260 From Matter to Man. 



no will. That which we imagine our will is only 

 unnoticed stimuli which are the real initiatives in all 

 our actions. If there be a hiatus anywhere which 

 cannot be attributed to stimuli, then we would be 

 justified in assuming some unknown agent as our 

 " will," but there is none. What are the facts ? 



In adult animals, the spinal cord and lower part of 

 the brain consist of nerve centres of reflex action. 

 The entire working of our body, our digestion, breath- 

 ing and the circulation of the blood, etc., is automatic, 

 and is supposed to be controlled more or less by 

 nervous connections with the cerebellum or little brain. 

 We see, hear, taste, touch and smell all automatically. 

 So much too are our bodies like automatic artificial 

 machines that by stimulating the grey matter of the 

 cerebral hemisphere of an unconscious man with 

 electricity, we may even throw definite groups of 

 muscles into action. Thus man's mechanism can be 

 hoaxed. 



In sleep our bodies are entirely automatic in action. 

 According to Wundt, nearly all dream representations 

 originate from impressions on the nerves ; so that 

 by clever manipulation we can divert a sleeper's 

 dreams into numberless channels. 



Mental automatism is further demonstrated by the 

 generally fantastic and utterly nonsensical nature of 

 most of our dreams. Even when awake, the most 

 diverse notions and images obtrude themselves at the 

 most inopportune moments, still further proving the 

 irresponsible and uncontrolled character of the motion 



