ȯˈtäməˌtizəm also əˈt- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French automatisme, from automate automaton + -isme -ism
1.
a. : the quality or state of being automatic
b. : an automatic action ; especially : any action performed without the doer's intention or awareness
2. : a theory that views the body analogically as a machine and the mind or consciousness as a noncontrolling adjunct of the body
3. : the power or fact of moving without conscious control either without dependence on external stimulation (as in the beating of the heart) or more or less directly under the influence of external stimuli (as in the dilating or contracting of the pupil of the eye)
4. : suspension of the conscious mind to release subconscious images — used of technique in surrealist painting