Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 67.djvu/501

Rh of a young lady upon whose table stand two similar boxes, one containing stamps and the other keys, and who 'absently' tries to affix a key to the letter which she has just sealed. Such disparate substitutions begin to require a different formula, one that recognizes two undercurrents of thought and explains the confusion as the crossing-point of the two slightly or markedly divergent streams.

The specific lapsing of the sensory factor in conformity to the psychologist's analysis would be revealed in the attitude of obeying, or tending to obey, an impulse with complete inability to account for its provenance, or with a vague haziness surrounding it, which eventually dissolves under a gradually rising attention. Awareness of impulse or action without awareness of the incentive thereto, sufficiently formulates the attitude, which is objectified in finding oneself handling something or other with the mental query, 'What was I wanting to do?' or, 'Why was I doing this?' The principle is important and finds application in pronounced and abnormal manifestations of consciousness, as well as in ordinary deviations. Illustrations thereof are somewhat elusive; the lapses are evanescent, momentary, but significant. A young man, busy with his studies, while his room-mate is away paying court to the one of his choice, is suddenly seized with the idea that it would be a good joke to disturb the courtship by telephoning to his chum that a telegram was awaiting him at his room. As he proceeds to the telephone, he is met by the landlady, who informs him that such a telegram had actually arrived. He is utterly astounded at the coincidence, but is forced to conclude that he had actually, but not consciously, received, two hours before, some vague, yet subconsciously effective indication of the arrival of a telegram for his chum. Two young ladies are lolling in a hammock on a hot summer's day. All energies, mental and otherwise, are relaxed. The mother of one of them asks the daughter to step into the library and get a certain book. The request seemingly goes unheeded; and the languid inactivity continues. Presently the daughter goes into the house, is heard fumbling among the papers and magazines on the study-table and reappears with the book, saying, 'Mother, I saw your book in the library and thought you might want it.' The surprise caused by the laughter that greeted her remark proved her ignorance of the request upon which she had acted.

Under fortunate circumstances a considerable variety of such subconscious perceptions may be detected; as a rule they escape observation, or are beset with vagueness and uncertainty. If we proceed beyond the outward recognition, to the elaboration that interprets the situation, to the associations which it arouses, we shall have another point