The fact is that we spend far less time than we like to think in the mental structure of consciousness. Instead, for much of our time we live out of less focused states of awareness, as Gurdjieff, among others, has reminded us. It can be a useful exercise to consider approximately how much of our day we are actually consciously present, and to what degree. And so on. When we examine our ordinary daily experiences closely enough, we find that the accompanying awareness undergoes changes in quality.
Different experiences are, or can be, associated with different cognitive styles.
When listen spell-bound to music, the qualities of the magical structure of consciousness come to the fore. When we are transfixed on the images flickering on the television screen or conjure up images by means of a well-told story, it is the mythical structure that becomes dominant in us. Gebser's model opens up great possibilities for self-knowledge. I can envision a whole psychotherapy based on this discovery, and transpersonal psychologists have to some extent worked toward such a therapy. Here I am more concerned with the wider social implications of Gebser's model, especially its significance for science.