It is thought that simple, familiar stimuli can be identified preconsciously, but conscious processing is needed to identify complex, novel stimuli. This is followed by “conscious,” “focal-attentive” analysis, which is relatively slow, voluntary, and flexible. Investigations of the function of consciousness in human information processing have focused mainly on two questions: (1) Where does consciousness enter into the information processing sequence, and (2) how does conscious processing differ from preconscious and unconscious processing? Input analysis is thought to be initially “preconscious” and “pre-attentive” - fast, involuntary, and automatic. The chapter concludes by suggesting a road map ahead. Part III poses several challenges to the culturally informed body of psychological work in the Indian context.

Conceptual debates surrounding the notions of “indigenous” and “indigenization” hinging on the twin concerns of which cultural reality is the source of psychological theorization (native or imported) and whether the theory/concept aims to explain logic of “Indian” psyche (local reality) or “Indian” logic of psyche (global reality) are also addressed. Part II critically explores the various paths taken by psychology in India to become culturally relevant. Part I investigates the adequacy of western psychology for understanding the Indian psyche and spells out the difference in the Indian and the western worldviews which shape psychological realities differently in the two contexts. Against this backdrop, this chapter makes an effort to critically review the cultural embeddedness of the discipline of psychology in the Indian context. A valid form of psychological knowledge is one that is reflective of the culturally constituted human subjectivities. The difference between the context of generation of knowledge and context of application of that knowledge is significant.

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