EN
The authors reviewed research concerning detection and recognition of stimuli without conscious awareness. Such approach is considered to be a convenient paradigm enabling to investigate features and functions of consciousness. One particular form of such dissociation between recognition and consciousness is subliminal priming. The results of experiments on subliminal priming were compared with analogical experiments where recognitions of stimuli were associated with conscious awareness. Such comparison enabled to indicate several functions of consciousness which occur only if consciousness mediates the task performance. Subliminal stimuli cannot perform strategic control over behavior, cannot trigger behavior which is not consistent with subject's intention and their effect may be rather imprecise.