From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



makes from them visceral, muscular, or nervous sub- 

 stance, etc., and gives to them definite form, position, 

 and functions. 



In a word, everything takes place in normal and 

 supernormal physiology as if the organic complex were 

 built up, organised, directed, and maintained by a 

 superior dynamism. This is the second term of the 

 biologic problem. 



4. THE CONDITIONING OF THE DYNAMISM BY THE 



IDEA. 



There is a third term, the most important of any: 

 the directing dynamism itself obeys a directing idea. 

 This directing idea is found in all biological creations, 

 whether in the normal constitution of an organism or in 

 the abnormal, and more or less complex, materialisation. 

 It reveals a well-defined goal. The directing idea does 

 not always reach this goal; the result of its activity is 

 often imperfect. As may be seen both in normal and 

 supernormal physiology, it sometimes produces fully 

 developed forms, sometimes abortions or monstrosities, 

 sometimes even simulacra; but whether it attains com- 

 pleteness or not, the directing idea is always manifest. 

 This is so evident that the right word, applicable to the 

 phenomena of materialisation, has been found instinc- 

 tively. That word is * ideoplasticity,' to which has been 

 added * teleplasticity ' to describe the same phenomenon 

 when occurring at a distance from the decentralised or 

 dematerialised organism. 



What is the full meaning of this word ? It means 

 the modelling of living matter by an idea. The notion 

 of ideoplasticity forced upon us by the facts is of con- 

 spicuous importance; the idea is no longer a product 

 of matter. On the contrary, it is the idea that moulds 

 matter and gives form and attributes to it. 



66 



