The authors state that the development of self psychology has necessitated a radical revision of the theory of the unconscious. They describe three realms of the unconscious which derive from intersubjective contexts with early caregivers. The “prereflective unconscious” is the group of organizing principles that unconsciously pattern a person’s experiences. The “dynamic unconscious” contains experiences that were denied articulation because they were perceived to threaten needed relationships. The “unvalidated unconscious” involves experiences that were never articulated because they never evoked responsiveness. The prereflective unconscious