THE ANTECHAMBER OF CONSCIOUSNESS. 665 



cated Alligator,' which you have. Those, on waking, have come into 

 memory without effort." 



4. Mr. S , of New York city : "In ray senior year at college I 



had an essay to write that troubled me unusually. After trying to 

 decide upon the subject until quite late, I fell asleep and dreamed 

 not only of the subject, but of the analysis and of all the details. 

 The next morning I wrote out just what I had dreamed, and found 

 it far more satisfactory than anything I had ever done in the same 

 line before." 



5. Mrs. H , of New York city : " Yes, many times. A carol 



(the author is unknown), which has been sung in many of our New 

 York churches, came into my mind, words and music simultaneously, 

 after I had been reading till long past midnight. There was nothing 

 in the book to suggest the carol, and I was walking toward the door 

 for the purpose of retiring, when the words and music came to me as 

 involuntarily and distinctly as if it had been something to which I was 



•an unexpected listenei*. So with similar productions — I often write as 

 if from dictation — quite unprepared for what is coming," etc. 



6. Mrs. , of New York city : " I have written a good deal of 



verse of various kinds — sometimes this has flashed into my mind as a 

 clear conception, but more frequently slower. In one case, I wrote a 

 long piece, of a rather satiric character, in easy rhythm, as fast as I 

 could set down the words, and it needed little or no revision — usually 

 I am dissatisfied with my first copies." 



7. Mrs. , of New York city : " In half sleep, after consciousness 



is gone, I am frequently startled wide awake by the recollection of 

 some forgotten duty — or by some entirely new idea, usually something 

 that is practical in character, and works well when put into shape. 

 Measured by my normal standard, these ideas are usually above the 

 medium in clearness and precision, completeness and practical value. 

 They are new thoughts, but rather expedients, business suggestions ; 

 for instance, the idea of writing a series of articles for 'Scribner's 

 Monthly ' on microscopic studies of vegetable and animal life in its 

 completeness came to me in this way — articles which appeared and 

 have since appeared in book-form, and laid the foundation of most of 

 my work since." 



8. Mr. S , of Philadelphia: "While walking alone, busily en- 

 gaged in trying to settle a business question — so intent as to have my 

 head down, and quite oblivious to anything around me — an original 

 conundrum presented itself to my mind. (I confess to a slight weak- 

 ness for punning, but rather despise conundrums, and this is the first 

 and only one I ever concocted.) The conundrum was as much an in- 

 terruption of my course of thought as if another person had come to 

 me — it was, 'Why is so much bread baked ? Because it is all 

 (k)needed.' " 



The results of the answers in this subdivision may be summed up 



