Preconscious

In psychoanalysis, the preconscious is the locus preceding consciousness. Thoughts are preconscious when they are unconscious at a particular moment, but are not repressed. Therefore, preconscious thoughts are available for recall and easily 'capable of becoming conscious'—a phrase attributed by Sigmund Freud to Josef Breuer.

Freud contrasted the preconscious (German: das Vorbewusste) to both the conscious (das Bewusste) and the unconscious (das Unbewusste) in his topographical system of the mind.

The preconscious can also refer to information available for cognitive processing, but that currently lies outside conscious awareness. One of the most common forms of preconscious processing is priming. Other common forms of preconscious processing are tip of the tongue phenomena and blindsight.