The Subconscious Mind or the Hidden Self

The Subconscious Mind, or the Hidden Self by Salama Moussa

The Book’s Place in Context

Published in 1928, The Subconscious Mind, or the Hidden Self was a groundbreaking work that introduced modern psychology to Arabic readers.

In it, Salama Moussa (1887–1958) distilled the theories of leading Western psychologists such as Freud, Jung, Adler, and Rivers, deliberately avoiding overly technical language to make the ideas accessible to the general public.

The book appeared at a time of profound intellectual change in the Arab world. As a pioneer of socialism and Enlightenment thought, Moussa sought to connect science with social reality, emphasizing the liberation of the individual from repression through self-knowledge and psychological awareness.

The Nature and Role of the Subconscious

Moussa defines the subconscious as:

“The mind that works without our awareness, shaping our inclinations and moods.”

He contrasts it with the conscious mind through a basic duality:

The conscious mind: “the mind of modern culture”—logical, orderly, and subject to social norms.
The subconscious mind: “the mind of ancient culture”—a storehouse of primal instincts (sex, violence, pleasure), forgotten memories, and repressed desires.

Its key functions include:

Limitless storage: retaining all sensory and emotional experiences from early childhood.
Hidden guidance: influencing up to 90% of daily behavior through spontaneous feelings or reactions.
Psychic defense: transforming trauma into dreams or physical symptoms as protective mechanisms.

Mechanisms of the Subconscious (Repression, Sublimation, Suggestion)

A. Repression and Its Dangers

Repression is the process of pushing socially unacceptable desires (especially sexual ones) from consciousness into the subconscious.

Danger: These suppressed urges can become toxic energy, manifesting as neuroses or disruptive behaviors.
Example: A young woman forced to suppress her sexuality due to social constraints might develop hysterical seizures.

B. Sublimation: Turning Negatives into Creativity

Sublimation transforms repressed energy into productive outlets such as art, literature, or science.

Example: A poet deprived of love channels longing into lyrical verse.
For Moussa, repression can lead to either madness or genius, depending on how it is handled.

C. Suggestion as a Tool of Influence

The subconscious responds more to suggestion than logic. Techniques include:

Repeated affirmations (“I will heal,” “I will succeed”).
Hypnosis to uncover buried traumas.

Dreams and Daydreams: Gateways to the Unconscious

Dreams as Symbolic Language
Dreams compensate for real-life deprivations by fulfilling wishes.
- Hungry → dreams of food.
- Symbolic meanings: water = birth or deep emotion, falling = fear of failure, being chased = guilt.
- They also reveal the “collective memory” of humanity, echoing Jung’s theory.
Daydreams
A more “polite” way to satisfy hidden desires, with partial oversight by the conscious mind. Analysts use them to decode unconscious material.

When the Subconscious Overpowers Reality: Hysteria

Moussa identifies two types:

Hysteria of fear (affecting both genders): emerges in wartime or disasters.
Hysteria of sexuality (more common in women): linked to repression of sexual instincts.

The Subconscious and Identity Formation (Childhood, Morality, Religion)

Childhood as the Foundation
Ages 0–7 are decisive:
- Imitation: children copy parents’ behavior indiscriminately.
- Suggestion: direct statements (“You are brave,” “You are stupid”).
  Moussa argues that true moral education occurs at home, not school.
Religion and Belief Systems
Religious faith embeds itself in the subconscious through ritual repetition and parental example.
- Moussa boldly equates political fanaticism with inherited religious dogmatism.

Harnessing the Subconscious in Daily Life

Visualization: imagining success programs the subconscious to pursue it (e.g., an athlete visualizing victory).
Redirecting instincts: sublimating sexual energy into creative or scientific achievement.
Talking cures: unburdening oneself to a doctor or confidant reduces subconscious accumulation of trauma.
In Art and Creativity
Great works arise from tension between conscious skill and subconscious emotion.
- Example: Freud’s interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci, who transformed repressed sexual energy into artistic and scientific brilliance.
In Criminal Investigations
Dreams, slips of the tongue, or unconscious confessions can expose hidden motives.

Historical Significance

Revolutionary contributions:
- Simplified complex psychological theories for the first time in Arabic.
- Linked psychology with social reform, including women’s emancipation and critiques of traditional education.
- Encouraged readers to ask unsettling questions: “What if everything I’ve learned is an illusion?”
Criticism:
- Oversimplification: reducing Freud’s theories mainly to sexuality.
- Lack of adaptation: applying Western models wholesale to Eastern societies.
- Overemphasis on suggestion while neglecting broader social forces.

Comparisons with Modern Psychology

Still Valid Today:
- Dreams help process trauma → confirmed by REM sleep research.
- Childhood shapes personality → foundational to attachment theory.
- Sublimation as a defense → recognized in positive psychology.
Revised Understandings:
- The subconscious is not merely a “dark storehouse” but also a source of intuition and creativity.
- Human behavior is not driven solely by sexual instinct.

A Mirror for the Modern Reader

Moussa’s The Subconscious Mind remains strikingly relevant to 21st-century concerns:

Mental health: his warnings about repression resonate with today’s epidemics of anxiety and depression.
Education: his emphasis on early childhood anticipates contemporary developmental psychology.
Intellectual freedom: his call to explore the self aligns with today’s challenges to societal taboos.

As Moussa wrote: