1881.] on the Vulons of Sane Persons. G53 



favourite course, and it csjiecially dwells ui)oii the marks that liappen 

 to coincide with that course. It ft els its way, easily diverted by 

 associations based on what has just been noticed, until at last, by the 

 unconscious jiractico of a system of " trial and error," it hits upon 

 a track that will suit — one that is easily run over and tliut strings 

 together accidental marks in a way tliat happens to form a naturally 

 connected picture. The fancy picture is then dwelt upon, all that is 

 incongruous with it becomes disregarded, while all deficiencies in it 

 are supplied by the fantasy. These latest stnges might be represented 

 by a diorama. Three lanterns would converge on the same screen. 

 The first throws an image of what the imagination will discard, the 

 second of that which it will retain, the third of that which it will 

 supply. Turn on the first and second, and the picture on the screen 

 will be identical with tliat which fell on the retina. Shut off the 

 first and turn on the third, and the picture will be identical with the 

 illusion. 



Visions, like dreams, are often mere patchworks built up of bits of 

 recollections. The following is one of these : — 



" When passing a shop in Tottenham Court Road, I went in to 

 order a Dutch cheese, and the proprietor (a bullet-headed man w^hom 

 I had never seen before) rolled a cheese on the marble slab of his 

 counter, asking me if that one would do. I answered ' Yes,' left the 

 shop, and thought no more of the incident. Tlie following evening, 

 on closing my eyes, I saw a head detached from the body rolling about 

 slightly on a white surface. I recognised the face, but could not 

 remember where I had seen it, and it was only after thinking about it 

 for some time that I identified it as that of the cheesemonger who had 

 sold me the cheese on the previous day. I may mention that I have 

 often seen the man since, and that I found the vision I saw was exactly 

 like him, although if I had been asked to describe the man before I 

 saw tlie vision I should have been unable to do so." 



Recollections need not be combined like mosaic work ; they may be 

 blended, on the principle I described two years ago, of making com- 

 l)Ositc portraits. I showed that if two lanterns were converged upon 

 the same screen, and the portrait of one person was put iut(^ one, and 

 that of another person into the other, the portraits being taken under 

 similar aspects and similar lights, then on adjusting the two images 

 eye to eye and mouth to mouth, and so superposing them as exactly 

 as the conditions admit, a new face will spring into existence. It will 

 have a striking apjiearance of individuality, and will bear a family 

 likeness to each of its constituents. I also showed that these 

 composite portraits admitted of being made photographically from a 

 large number of components. I suspect that the phantasmagoria 

 may be due to blended memories ; the number of possible combina- 

 tions would be practically endless, and each combination would give 

 a new face. There would thus be no limit to the dies in the coiuage 

 of the brain. 



I have found tliat the jicculiarities of visualisation, such as tlic 



