How do we do things without consciously being aware we are doing it?

Question

For example we might be sitting reading something and then suddenly realize we were playing with a pen without having any active thought to play with that pen.

Or perhaps you might be doing something weird with your tongue whilst focusing hard on a task, or playing with your beard whilst watching a video, etc etc.

How do we do these things without putting any active thought into doing it and why?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Usually triggers cause a bodily reaction to form,and if you say,completed a task once with your tongue out (because it made you think critically) then subsequently your body will associate that bodily action with the mood or situation at hand.Like fiddling with your hands when you’re bored or crying when someone yells at you.