ABNORMAL IMPRESSIONS. 263 







is possible for a mother to put herself where she 

 may be subjected to conditions favorable to de- 

 sirable impressions, has led some to look upon 

 this as an unlimited means of endowing offspring 

 with the elements of genius. The proposition is 

 that since a susceptible mother may, at certain 

 times, receive such impressions from listening to 

 an eloquent oration or grand musical recital, and 

 produce a marked effect upon her developing Q^^ Cut to 

 child and endow it with oratorical or musical 

 talent, why not select the occasion and make the 

 impression ? Why not expose the susceptible soul 

 to the magnetic powers of eloquence or the vibra- 

 tions of music, as one would a sensitive plate to 

 the vibrations of light, and catch the image of 

 eloquence and song ? Why spend years in getting 

 ready in physical and mental preparation and 

 months in prenatal culture, when the desired re- 

 sults may be produced at once? 



The answers to these propositions are : ( i ) 

 Sudden impressions are rarely potential and sel- 

 dom of a desirable character. A mother can 

 not sit for an impression as she would for a photo- Effectual, 

 graph ; if she attempts to force it, her own mental 

 aggression will make the desired impression im- 

 possible. (2) As previously indicated, mental 

 and physical peculiarities resulting from sudden 

 impressions are not produced in a moment, but 

 are the result of repeated suggestions; therefore, 

 the more frequently the mother is impressed, and Repeated 

 the more vivid the impression, the greater will 

 be the effect upon her child. This brings us back 

 to prenatal culture, and emphasizes the impor- 

 tance of persistent training. (3) Even where 



