It.'s a question of communication. The two minds communicate (interface) with each other. The are independent of each other, to a degree. The problems we have, generally lie within the communication of the two.

If I remember I can only perceive through my 5 senses, then yes, when I take a bite of an apple, its an illusion, in that I now know I am not perceiving some infinite amount of information outside my 5 senses. In addition, whatever information my conscious mind leaves out (which is a lot) that too contributes to the illusion.

Van Gogh's works of art, to me , are average at best. But then again, he did cut off his own ear.

The public isn't really given a choice outside the two parties. Sure, Libertarianism, Green Party, what have you, are some options on the periphery, but that takes time, research and thought to understand the principals of each political philosophy and their positions on issues. And that is not to imply the public is not capable, they just don't have the time or possible desire. To the free thinker, the traveler, the liberal (and I mean that in the truest sense of the word), you have choices. But stop and ask 8 out of 10 people walking down the street what they political philosophy is or their opinion on a current issue, and they're just going to recite what they heard on TV.

If we lived in an unconscious state all the time, I doubt we would have been able to create the technology we have. The unconscious mind basically allows us to survive without analyzing, judging etc... To analyze, requires consciousness.