' SPACE 29 



repetition of similar series of sound-qnalities or direction- 

 signs, an X is formed in our mind, and this X combines into 

 a single unity the entire sound-sequence or sign-sequence. As 

 soon as the first notes sound or signs appear, this unity reveals 

 its presence as an already existing whole, and then, when the 

 sounds or direction-signs are re-created, it prescribes their 

 sequence. 



When we look at a familiar object or listen to a piece of 

 music that we know, we learn nothing except that a unity 

 corresponding to them is already present in our mind. All 

 we discover is the fact that this unity is already completely 

 formed ; we learn nothing about the unity itself or about the 

 process of construction by which it was formed. And accord- 

 ingly, this unity, which we have called " impulse-sequence," is 

 itself a living, active factor, which, when we reproduce the 

 signs or sounds, sets its mark on the qualities under its control. 



So it appears that the most important processes of life 

 are gone through in complete obscurity, although on our side 

 of appearances. One thing we can affirm with confidence ; 

 the secret of the world is to be sought not behind objects, 

 but behind subjects. 



LOOKING 



In music, we distinguish between melody and symphony. 

 By " melody " we understand the orderly sounding of musical 

 notes one after the other ; by symphony, their sounding 

 together. When combined, melody and symphony give us 

 harmony. In glancing at objects, we drew a comparison 

 between certain regularly recurring series of direction-signs 

 and melodies ; we might describe as the symphonic theory of 

 looking the rules that are revealed when all the optical local 

 signs are consonant. 



As raw material for perception, the sum-total of our 



