EMERGENCE OF OLD IMPRESSIONS. 411 



condition is illustrated by such facts as that the flame of Illustrations of 

 a candle, held against the sun, is utterly overpowered and ^e^o^erin^ 

 imperceptible, but is seen of its proper brightness when it each other, 

 is in presence only of another flame like itself; or as the stars, which 

 are concealed by day, are plain enough when the sun sets. Ancient im- 

 pressions, harbored in the optic thalami, can not make themselves felt 

 against sensations just establishing themselves ; for as, when we have 

 looked at a bright window and then closed our eyes, the retinal phantom 

 we see becomes paler and paler, and after a while dies out, so do cerebral 

 images undergo a diminution of intensity with lapse of time, though it 

 may be questioned whether they ever entirely wear out. The law 

 which obtains in our economy for other organs of sense applies in these 

 cases too. Even in contemporaneously-occurring sensations, unless there 

 is something like an equality between them, the weaker makes no im- 

 pression upon us. In the presence of a bright light, a less brilliant one 

 can not be seen ; a feeble sound is made inaudible by an intensely loud 

 one ; minute variations of temperature become imperceptible when we 

 are submitted to a great heat or cold. Ideas are no more than the ves- 

 tiges of what were once sensations, and are subjected to the same phys- 

 ical law. For them to become embodied, and to cheat the mind into a 

 belief of their re-existence, equivalent in all regards to outward and actu- 

 ally-existing things, the impressions of these latter must be diminished 

 in their power, or the vigor of the former must be re-enforced. 



So, when we are passing away in sleep, the organs of sense no longer 

 convey their special impressions with the clearness and force Emero . ence of 

 that they did in our waking hours, and this gives to the de- old impressions 

 caying traces which are stored in the registering ganglia the 

 power of drawing upon themselves the attention of the mind. 



So, likewise, in the delirium of fevers, the spectral phantoms which 

 trouble the sick are first seen when the apartment is dark- Emer ence of 

 ened and kept silent, and especially when the patient closes old impressions 

 his eyes. Until the senses are more completely overwhelm- offe^ers^nTin 

 ed, these shadows will disappear on brightly illuminating the article of 

 the room or on opening the eyes. And so, too, in the hour 

 of death, when outer things are losing their force upon the dim eye, and 

 dull ear, and worn-out body, images that have reference to the manner 

 of our past life emerge ; the innocent and good being attended in their 

 solemn journey by visions in unison with their prior actions and thoughts, 

 the evil with scenes of terror and despair ; and it is right that it should 

 Be so. 



The enfeebling of sensations which we are in the act of receiving 

 from external sources, so as to bring them on an equality with those 

 which have been long ago impressed, not only occurs in the condition 



