>I haven't thought of it like that. But it would seem one is an unconscious reaction, spurred on by the autonomous nervous system, while the other is a (seeming

>I haven't thought of it like that. But it would seem one is an unconscious reaction, spurred on by the autonomous nervous system, while the other is a (seemingly) conscious choice (if we don't get into determinism). OK, I thought you weren't only talking about unconscious processes but also short-term decision-making like "I'm not going to try this unknown berry because it might kill me". I don't know why I used the word "instinct", since that implies unconscious processes indeed. As for the rest, I completely agree with everything you said, my point was mainly what I expressed in my last sentence, regarding the reaction an "untrained" human mind would have, which of course can be overcome with some effort.