The Difference between the Autobiographical Self and Middle Unconscious?

The most famous psychosynthesist, Robert Assagioli articulated that our unconscious realm was comprised of three parts: higher, middle, and lower unconscious. I suppose that the function of the middle unconscious is the same as that of the autobiographical self which is proposed by Damasio Antonio. So, what’s the difference is there between both of them? Regarding the middle unconscious, Assagioli (1965) explained: “This is formed of psychological elements similar to those of our waking consciousness and easily accessible to it. In this inner region our various experiences are assimilated” (p. 17). In other words, we can easily access the realm and retrieve our memory stored in it. 

On the other hand, Damasio (1999) explains about the autobiographical self that we can accumulate new knowledge or experiences as a “something-to-be-known” in this consciousness, and he defines such memory in the following way: “Sets of memories which describe identity and person can be reactivated as a neural pattern and made explicit as images whenever needed” (p. 174). For me, the function of both the autobiographical self and middle unconscious seems the same.

Reference
1The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness
2Psychosynthesis: A Collection of Basic Writings

The Residue of Music in Our Brain

When I read T.S. Eliot’s words “you are the music while the music lasts.”, I recalled mysterious phenomenon happened in my brain. The peculiar phenomenon is here; why can we recall the sound of music perfectly? For example, please imagine the voice of Celine Dion or a certain track of her. What can you hear? I believe that you can recall and hear exactly the same sound of voice or music of her in your mind. But how do we do that? What’s happening in our brain while we are recollecting it? I can’t help but believe that the Plato’s concept “eidos” exists in our reality or in our brain. So, I can enjoy my favorite music in my brain without an iPod.

Reference