Pre-conscious thinking

Normally present in small children but recurring in adulthood (in dreams, fatigue or as symptoms of hysteric, neurotic or psychotic individuals), pre-conscious thinking is a preverbal, prelogical mode of thought, with primitive, archaic, magical features and ruled by the emotions. Thus it is not in accordance with observed reality, it is tinged with wishes and fears, and the pictorial view of objects is related to objects of similar actual or symbolic appearance. With the advent of verbal ability, thinking becomes logical and organized and the conscious and unconscious are differentiated.