EPILOGUE 217 



rose will call forth its image, its name, or even the visual 

 images of persons or surroundings that were present on 

 some former occasion when a rose was smelled. 



The circle widens more and more as the interconnection 

 between the tracts becomes more and more complex. By 

 the joint function of memory images, observation trans- 

 forms itself into perception. "Consciousness" is due to 

 the fact that certain constituents of memory are constantly, 

 or more frequently, produced than others. The complex 

 of these elements of memory is the "ego" or the "soul" or 

 the "personality." Some of the constituents of the memory 

 complex are "the visual image of the body, certain sensa- 

 tions of touch repeated frequently, the sound of our own 

 voices, certain interests, cares, and other impressions." 

 (Quoted from E. Mack, Analyse der Empfindungen, Jena 

 1885). 



The formation of memory impressions which constitute 

 the basis of all training and education thus depends on the 

 development of new functioning nerve tracts. This devel- 

 opment, we might expect, would cease or decline in old age 

 when every development ceases; memory formation would 

 then become difficult. This conclusion is certainly verified 

 by experience. It is well known that an old man finds it 

 more difficult to remember current events than those in 

 which he took part in his earlier days. His mental activity 

 depends more upon the association tracts formed in his 

 earlier life. 



By studying the development of nerve tract associa- 

 tions, we form a rational idea about the functioning of 

 the brain, and observe that even the most intricate and 

 apparently mysterious operation of the mind becomes ac- 

 cessible to rational explanation. 



Before concluding our journey of exploration the Manager 

 of the Performance feels that the audience should know also 



