My Conscious and Unconscious Selves (poem) by John Herlihy on AuthorsDen

My Conscious and Unconscious Selves
by John Herlihy → (All Poetry by John Herlihy)
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 Rated "G" by the Author.

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My Conscious and Unconscious Selves by John Herlihy I take my unconscious wherever I may go, There deep inside, with no one else around. Harboring wisdom I never know that I know, Never utters a peep, only a soundless sound. We place great value at what lies conscious, A ready knowledge always comes to the fore. But what mysteries lie within the unconscious, Hidden knowledge ready to manifest and more. The unconscious a human faculty forever ready, A hidden well that quietly lies in the desert within. Ever present and always constant, never unsteady, Never left empty, and yet never filled to the brim. The conscious a lantern revealing light in the shadows, The unconscious a forest that lies beyond the meadows. The conscious as a spoken word that is readily heard, The unconscious as arcane and silent as a sleeping bird. The conscious as aa pebble that from a river takes shape, The unconscious as a river that gives the pebble its shape. The conscious as the day that is surrounded by the night, The unconscious as the night that is surrounded by the day. The conscious as words, the unconscious an old tongue, The conscious a tolling bell, the unconscious a bell unrung. The conscious remembers, the unconscious never forgets, The conscious with its hopes, the unconscious no regrets. We live in rooms lit, the unconscious an entire house unlit, A garden in daylight vs a vast ocean expanse in the night. The conscious an open window, the unconscious a sealed jar, Life seen as approaching near, life seen from a distance far. Neither one nor the other, but finding value in the two, The conscious a path well worn, the unconscious unpaved. The conscious living in a world of clearly spoken desires, The unconscious living in a world with secretly held desires. The conscious as a reservoir, simply waiting to be emptied; The unconscious as a reservoir, simply waiting to be filled. - - - - - Copyright © John Herlihy Sunday 15 February 2026

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Reviewed on September 30, 2026

Comparing the conscious to the unconscious is difficult because we really don't know what the unconscious is doing. But you made a valid attempt with some similes and some analogies. Comparative viewpoints.

As I get older I find that when I'm doing something conscious like reading or watching television, I find myself dozing off into a kind of unconscious daydreaming. Usually of some subject entirely different from what I was viewing, but had on my mind that needed to be reviewed in my unconscious state until I woke up and discovered the real world in front of me consciously again.

Ron

Reviewed by Richard Cederberg

An interesting take on the juxtaposition between the two, which, for this reader, invites reflection on how to bridge the gap between what we think we know, and what truly drives us. Perhaps the unconscious mind is not merely a reservoir of repressed desires and feelings, but a vital, creative (and at times divinely inspired) force that shapes human life, artistic expression, and destiny. Perhaps the unconscious mind shapes much of our behavior, emotions and circumstances, while the conscious mind offers awareness and choice.
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Wisdom points to integrating both (making the unconscious conscious) as a path to self understanding, healing, and spiritual growth. Who knows.... it's a subject that free-thinkers like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung devoted their lives to. And I'd bet that when they left this plane-of-existence that they had as many questions as they had when they began. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Peace. r