C X The mind isn’t neutral: power, politics, and the neglected unconscious

 A

The Mind, Spontaneous Thought, and Power

• Consciousness vs. mind: Psychology historically equated the mind with consciousness to gain legitimacy, leaving the unconscious to psychiatry, which framed it therapeutically rather than scientifically. Hadjiilieva aims to reclaim the unconscious for science.
• Bias toward productivity: Fields like psychology favor measurable, goal-directed thought (reasoning, problem-solving) over spontaneous thought, often dismissing mind-wandering as unproductive—even though reanalysis suggests wandering can enhance happiness.
• Politics of the mind: Research priorities reflect social and political agendas, promoting brain systems that reward self-interested or socially useful behavior. Consciousness science is shaped by vested interests, not purely objective inquiry.

Key idea: Understanding consciousness requires recognizing the unconscious, spontaneous thought, and the social-political forces that influence what science studies and values in the mind.