THE INNER FEELING 335 



It would therefore be inconsistent to look for muscles in animals which 

 obviously had no nervous system. 



Let us now turn to a discussion of the chief facts about the emotions 

 of the inner feehng. 



Of the Emotions of the Inner Feeling. 



We now have to investigate one of the most important phenomena 

 of animal organisation, viz. those emotions of the inner feeling which 

 lead to action in animals and even in man, sometimes without any 

 effort of their will ; emotions long ago recognised, but as to the origin 

 or causes of which no one seems to have paid any attention. 



Observation leaves no room to doubt that the general inner feeling 

 experienced by animals which possess the requisite nervous system, 

 is susceptible of being stirred by causes which affect it ; now these 

 causes always consist in the need either of assuaging hunger or of 

 flying from danger, or avoiding pain, or seeking pleasure, or what is 

 agreeable to the individual, etc. 



The emotions of the inner feeling can only be known by man, 

 since he alone can notice and mark them ; but he only perceives those 

 which are strong, and which agitate, so to speak, his whole being ; 

 close attention and thought is necessary before he can recognise that 

 he experiences them in all degrees of intensity, and that it is exclusively 

 the inner feeUng that under various circumstances stirs up in him 

 those inward emotions which lead him to the execution of some action. 



I have already said, at the beginning of this chapter, that the inner 

 emotions of a sensitive animal consist in certain general agitations 

 of all the free parts of the nervous fluid, and that since the agitations 

 are followed by no reactions they produce no distinct sensation. Now 

 we may easily imagine that, when these emotions are weak or moderate, 

 the individual may dominate them and control their movements ; but 

 that when they are sudden and powerful he is then mastered by them : 

 this is a very important consideration. 



The positive fact of the existence of these emotions is no mere 

 hypothesis. Who has not noticed that a loud and unexpected noise 

 makes us start or give a sort of jump, and execute corresponding 

 movements that our will had not determined ? 



Some time ago I was walking in the street with my left eye covered 

 by my pocket-handkerchief, because it was in pain and irritated by 

 the sunlight. A horse and rider that I did not see suddenly fell, 

 quite close to me on my left : I instantly found myself transported two 

 steps towards the right by a movement or bound, in which my will 

 had not the smallest share, and before I had any idea of what was 

 happening close to me. 



