The Kekulé Problem (2017)(nautil.us) |
The Kekulé Problem (2017)(nautil.us) |
Says who? It's quite ridiculous to assume all thinking happens in the form of language. Not even all conscious thinking does.
Thinking can be on a meta-level, and these meta-levels can be conscious or unconscious. More than 4 levels in total are unrealistic. Conscious thinking allows single-stepping the thought process and introspecting the paused state from a meta-level above. Unconscious thinking is more like a locally-executing, black-box API. It's possible to change it's behaviour from the next meta-level, but it's dangerous (I once collapsed from dehydration as I lost thirst, and since then I substitute full belly/acute low blood sugar for the traditional hungry feeling.).
You can sum the levels up from 0. The first unconscious level (non-meta) is 0, each further 1. The first conscious level is 0.5, each further 1.5.
E.g., thinking about how your crush consciously perceives your conscious behavior is 0.5 + 1.5 + 1.5 and with 3.5 at the limit of the comfortable meta-depth.
3 would also be analyzing how you consciously guide your unconscious control of a pencil when drawing a portrait. Low-level stuff is unconscious, but overseen by conscious, and to improve this drawing process, you have to go meta on it. Drawing itself is only 0+1.5, so not deep on a meta-level. Still deeper than dancing without regard for how you are perceived, which is unconscious oversight of unconscious motoric control. The oversight is needed to not end in a position that has you bang your head or kick someone.
Is this a thing that is known and accepted?
Well, if it spoke to us it would not be UNconscious.