Greedy, Cowardly, and Weak: Hollywood's Jewish Stereotypes
Hollywood Movies on the Couch: A Psychoanalyst Examines 15 Famous Films
Haggadah: A Passover Seder for the Rest of Us
Personality: How it Forms (Korean edition, 2017)
The Discovery of God: A Psycho/Evolutionary Perspective
A Consilience of Natural and Social Sciences: A Memoir of Original Contributions
Anatomy of Delusion
Psychoanalysis of Evil: Perspectives on Destructive Behavior
There’s No Handle on My Door: Stories of Patients in Mental Hospitals
Psychotherapeutic Traction: Uncovering the Patient’s Power-Theme and Basic Wish
On the Nature of Nature
The Origin of Language
The Unconscious Domain
The Ghost Trilogy
The Making of Ghosts: A Novel
Ghosts of Dreams: A Novel
The Ghost: A Novel

vii
viii Books by the Author

Coauthored Books (with Anthony Burry, Ph.D.)

Psychopathology and Differential Diagnosis: A Primer
Volume 1. History of Psychopathology
Volume 2. Diagnostic Primer
Handbook of Psychodiagnostic Testing: Analysis of Personality in the
Psychological Report. 1st edition, 1981; 2nd edition, 1991;
3rd edition, 1997; 4th edition, 2007 (Japanese edition, 2011).

Edited Books
Group Cohesion: Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives
The Nightmare: Psychological and Biological Foundations

Coedited Books (with Robert Plutchik, Ph.D.)

Emotion: Theory, Research, and Experience
Volume 1. Theories of Emotion
Volume 2. Emotions in Early Development
Volume 3. Biological Foundations of Emotion
Volume 4. The Measurement of Emotion
Volume 5. Emotion, Psychopathology, and Psychotherapy
The Emotions Profile Index: Test and Manual 1974.
To

Ms. Sharon Panulla, Executive Editor,

Springer Science

Ms. Carole Stuart, Former Publisher,

Barricade Books

Mr. Evander Lomke, President, American

Mental Health Foundation, Executive Editor,
American Mental Health Foundation Books

Dr. Inna Rozentsvit, M.D., Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief, ORI/Academic Press
Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
1 Precursors to the Development of the Unconscious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Survival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Adaptational Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Tension-Reducing Cognitive Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Survival, the Psyche, and the Unconscious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2 The Unconscious Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
A Brief History of the Unconscious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Wish System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
A Clinical Examination of Marital Discord with Respect to Wishes . . . . 23
The Husband . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Wife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Husband . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Wife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Both of Them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Schemas of the Psyche Within the Unconscious Domain . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Acceptance/Rejection Schemas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Joy/Sorrow Schemas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fear/Anger Schemas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Expectation/Surprise Schemas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The Contribution of Schemas to the Unconscious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The Pleasure-Principle and Tension-Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3 The Psyche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...................... 37
Tension-Reduction, and Survival . . . . . . . ...................... 37
The Amorphous Bombardment of Chaotic Stimuli
in the Unconscious Domain . . . . . . . . . ...................... 38

xi
xii Contents

Instrumentalities of the Psyche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

The Dream and the Psyche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
The Psyche and the Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
The Repetition-Compulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4 Primary Emotions and the Unconscious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Language-Meaning and Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
The Language of Primary Emotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Primacy of the Emotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
The Emotion of Anger, and the Defense of Repression: A Reference
to the Architecture of Symptom-Formation in the Unconscious . . . . . 66
The Narrative of Primary Emotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Language Meaning and Personality Characteristics of Anger . . . . . . . . . 70
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
5 Basic Behavioral Prototype Categories and Their
Emotion/Personality Correlates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 75
Organization of Polarities of the Behavioral and Emotion
Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Incorporation-(Acceptance) and Rejection-(Disgust) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Disgust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
The Polarity Between Incorporation-(Acceptance)
and Rejection-(Disgust) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Reproduction-(Joy) and Deprivation-(Sorrow) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Joy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Sorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
The Polarity of Reproduction-(Joy) and Deprivation-(Sorrow) . . . . . . . . 80
Exploration-(Expectancy) and Orientation-(Surprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Expectation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Surprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
The Polarity of Exploration-(Expectancy) and Orientation-(Surprise) . . . 83
Protection-(Fear) and Destruction-(Anger) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Anger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
The Polarity of Protection-(Fear) and Destruction-(Anger) . . . . . . . . . . . 85
The Passive-Aggressive Personality Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
6 Instinct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Instinct as an Instrument of the Psyche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Contents xiii

Primacy of Emotion or Instinct in the Evolution

of the Unconscious Doman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 91
Primary Emotions and Their Implementing-Instincts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 93
Examination of the Unconscious Communicational Structure
as Abstracted in Table 6.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 96
Incorporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 96
Rejection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 97
The Polarity of the Incorporation-(Acceptance)
and Rejection-(Disgust) Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 99
Reproduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 99
Deprivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
The Polarity of Reproduction-(Joy) and Deprivation-(Sorrow)
Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
The Polarity of Exploration-(Expectation) and Orientation-(Surprise)
Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
The Polarity of Protection-(Fear) and Destruction-(Anger)
Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Author Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Subject Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
List of Tables

Table 5.1 Correlates of the personality structure Incorporation

Dimension: emotions, cognitive correlates, emotion-defense,
diagnosis, and basic-wish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 76
Table 5.2 Correlates of the personality structure Rejection Dimension:
emotions, cognitive correlates, emotion-defense, diagnosis,
and basic-wish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 77
Table 5.3 Correlates of the personality structure Reproduction
Dimension: emotions, cognitive correlates, emotion-defense,
and diagnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 78
Table 5.4 Correlates of the personality structure Reintegration
Dimension: emotions, cognitive correlates, emotion-defense,
and diagnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 80
Table 5.5 Correlates of the personality structure Exploration
Dimension: emotions, cognitive correlates, emotion-defense,
and diagnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 81
Table 5.6 Correlates of the personality structure Orientation
Dimension: emotions, cognitive-correlates, emotion-defense,
and diagnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 82
Table 5.7 Correlates of the personality structure Protection
Dimension: emotions, cognitive correlates, emotion-defense,
and diagnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 83
Table 5.8 Basic behavioral prototype categories Destruction
Dimension: emotions, cognitive correlates, emotion-defense,
diagnosis, and basic-wish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 84
Table 6.1 Communicational structure of the unconscious domain . . . . . .. 94

xv
Preface

The title of this book, The Unconscious Domain, refers to the unconscious mental
system as a realm, that is, as a field of influence. The noun “domain” is derived
from the Latin word “dominus” meaning “master.” And this is precisely what is
meant here by separating the unconscious from all other metapsychological con-
nections—including the Freudian preconscious and conscious realms. Yet, the
connection between the unconscious field of influence to the formulation of pre-
conscious and conscious realms will herein also be considered.
In addition, the title of this book is actually meant to focus on the unconscious
realm as a complete and absolute system—meaning a system composed of several
components as well as containing a communicational network. It is the intention
here to enumerate the components of this unconscious realm (or “domain”) and to
uncover the proposed communicational network in its operation—a communica-
tional network that is able to link the inherent participating components of this
realm. Therefore, this putative communicational network is also considered here as
subject to an analysis of that which constitutes such a network—that is to say, to see
how it all works within this domain, especially with respect to its components.
A domain also contains a function that provides an output or value for each
constituent of the domain. This output value is referred to as a “range.” Therefore,
the unconscious domain is also seen as a realm that has a range; that is, a beginning,
all the way to an end point—an end point that may also be considered a trajectory
toward an objective and not necessarily solely defined as an end point as in a solid
end-barrier. Further, the function of such a domain also contains input values upon
which the entire domain can be defined. In other words, the aggregate of compo-
nents of a domain defines the domain—along with the idea that as such an
aggregate of components combine, the result can be different than solely the simple
additional value or simple sum of such an aggregate.
In this sense and in this volume, the unfolding of analyses and discussion of the
unconscious domain is seen as containing primary constituents or issues regarding
such variables. These top-tier constituents or variables are identified as the core
variables that can be considered as involved in the genesis of it all—that is, in the
gradual evolutionary formation of an unconscious arena.

xvii
xviii Preface

The following four points are here considered to be essential in such a gradual
structural unconscious formation; that is, that these four basic theoretical issues of
this entire unconscious realm—this unconscious domain—are theoretical bench-
marks in the structural development of the unconscious—as such unconscious
structure began to crystallize throughout its evolutionary development. These
theoretical benchmarks are comprised of:
1. The emotion/evolutionary consideration of survival is a Darwinian focus on
survival, and the emotion system in evolution is ultimately designed to protect
organisms from a given predator/prey existence. This predator/prey existence is
finely characterized in the world as a true characteristic of the world—and by
definition as dangerous to one’s survival;
2. Understanding of the ubiquitous pleasure principle relevant to all organisms—as
even applied to the gratification need of simple single-celled organisms;
3. The critical issue of the inimitable basic-wish in a person’s overall mentation—
as a function of the operation of the psyche; and
4. The organization of the psyche itself—considered here as the engineering room
of the unconscious.
Also included herein are considerations regarding structure and function of such
an unconscious domain including the process of uncovering the nature of the
unconscious as it is related to a variety of factors of the unconscious realm proper
(along with its derivatives), as well as to more complex features of personality.
These more complex features of personality are:
1. The overdetermined phenomenon of acting-out which can touch virtually
all concepts in the unconscious dynamic involving the organization of
personality—thereby also revealing a psychological understanding of
personality;
2. The formation of emotional/psychological symptoms;
3. The issue of instinct;
4. The communicational sequence within the unconscious with a focus on its basic
definitional algorithm (the message of the person’s basic-wish); and
5. The spandrelian effect of all such interactions (and phenomena) within this
unconscious realm—also with the spandrelian effect along with the entire range
of the unconscious. The spandrel operates in a profound logical and simple
manner insofar as it is an unintended consequence of other primary conditions.
This means that the basic mechanism enabling the unconscious to communicate
with consciousness needs to be identified.
Assuming that such a reciprocal communicational language exists between the
unconscious and consciousness, then the questions become: What precisely is this
language between the unconscious and consciousness, and, exactly how is such
language communicated?
Further, the consideration of newly formulated twenty-first century neuroscience
generally, and neuropsychoanalysis specifically (Solms, 2003), organized as a body
of work, the objective of which is to understand the mind/brain phenomenon as an
Preface xix

undertaking in progress, for the most part regarding how emotion and cognition are
conflated as a function of the “connectome” and solely as a brain phenomenon is
also considered.

This so-called “connectome” is defined as the amalgam of close to 100 billion neurons and
hundreds of trillions of synapses—not to mention astronomical number of spandrels1 that
naturally exist as a result of the permutations of this neuroscientific syntactical extrava-
ganza. It is in this sense that the connection of the unconscious and brain will, it seems not
easily lend itself to painstaking enumerations. (Kellerman 2020b, p. x)

However, the reference to this early twenty-first century theory, and experimental
neuroscientific research will be referred to throughout this volume as it relates to the
alleged phenomena of the unconscious domain (Damasio, 2000; Solms, 2003;
Semenza, 2018).
It is often the case that theoreticians and clinical practitioners refer to the
unconscious or unconscious material in a way that implies the sense of it all—
meaning an understanding of the unconscious defined as “material which is out of
one’s awareness.” This sort of understanding is considered, of course, as common
knowledge. Yet, if asked to specifically enumerate the structure and function of the
unconscious, one may be met with hesitation, along with much thinking in an
attempt to develop a more specific definition of the unconscious—more than one
solely related to the “absence of awareness.” This then implies the need leading to
an actual attempt to parse that which comprises this unconscious realm, or domain.
In other words, it seems that perhaps only in a general sense—but perhaps not
specifically—is the unconscious systematically and in detail not really understood.
In this sense, it might be interesting to consider a number of questions regarding
how it all started; that is, what is the genesis of this unconscious? Or, considering
questions such as
1. Do animals have an unconscious?
2. Why do humans ostensibly have an unconscious but perhaps animals might not?
3. Who or what is at the master control of the unconscious?
4. Does there actually exist a master of the unconscious?
5. Thus, is the unconscious operating randomly and therefore is this unconscious
“thing” something that cannot be known? Or—
6. Is the unconscious a cohered system, and if so, can it be described?
It is possible that questions such as these are actually innumerable. However, in
the exposition of this volume is an attempt to address these as well as other issues
relevant to the entire domain of the unconscious as a construct.
Several issues discussed here and material throughout this volume have been
considered in several other of my published works including in the volumes:

1
The spandrel is a space created by a structure that is actually a side-effect of the structure. It may
also be embedded in the structure. See: Gould & Lewontin (1979) and discussion of the spandrel
in Kellerman (2020b).
xx Preface

Personality: How it Forms (2012);

The Anatomy of Delusion (2015);
Psychotherapeutic Traction: Uncovering the Patient’s
Power-theme and Basic-wish (2018);
The Origin of Language (2020b).

Additional material utilized here has also been cited within the five volume
co-edited series by Robert Plutchik and Henry Kellerman (the author of this present
volume: The Unconscious Domain) and includes the volumes co-edited by Plutchik
and Kellerman:
Emotion: Theory, Research, and Experience
Vol. 1. Theories of Emotion (1980);
Vol. 2. Emotions in Early Development (1983);
Vol. 3. Biological Foundations of Emotion (1986);
Vol. 4. The Measurement of Emotion (1989);
Vol. 5. Emotion, Psychopathology and Psychotherapy (1990).
The analysis and discussion in this present volume, The Unconscious Domain,
contain a compilation and integration of concepts in these above-cited volumes (the
volumes by Kellerman and the co-edited volumes by Plutchik and Kellerman) along
with a new synthesis of this present volume provided by this author (Kellerman,
2020), regarding the unconscious domain with reference also to early twenty-first
century neuroscientific findings of brain/mind research.
In the following, Chap. 1 shall begin with a necessary introductory concept
designed to lead into and to begin to unfold the body of the unconscious domain. In
this sense, Chap. 1 is entitled: Precursors to the Development of the Unconscious.

New York, USA Henry Kellerman

References

Damasio, A. (2000). The feeling of what happens: Body and emotion in the making of con-
sciousness. New York: Harcourt Brace & Co.
Gould, S. J., & Lewontin, R. (1979). The spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian paradigm.
New York: Routledge.
Kellerman, H. (1979). Group psychotherapy and personality: Intersecting structures. New York:
Grune & Stratton.
Kellerman, H. (1980). A structural model of emotion and personality: Psychoanalytic and
sociobiological implications. In R. Plutchik & H. Kellerman (Eds.), Emotion: Theory,
research, and experience. Vol. 1, Theories of emotion. New York: Academic Press.
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development. New York: Academic Press.
Kellerman, H. (1989). Projective measures of emotion. In R. Plutchik & H. Kellerman (Eds.), Vol.
4, Emotion: Theory, research, and experience. The measurement of emotion. New York:
Academic Press.
Preface xxi

Kellerman, H. (1990). Emotion and the organization of primary process. In R. Plutchik &
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Chapter 1
Precursors to the Development
of the Unconscious

Survival

This initial subtitle of Survival is the first in a sequence of facets and necessary
underpinnings of the unconscious; that is, the issue of survival leads to the appearance
and even the need for an unconscious domain. In this sense, the unfolding of an
unconscious domain is essentially understood as an evolutionary adaptation.
Along with “survival” as an example of such a facet in the genesis of an uncon-
scious domain, other aspects comprising such a domain include characterizations
that seek to imagine its configuration (the configuration of the unconscious) as well
as seeing the development of instrumentalities enabling an understanding of the
governance of this domain.
It is proposed that the primary function of such an unconscious domain is to
manage the person’s fear and anger (as well as the operation of all the primary
emotions)—all in the service of attenuating the person’s impact of the emotions—
primarily regarding the person’s apprehension of the external predatory world.
Essentially, this concern with survival implies that an invariant structure may exist
as a given in the very formation at the most primitive birth (the most primitive phase)
of the origin of the unconscious domain. This means that the structural essence and
intrinsic composition of the primary emotions exists in an invariant formation with
respect to the adaptational nature of this structure; that is, that the emotion system
is a standard structure within the entire phylogenetic scale disregarding whatever
changes may occur in the external world.
Secondarily, the inevitable evolutionary development of an unconscious domain
would serve the purpose of organizing the internal amorphous bombardment of pos-
sible chaotic stimuli that impinge on the personality. The result of such organization
in the unconscious assumes that equilibrium is sought (in the sense of seeking peace
of mind by way of tension-reduction). Therefore, the road to peace of mind would
need to be, perhaps as an adaptational force of evolution, strong enough to defeat

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2 1 Precursors to the Development …

any even random attempt by the negative and even nasty vicissitudes of life that do,
in fact, often undermine the attainment of such equilibrium.
In this sense, the construction of the unconscious would be in the adaptational
sense, strong enough to protect and reassure the need for reasonable peace of mind—
the mechanics of such peace of mind thus considered as a predominant variable in the
struggle of survival. This invariant presence of the awareness of survival and of the
attendant presence of predation in the world at large—and actually at all phylogenetic
levels—further implies that some sort of primary emotional function (an emotional
meaning) exists at the very beginning appearance of an unconscious domain—again,
determined by the affect of the need for survival.
In a concise formulation of this idea regarding the presence of some sort of emo-
tional function with respect to survival (within the context of such a predatory external
environment) it can be conceived that there are correspondences between that which
exists in the unconscious domain—on one hand between some muscular and pro-
found indication of emotion as a protective device regarding survival, and on the other
hand as an amalgam of instrumentalities of the unconscious domain that develop as
the definitive infrastructural architecture of this entire unconscious arena. This idea
of the architecture of the mind is also considered by Donald (1991) with respect to
structural considerations.
Essentially, this means that in the unconscious domain exist parts that are struc-
tural and parts that are functional. The structural parts can be represented by the
psyche—that they intersect with other structural parts of the unconscious domain—
and secondarily, that other parts of the unconscious domain also functionally interact
with all other parts of this domain. It is in this sense of the rather complex nature of
the unconscious that sheds the notion of the unconscious as a simple definition of
generally something that is solely “out one’s awareness.”1
Characterizations of the unconscious domain that must be included in any analysis
of its development include:
1. An implicit evolutionary history of issues such as the calibrated tension level of any
organism along with its tension-regulation—that is, that the unconscious is involved as
an instrumentality in the regulation of tension;
2. The Freudian pleasure-principle that asserts its primary need above all other needs; that
is, the satisfaction of the pleasure-principle is essentially based upon vicissitudes of
tension-regulation;
3. One’s basic-wish acting as the chief derivative in the personality of the ubiquitous
pleasure-principle. It is the person’s basic-wish that will dominate the personality;
4. The development of the psyche identified herein as that part of the unconscious domain
where needs of the organism are engineered for gratification even if such needs were
denied in the real world. Thus the psyche becomes the engineering room of the
unconscious domain;
5. An algorithm that unites all elements of the unconscious in a communicational sequence
designed always to gratify the basic-wish—notwithstanding whether such gratification

1 In this volume, such correspondencebetween function of emotion as such emotion attaches to the
given presence of survival concerns, will be pointed out throughout the first three chapters of this
book and formally explicated in Chap. 4 on primary emotions and the unconscious.