The term subconscious brings up the image of a sleeping/unaware state for most people, therefore a lot of authors are reluctant to use this image. It also implies that we cannot know or understand what we are thinking (the iceberg metaphor that is often used.)
In reality all our thinking and actions are based on ideas or thoughts that occured just prior to our knowing them consciously so the term pre-conscious would in fact the correct way to describe the thinking process of our inner mind. However it is little understood.
Since we are communicating with people from different walks of life as well as different countries we look for a better way of describing it. Afterall 'Sub' implies something deep and unreachable... that part of the mind doesn't help us. Its the part near the surface at the almost conscious level that we refer to.
Alex
