p. K. ANOKHIN 205 



The aggregate ot all these afferent impulses arises only when the pitcher 

 is grasped and, consequently, may be referred to as affcrciitcitioii oj the 

 results of the action, in the true sense of these words. 



From the morpho-physiological point of view such an aggregate of 

 afferent influences torms in the cerebral cortex and subcortical apparatus 

 a system of strong bonds which, by virtue of a number of repetitions of 

 the given act acquires properties ot an organized, integral afferent forma- 

 tion. It is precisely this system of bonds that becomes active owing to the 

 rapid selective spread of excitations at the moment the afferent synthesis 

 stage is being completed and that constitutes the physiological basis of the 

 acceptor of action. 



At this point we are consciously leavnig out ot consitieration the 

 aggregate oi the internal and external nitluences which, after the afferent 

 synthesis stage, have, on the whole, conditioned the emergence of the very 

 intention 'to grasp the pitcher'. 



It stands to reason that this intention is only a separate stage in a series of 

 other 'intentions' which are tinally completed through the stage of a 

 subjective 'quenching ot thirst' by a drop in the osmotic blood 

 pressure. 



At this point it is important to inne diat, as soon as the afferent synthesis 

 stage was completed, the cerebral cortex immeciiately exhibited an active 

 excitation ot the entire system of the aforesaid afferent bonds which had 

 become consolidated on the basis ot the past experience ot the afterent 

 results of the act of grasping the pitcher. 



In other words, the afferent apparatus, which we ha\'c named the 

 acceptor of action, torms under any action oi a condititMied stimulus 

 before this reflex action has occurred and consequently constitutes an 

 absolutely integral part of the cyclic architecture of any conditioned 

 reflex action. 



It may be assumed that the anticipatory formation ot the acceptor of 

 action has become the decisive factor in the organization ot the adaptive 

 behaviour ot animals because it eliminates chaos in the choice and elabora- 

 tion ot the individual acts ot this behaviour (Fig. 9). 



Containing all the afferent restiks of the past reintorcements, i.e. con- 

 taining at the moment ot action ot the conditioned stimulation the 

 afferent results only ot the tuture (!) action, the acceptor ot action becomes 

 a peculiar control apparatus which establishes a physiological correspond- 

 ence between the completed action and the initial "intention' to pertorm 

 this action. 



There are several torms oi experimental proot ot the existence ot such 



