au|tom|a|tism

au|tom|a|tism « TOM uh tihz uhm», noun.

1. action not controlled by the will; involuntary action; automatic action.

2. the quality or condition of being automatic or of acting mechanically only.

3. Philosophy. the doctrine that all living creatures, including human beings, are machines, controlled not by consciousness, which exists only as an adjunct, but by physiological necessity.

4. Physiology. the act or fact of functioning without an external stimulus, or as the result of an external stimulus but without conscious thought or attention; automatic or involuntary action.

5. Psychology. any reflex or thoroughly habitual act performed by a person without his conscious intent.

6. (in surrealism) a method of releasing subconscious images and feelings for artistic expression, by deliberate suspension of conscious mental controls.