4 ANTS AND SOME OTHER INSECTS. 



to a functional macula lutea wandering in the brain, or with a wan- 

 dering maximal intensity of neurocymic activity. But it is quite as 

 satisfactorily established that other psychic phenomena external to 

 attention are likewise present in consciousness, though in a feebler 

 condition. Finally, it is well known that all that has been in con- 

 sciousness even that which is now more, now less, forgotten is 

 included in the psychic, i. e., in the contents of consciousness. On 

 superficial consideration this appears to satisfy theoretical require- 

 ments. But in fact and in truth there are innumerable processes 

 of which we are feebly conscious for only a scarcely appreciable 

 instant and which anon disappear from consciousness. Here and 

 not in the strong and repeated "psychomes" I beg your indul- 

 gence for this word, with which I would for the sake of brevity 

 designate each and every psychic unit are we to seek the transi- 

 tion from the conscious to the apparently unconscious. Even in 

 this case, however, the feeble condition of consciousness is only 

 apparent, because the inner reflex of these processes can merely 

 echo faintly in the field of a strongly diverted attention. This, 

 therefore, in no wise proves that such half conscious processes are 

 in and for themselves so feebly represented in consciousness, since 

 a flash of attention is sufficient subsequently to give them definite 

 shape in consciousness. Only in consequence of the diversion of 

 the attention do they lose more and more their connection with the 

 chain of intensity-maxima which, under ordinary circumstances, 

 constitute the remembered contents of our superconsciousness. 

 The more feebly, however, they are bound to the latter, with the 

 more difficulty are such half-conscious processes later associated 

 anew through memory with the dominant chain. Of such a nature 

 are all dreams, all the subordinate circumstances of our lives, all 

 automatised habits, all instincts. But if there exists between the 

 clearly conscious and the unconscious, a half-conscious brain-life, 

 whose consciousness appears to us so feeble merely on account of 

 the deviation of our ordinary train of memories, this is an unequiv- 

 ocal indication that a step further on the remaining connection 

 would be completely severed, so that we should no longer have the 

 right to say that the brain-activities thus fading away nebulously 



