Rereading Myers: From the Subliminal to the Transliminal

Frederic Myers, a co-founder of the Society for Psychical Research, developed a late-19th-century theory of consciousness that distinguished between subliminal (subthreshold) and supraliminal (ordinary) consciousness. Although praised by contemporaries such as Theodore Flournoy and William James, his model faced conceptual problems: confusion between a unified 'Subliminal Self' and multiple 'subliminal selves,' difficulty explaining coexistence of lower and higher faculties in the subliminal, and inadequacy of the surface/depth spatial metaphor. Myers refined his model using a light-spectrum analogy. This paper proposes an alternative 'topography' dividing consciousness into a center (intraliminal) and periphery (transliminal), restating Myers' ideas. His work laid foundations for broader understanding of consciousness and influenced psychology and parapsychology.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Frederic Myers (1843-1901), co-founder of the Society for Psychical Research, developed a pioneering theory of consciousness in the late 19th century (Gauld, 1968; Hamilton, 2009). Myers initially introduced a distinction between two forms of consciousness: the subliminal (subthreshold) and the supraliminal (ordinary consciousness). This theory was hailed by his contemporaries, notably Theodore Flournoy and William James, for its breadth and ability to integrate unexplained phenomena. However, conceptual problems remained: a confusion between “Subliminal Self” (all-encompassing unity) and “subliminal selves” (transient personalities); a difficulty in explaining the coexistence of lower and higher faculties in the subliminal; and an inadequacy of the spatial metaphor “surface/depth”. Myers thus refined his model using the analogy of the light spectrum. I proposed to develop an alternative representation (known as “topography”) of his theory, based on a division between a centre, the intraliminal (ex-supraliminal), and a periphery, the transliminal (ex-subliminal). I am restating several of Myers' ideas in the light of this reconceptualization. Myers' theory, though complex and sometimes confusing, laid the foundations for a broader understanding of human consciousness. His subliminal/transliminal model and psychoscopic method opened the way to the exploration of hitherto unexplained psychic phenomena, having a lasting influence on research in psychology and parapsychology.