原文
心理学之父弗洛伊德把心灵比喻为一座冰山，浮出水面的是小部分，代表意识，而埋藏在水面之下的大部分，则是潜意识。他认为人的言行举止，只有小部分是意识在控制的，其他大部分都是由潜意识所主宰，而且是主动地运作，人却没有察觉到。
我们每一分每一秒所做的事情，大部分都是无意识的。从我们的心跳到推购物车时避免撞到货架，我们都是依赖所谓的潜意识。潜意识使我们在驾车转弯时不必经过精心计算来决定准确的转弯角度、汽车的速度和汽车的转弯半径。
根据研究，即使世界上记忆力最好的人，其大脑的使用也没有达到其功能的1%。一个正常的大脑记忆容量有大约6亿本书的知识总量，相当于一部大型电脑存储量的120万倍。如果人类发挥出其一小半潜能，就可以轻易学会40种语言，记忆整套百科全书。
科学家表示，潜意识有六大特征：能量巨大，潜意识是显意识能量的3万倍以上；最喜欢带感情色彩的信息；不识真假，直来直去；易受图像刺激；记忆差，需强烈刺激或重复刺激；放松时，最容易进入潜意识。
参考译文
Freud, known as father of psychoanalysis, compares the mind to an iceberg. The smaller portion floating on the water represents the conscious, while the large portion hidden under water is the subconscious. He holds that only a small part of the human behavior and manners are controlled by the conscious. The rest, mostly dominated by the subconscious, are carried through without evoking awareness.
Most of the things we do every minute are done subconsciously. From our heartbeat to our averting the shopping cart against bumping into the shelves, we all depend on the so-called subconscious. When we make a turn while driving, it enables us to determine an accurate turning angle, radius and speed, without any elaborate calculation.
Research has shown that even for people with the best memory in the world, the percentage of realizing the brain’s potential is less than 1%. A normal brain has a maximum memory capacity equivalent to the total amount of 600 million books, or 1.2 million times as much as the storage capacity of a mainframe computer. Even if people bring only half of this potential into play, they can easily master 40 languages or memorize an entire compilation of encyclopedia.
Scientists say that the subconscious contains six features: its enormous energy is over 30,000 times that of the conscious; it prefers information with emotional connotations; it is intuitive and cannot distinguish between true and false; it is easily aroused by images; strong or repeated stimulation is needed to leave an imprint on the subconscious; people get into the subconscious most easily when relaxed.