THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BELIEF. 749 



scribes or the opinion he declares in a thoroughly lively way in 

 fact, so warmly do I embrace it that I am willing to act upon it. 



The nature of belief is to be a part of our active nature ; it is 

 related to the will. We believe a thing when we accept it and 

 are willing to act upon it. 



We set for our second question, What are the conditions 

 under which belief arises ? These are of two kinds. There are 

 mental conditions and physiological conditions. 



The physiological conditions of belief will of course be prima- 

 rily those, if there be such, which are indispensable to all mental 

 activity. Now, since of physiological activities in general there 

 is an unfailing register in the circulation of the blood i. e., inner- 

 vation of muscle or nerve at any point is accompanied by an in- 

 creased flow of blood to that point we may take the flow of 

 blood as one means of registering physiological activity. With 

 this as a test we can affirm that there are physiological conditions 

 for all mental activity. In fact, the investigations of Mosso, the 

 Italian physiologist, enable us to measure the increased flow of 

 blood to the brain which accompanies simple mental operations. 

 A delicately balanced bed scale on which the subject is placed 

 reveals the fact that the simplest mental operations, as answer- 

 ing a question or working out a problem in mental arithmetic, is 

 registered in increased weight of the head i. e., greater blood 

 supply. Increased rapidity of circulation is then a prime physio- 

 logical condition of belief. This gives a key to the conditions 

 under which belief arises. In general they may be summed up 

 under one head heightened vascular and nervous activity. 



If we stop and ask ourselves how did we come to believe such 

 and such a thing, we shall find in almost every case that it was 

 under excitement. Did ever a girl sit down calmly and reason to 

 the conclusion that she was in love ? Did ever a man or woman 

 reason to the conclusion that he or she was saved ? No, belief 

 does not come that way. Every orator learns that. It is not the 

 close-woven, incontestable argument that leads to belief. It may 

 be a good preparation, but often the result can be gained wholly 

 without it, and I doubt if it is ever indispensable. Men and 

 women are moved to believe, not by argument but by aroused 

 feeling. Just as when anger is aroused some outlet must be had, 

 so when the active nature is aroused something must be believed. 

 The person who at a revival meeting happens to be unmoved, 

 finds it hard even to conceive the intensity of conviction which 

 possesses the kneelers at the mourners' bench. 



Anything, then, that arouses the physical activities may be 

 expected to stimulate belief. This will be found to be true. Ex- 

 citement of any sort seems to quicken conviction. Stimulants 

 arouse belief. I hope some one will make a thorough study of 



