This article reviews the neural bases of non-conscious perception of emotional stimuli, focusing on the human brain. It highlights that many emotional stimuli are processed without conscious awareness, and subcortical structures play a significant role in this processing. These structures, part of an ancient pathway, interact with cortical processes and induce distinct neurophysiological changes and behavioral responses. The article discusses the distinction between attentional and sensory unawareness, the functional and structural neuroanatomy of the subcortical system involved in non-conscious emotion processing, and the ontogenetic development of this pathway. It also explores the behavioral and neurophysiological consequences of non-conscious perception, including autonomic and expressive changes, and proposes that non-conscious perception is not a degraded form of conscious perception but a distinct phenomenon with evolutionary benefits. The article suggests that the integration of subcortical and cortical activity is crucial for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying non-conscious emotion processing.This article reviews the neural bases of non-conscious perception of emotional stimuli, focusing on the human brain. It highlights that many emotional stimuli are processed without conscious awareness, and subcortical structures play a significant role in this processing. These structures, part of an ancient pathway, interact with cortical processes and induce distinct neurophysiological changes and behavioral responses. The article discusses the distinction between attentional and sensory unawareness, the functional and structural neuroanatomy of the subcortical system involved in non-conscious emotion processing, and the ontogenetic development of this pathway. It also explores the behavioral and neurophysiological consequences of non-conscious perception, including autonomic and expressive changes, and proposes that non-conscious perception is not a degraded form of conscious perception but a distinct phenomenon with evolutionary benefits. The article suggests that the integration of subcortical and cortical activity is crucial for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying non-conscious emotion processing.