As of the beginning of the 21st century we humans have developed immense knowledge in the area of technology and how to use the material resource around us but our knowledge of human behaviour is quite primitive. Psychology is a relatively new science that has the potential to be the most important area of study, and psychologists have the opportunity to be some of the most integral members of society.

In order to do this, psychology as a science has to sharpen up its act.  The following have to be redefined:

1. The conceptual basis
2. The scope of psychology

Psychology should be based firmly on the principles of physics.

1. All psychological events occur in the physical world and are open to measurement and scientific analysis. While that measurement might be inconceivable at present, if psychology is to remain a true science, then it has to be assumed that it will be measurable in some useful form in the future.
2. The human mind is a manifestation of neural and synaptic events in the brain which are intricately connected with the workings of the body. The mind develops in conjunction with the physical brain during development from infant to adult. This means that all mental events have to be understood in terms of connections with some part of the body and cannot be considered in isolation. The development and structure of the mind is intricately tied in with the development and structure of the body and its neural connections with the brain.

Psychology is closely integrated with the health sciences. Psychological events and biological events are closely related.

While a biological illness is not a psychological event, the patient's reaction to it is and that response can have an effect on the outcome of the illness. Research has shown a close relationship between psychology and biology in many biological events such as the following:

• the effect of stress on the immune system and vulnerability to infectious disease
• the effect of social support on cancer survival
  
• the effect of stress on wound healing

In addition there are deliberate behaviours that lead to biological conditions, for instance

• between diet and diabetes
• between smoking and lung cancer
• between alcohol consumption and liver failure
  

It would be safe to say that all biological illnesses are affected by psychological events. Events of the mind cannot be ruled out of any illness whatsoever.

Psychological events involve all things that result from behaviour, which include thoughts and actions, involving body and mind. The body is not a dumb instrument controlled by the brain but is a container for the senses, sight, hearing, taste, touch, and kinesthetic, which have capacity for learning and information storage of their own. The senses develop their own capabilities in conjunction with the brain and both have to be taken into account when considering psychological functioning.

The ramifications of this are that psychological events have to be taken into account in every medical intervention. 

In illustrations of Freud's concept of subconscious it is often depicted as being part of the brain. While the subconscious has never been demonstrated to have a true biological existence it is still a useful concept. As well as information stored subconsciously in the brain, it is likely that the body also has its own storage system. Through repeated practice, learnt behaviour becomes ingrained into the physiology and specific actions no longer need to be consciously performed.

After years of lessons, the pianist can play grade 8 pieces while thinking only of the mood of the music. The technical skill required to hit the right notes at the right time has become subconscious and all the years of practice are forgotten about. This information is not stored in the brain, but in the body. During conscious acquisition of a skill relevant parts of the body undergo change and take on a configuration that is maintained through practice. When the behaviour is perfected, then conscious alignment of the necessary parts is no longer needed, they have stretched into the required shape, and the skill is performed subconsciously.

Storing information through configuration of muscle and bone

We are familiar with the idea of digital information storage, which is probably very similar to the way that synaptic connections work. However, the kind of information that is stored in the body is quite different, it consists of physiological capability. It is stored through the ability of muscle and bone and other parts of the body to carry out a skill successfully. While this may not appear to constitute information, it is still something which is stored in the body, and can usually only be acquired through training and practice.

Take as a metaphor, a tractor. All tractors can tow harrows and plows, but only some are fitted with a hydraulic bucket at the front. This bucket represents a skill that some tractors have over and above other tractors. It is a skill that the tractor carries round with it all the time. It is a skill that is maintained through the presence of the bucket and the controls, configurations of physical material that provide the ability to dig and lift soil. The same applies to skills that humans carry round in the physiological configuration of parts of their bodies, which are available to be used when required, provided practice is maintained.

(Assume that the bucket is not removed from the tractor because that is where the metaphor is dissimilar to humans: a skill cannot be removed and replaced so easily.)

Conclusion

Subconscious storage of physiological ability plays a crucial role in the development of functionality. It would be very difficult to achieve even the most simple task if each part of it had to be consciously performed.