Often at the household level, the concepts of "consciousness" and "psyche" are confused. However, the first term in its meaning is already the second. The psyche is composed of such spiritual components as the conscious and unconscious, which are multidimensional and are in constant interaction. The functions of consciousness are, above all, cognitive. For this reason, many modern researchers demonstrate the significant role and complex relationship of cognitive, emotional and volitional (motivational) forms of consciousness activity. However, in the inner world of man there is also a level of unconscious or subconscious, affecting the cognitive work of thinking.
The logical structure and functions of consciousness and its cognitive activity consist of such levels: sensitive (sensory), abstract (mental) and intuitive. On them appear images expressed in feelings and concepts. They constitute the objective and semantic basis of thinking. Along with such cognitive abilities of a person as memory and attention, conceptual thinking, which has a leading role, human cognition is provided with a meaningful and conscious character.
The functions of consciousness, such as sensory and emotional, are complex and fairly little studied. In philosophy, there have been many attempts to classify, typologize emotions and highlight their structures, but not one of them can be considered successful. When an object, reflected in human perception, takes the form of psychological experience, excitement, we talk about emotions. The sensory (grief and joy, hatred and love) and affective (anger, horror, despair) also adjoin the emotional sphere of consciousness.
The functions of consciousness in the motivational and volitional sphere deal with a variety of motives, interests, needs and aspirations of the subject, and are associated with the abilities and capabilities of the latter to achieve their goals. But one of the main characteristics of the activity of the human mind is control over this sphere of thinking. Therefore, the most important component of consciousness is self-awareness. It is focused on analysis, awareness and evaluation by people of their own interests, knowledge, ideals, thoughts and values. With the help of self-realization, a person’s attitude to what he is is realized.
Self-awareness is closely connected with reflection, that is, with the principle of thinking, with the help of which a person analyzes and realizes his own forms of activity. Reflection plays the role of such a function of consciousness, which seems to direct this part of the psyche towards itself in order to reflect on the mental, emotional and other internal state. In this case, the subject makes himself as a thinking and feeling creature, an object of cognitive activity. This characteristic way of life for a person allows him to find his place in the world.
The functions of consciousness in philosophy have recently been inalienable from the problem of the unconscious. The level of existence of the latter today is recognized by the entire scientific community. This is a combination of such mental phenomena and conditions that lie beyond the reasonable. The complexity of the analysis of this phenomenon lies in the fact that some phenomena of this kind arise at the level of the unconscious, and then go to the level of the conscious, affecting it, and some vice versa.
The fruits of this influence are different. On the one hand, the existence of the unconscious reduces the burden on the meaningful aspect of the psyche, and on the other, it removes certain conditions from the control of the mind. Scientists-philosophers and psychologists have not come to a consensus on what is the ratio of conscious and unconscious in the human psyche, and how independent they are relative to each other.