The Principles of Psychology, Volume 2 (of 2)James, William
Science
The Principles of Psychology, Volume 2 (of 2)
James, William
Psychology
[132] M. Binet's highly important experiments, which were first
published in vol. XVII of the Revue Philosophique (1884), are also
given in full in chapter ix of his and Féré's work on 'Animal
Magnetism' in the International Scientific Series. Where there is no
dot on the paper, nor any other visible mark, the subject's judgment
about the 'portrait' would seem to be guided by what he sees happening
to the entire sheet.
[133] It is a difficult thing to distinguish in a hypnotic patient
between a genuine sensorial hallucination of something suggested and a
conception of it merely, coupled with belief that it is there. I have
been surprised at the vagueness with which such subjects will often
trace upon blank paper the outlines of the pictures which they say they
'see' thereupon. On the other hand, you will hear them say that they
find no difference between a real flower which you show them and an
imaginary flower which you tell them is beside it. When told that one
is imaginary and that they must pick out the real one, they sometimes
say the choice is impossible, and sometimes they point to the imaginary
flower.
[134] Only the other day, to three hypnotized girls, I failed to
double a hallucination with a prism. Of course it may not have been a
fully-developed hallucination.
[135] Brain, xi. 441.
[136] Mind, x. 161, 316; and Phantasms of the Living (1886), i. 470-488.
[137] In Mr. Gurney's work, just cited, a very large number of
veridical cases are critically discussed.
[138] Mental Evolution in Animals, p. 186.
[139] _Literature._ The best treatment of perception with which I am
acquainted is that in Mr. James Sully's book on 'Illusions' in the
International Scientific Series. On hallucinations the literature is
large. Gurney, Kandinsky (as already cited), and some articles by
Kraepelin in the Vierteljahrschrift für Wissenschaftliche Philosophie,
vol. v (1881), are the most systematic studies recently made. All
works on Insanity treat of them. Dr. W. W. Ireland's works, 'The Blot
upon the Brain' (1886) and 'Through the Ivory Gate' (1890) have much
information on the subject. Gurney gives pretty complete references
to older literature. The most important thing on the subject from the
point of view of theory is the article by Mr. Myers on the Demon of
Socrates in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research for
1889, p. 522.
CHAPTER XX.
THE PERCEPTION OF SPACE.[140]
THE FEELING OF CRUDE EXTENSITY.
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