The Mind. 997 



ception is a conception of matter, this motion of the mind is due to an 

 impact of matter upon mind, which set it going. It may seem a little 

 more realistic to use concrete instead of abstract terms, so instead of 

 " matter, " let us say "ship." Now sunlight striking the ship is re- 

 flected to the retina, there converted into a nerve current which runs 

 into the brain, finds the mind, and sets it going; and this going is the 

 act of the mind, and is a conception of the ship. Now the main thing 

 to be considered here, is that this " mind " is set in motion by the im- 

 pact of physical energy, and it must therefore be a physical body, and 

 further that its motion being the movement of a physical body must 

 therefore be a form of physical energy. The conception of something 

 else is another form and so on. If in the above quotation we substi- 

 tute for "mind," the word " ether, " or some other, expressive of the 

 idea that the substance in question is subject to physical law, we get a 

 sentiment that accords with known laws. There is nothing in a name, 

 provided it is understood, but if "mind " is used to mean the substance 

 that moves, and conception, thought, emotion, etc., are its acts, then 

 some other word must be used to express the aggregate of these acts. 

 Webster defines mind to be (chiefly), "intention, purpose, design, in- 

 clination, will, desire, opinion, memory, &c. This is the sense I have 

 given it. Surely love, purpose, memory, &c. , are not things] they are 

 acts or movements, and together properly constitute the miv-d, while the 

 substance that moves, the material ether of the .cells is the soul. An 

 immaterial mind or soul considered as a subtance, is an exceedingly 

 thin substance on which to make a literal picture of a ship, or in which 

 to set up any sort of motion by the impact of a material substance, or 

 from which to look for impact competent to set up motion in a material 

 body. Ether is thin enough, and it satisfies the condition of being 

 competent to receive and deliver blows. If any one objects that he 

 cannot conceive that the motion of ether could be an idea, he will have 

 to show that it is more conceivable that the motion of an immaterial 

 substance could be an idea. He must do more, for he must show that 

 an immaterial substance is capable of being set in motion by physical 

 energy, or any other sort of energy, if there be any other. 



It may be considered a proof that an idea or conception is a mode of 

 motion, and not a state, that it endures only during the continuance of 

 the physical motion that sets it up. Thus, if we gaze at a red brick, a 

 nerve current at once starts toward the brain and keeps running as long 

 as we gaze, and as long as it runs we experience the sensation red. 

 But the moment the eyes and attention are directed to another object, 

 the current running to the "red" cells of the brain ceases, and the sen- 

 sation of red instantly vanishes. And if it comes into consciousness 

 again it does so from being restimulated by energy from another quar- 

 ter, as the internal sense organs, producing a recollection. 



