Is there such a thing as the unconscious?

Is there truly such a thing as the unconscious? Does the unconscious really exist? Or do we know, somehow, all about ourselves and in turn, what brings on self-loathing, abjection, the collapse of the I and the eventual re-formation of the borders of self? Clearly, there are things we exclude from ourselves (hence the whole notion of abject, or keeping what is "outside" out, protecting our borders). These excluded "things" create a need for our establishing a defensive position, a clear demarcation between I and Other, or Inside and Outside. Does this falling away of the unconscious only occur in "sick" people? Borderline (or worse) people? Or does this kind of thing occur in all of us, and those who suffer psychosis just experience a more acute version? And now that I let go of the notion of the unconscious, the various discourses and the reasons behind them become clearer. Those who are borderline participate in a sort of mystical discourse, and those who present as "normal" participate without reservation in a more rational or scientific kind of discourse. (comment 1)

I am not sure I am quite finished with this line of inquiry, and feel sure I shall return to it.