Finally, with regard to the adult: it does occasionally happen even
in our rushing times that some one commits a poem to memory with the
avowed intention of giving exercise to his mind. Were this practical
end the only one, play, indeed, would not be involved; but, as a rule,
pleasure in acquisition as such is combined with the other motive.
Such exercise was formerly much more common, and at a time when few
could read surprising feats were performed. A survival of this may be
found now in the Balkan countries, where the heroic songs are still
orally preserved. In mental exercise of this kind it is difficult to
draw the line between the emotions aroused by the content of the piece
and what pleasure is derived from the act of learning, and we will not
here go into that phase of the subject, only mentioning, in closing
the section, that conjuring up one’s own past is another form of
memory-play with the feelings.
2. _Imagination_
The phenomena which the exigencies of language compel us to include
under the words imagination or fantasy naturally fall into two quite
clearly differentiated groups, namely, illusion, either playful or
serious, and the voluntary or involuntary transformation of our
mental content. Considerable controversy has arisen as to which of
these groups shall be taken as the basis of a definition, and it
is in opposition to the prevailing view that I have designated the
capacity for illusion as my choice for that purpose. Yet on reflection
I consider it more prudent not to attempt a comprehensive definition,
but rather to keep separate the two distinct departments of mental life
which the usages of language too closely associate, and which, while
they are closely interwoven in some of their aspects, are yet of so
heterogeneous a character that we may hope to distinguish between them
in all essentials.
(_a_) Playful Illusion
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