THE ANTECHAMBER OF CONSCIOUSNESS. 66 1 



trary measure of hours and minutes. A calculation is performed, how- 

 ever quickly or unconsciously. The question of being able to wake 

 from a sound sleep at an unusual time, in obedience to an act of will 

 registered before going to sleep, brings this phenomenon with this 

 subdivision. The answers to the question in this connection are as 

 follow : 



1. Mr. L , of Philadelphia, writes : *' I can wake within a few 



minutes of a given time without effort. Habitually I wake within a 

 few minutes of a fixed time. I can, however, wake without effort at a 

 different time." 



2. Miss B , of New York city : " Yes, at an early or unusual 



hour, by repeating the time to myself once or twice before going to 

 sleep. I seldom wake before the hour determined upon, and never fail 

 to wake then. I come directly into full consciousness at all times." 



3. Mr. A , of Omaha, Nebraska : " Yes, within three minutes." 



4. Mrs. Y , of Paterson, New Jersey : " Can awaken at a given 



hour determined upon without waking before at all. Have not found 

 it necessary to do so often, but have never failed in the attempt. Come 

 directly from oblivion into consciousness." 



5. Mr. C , of Orange, New Jersey : "Have never overslept 



when my mind has been charged before retiring," 



6. Mr. B , of Paterson, New Jersey : " I was intrusted by the 



attending physician with the administering of medicines to my wife, 

 who was very dangerously ill. It was of the greatest importance that a 

 certain medicine should be given every two hours as exactly as possible, 

 day and night. I am an extraordinarily sound sleeper ; but, for six 

 weeks, I woke up every two hours methodically, and never missed 

 giving the medicines once during that time. I always came directly 

 from oblivion into consciousness. During the first few nights I was as 

 exact and methodical as in the last." 



The statistical result is as follows : Forty per cent claim to have 

 this power in a strongly marked degree ; they can wake up at an un- 

 usual hour without having their rest at all disturbed prior to their 

 awaking. Of this forty per cent, about fifty per c^t say that they are 

 conscious of being troubled just before the real light of consciousness 

 has risen ; the other fifty per cent say that they only know that at the 

 predetermined time they are awake. The sixty per cent who do not 

 possess this power in a marked degree are about evenly divided, one 

 half spending their night continually disturbed by false alarms, and 

 the other fifty per cent sleep peacefully on with rest unbroken, either 

 at, before, or after the appointed hour for awaking. I find that I 

 overlooked one important point in this inquiry, namely, whether those 

 who can wake up at almost the minute of the given hour possess a 

 similarly accurate power of measuring time in consciousness. 



To sura up the conclusions on this point : Many people during a 

 state of perfect unconsciousness can accurately measure time as well 



