Unconsciousness

Freud said a lot of things that turned out not to stand the test of time, but he'll never be discredited for his understanding of the unconscious, giving it its name, delineating how it operated, and putting into words what Shakespeare grasped: Lady MacBeth compulsively washing her hands after helping murder the king. I encounter the spectacle of the unconscious showing itself with bemused, and often delighted recognition as I listen to the stories people tell me. Like a voice of truth, it rises above the cacophony of overt expression, making itself understood to anyone paying attention, anyone listening for the code. Heidi, at 26 telling me about her parents' relationship, how they interact with one another, and then describing her own relationship with her boyfriend...and using the same description she used about her parents, without ever noticing. Sometimes the unconscious voice is the loudest of all.