%0 Journal Article
%T Varieties of Conscious Experience and the Subjective Awareness of One¡¯s ¡°True¡± Self
%A Matthew Vess
%J Review of General Psychology
%@ 1939-1552
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/1089268019829471
%X The subjective awareness of one¡¯s true self is considered a fundamental aspect of authenticity. It is theorized to reflect an experienced disconnect between one¡¯s conscious awareness and actual experiences. In this brief review, I describe some of the early theorizing on the construct and the research that this theorizing has inspired. I then review an emerging direction of research specifically focused on the relationship between subjective feelings of being disconnected from one¡¯s true self and tendencies to become mentally detached from present experience (i.e., mindwandering). This work offers new insights into the nature of subjective true self-awareness; it elucidates for the first time how disruptions to people¡¯s ongoing mental connection to present experience relate to the experience of true self-awareness and it invites theorizing about aspects of authenticity in ways that do not require evaluations of a self-concept. I end the review by speculating on how this work might inspire new empirical and theoretical directions in the psychological study of authenticity and feelings of true self-awareness
%K true self
%K self-alienation
%K mindwandering
%K stream of consciousness
%K authenticity
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1089268019829471