Greg Bear's _Queen of Angels_ proposes just such a system for exploring the
subconscious. Dubbed "the country of the mind," computers symbolically map
experiences, emotions, biases, memories, etc into a virtual world that is
explored by psychologists seeking to solve a crime.
The book is generally extro-friendly, featuring wide-spread nano, common
physical and mental enhancements, birth of an AI, and an all-too-rare optimistic
view of the future. The attempt to scientifically justify the "country of the
mind" angle is weak, IMHO.
A good read.
Kevin Kennedy -- Seattle
kkennedy@interserv.com