Stream of consciousness is a modernist literary technique that immerses readers in characters' thoughts in a non-linear fashion, popularized by authors such as Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner. It has been adapted in various forms of art, including music and film, with notable examples found in novels like 'Trainspotting' and 'Wide Sargasso Sea.' This narrative method contrasts with interior monologue by presenting a character's unfiltered thoughts and emotions through disordered syntax and first-person narration.