262 Animal Intelligence 



to consequences of the laws of habit may seem fanatical. 

 Here, it will be said, are the crucial cases where the idea of 

 an act, if freed from all effects of opposing ideas, does in- 

 evitably produce the act so far as it is a possibility for the 

 animal's action-system. 



That is precisely what I cannot find proof of. 



Efficient suggestions to hypnotized subjects, on the con- 

 trary, are often ambiguous in the sense that they seem as 

 likely to arouse a situation to which the act has been bound 

 by the law of habit as to arouse an idea of the act. Often 

 they are far better suited to the former purpose. Direct 

 commands - - Walk, Dance, Get up, Sit down obviously 

 will operate by the law of habit provided the situations 

 connected with disobedience are excluded. This is also 

 the case with such indirect suggestions as ' This is a knife 

 (stick).' 'This is your sword (broom).' 'Have a cigar 

 (a pen).' 



The release of a suggestion from inhibitions may as well 

 be the release from ideas connected as antecedents with not 

 performing the act as the release from ideas of not perform- 

 ing it. It is a question of fact whether, to get an act done 

 by the subject, one must arouse in him an idea to which or 

 to a part of which or to something like which the act has been 

 bound by use or effect, or may arouse simply an idea of the 

 act. 



Finally, if an idea has a tendency to connect with a cer- 

 tain response, over and above the bonds due to exercise and 

 effect, it should always manifest that tendency. If the 

 connection is not made, it must be due to the action of some 

 contrary force. It is less my duty to show that the laws of 

 habit can account for hypnotic suggestibility, obsessions, 

 and the like, than it is my opponents' duty to explain why a 

 man can spend a half day in hospitably welcoming a hundred 



