SELF 235 



The emotions and impulses are inhibited, or modified 

 by these higher connections. The action is more delib- 

 erate. The resulting perception, or conception, or ab- 

 straction, is a higher phase of consciousness. That is, 

 these higher centers of psychical action arrest the flow 

 of sensory activity, and turn it from the motor channel, 

 into the ideational centers. The psychical result is a 

 relation called consciousness. It is the physiology of 

 the organism, that is modified by the difference in 

 structure, and at the same time there is a correspond- 

 ing difference in its psychology. 



FREEDOM OF CHOICE. Freedom of choice makes the 

 real difference between instinct and intelligence, or 

 reason. In instinct nature does all, in reason man 

 does much, in addition to what nature does for him. 

 Instinct, having but one choice, does not .hesitate, it 

 does not reason. When we say that freedom of choice 

 is the difference between instinct and intellect we state 

 a result of the real cause of the difference. The real 

 difference is in the complexity of the cross associative 

 paths in the brains of the organisms. Instinct has a 

 limited neural complex, compared with that of in- 

 tellect. The freedom arises only when new short cuts 

 to the cerebrum, from the sense centers, are added to 

 the old reflex arcs of instinct. Freedom is a result of 

 a material cause. It is psychological, while the cause 

 is physiological. This is an example of the real differ- 

 ence between psychology and physiology. 



Reason is arrested reflex. Consciousness is there- 

 fore, the interval between the excitation of a ganglion, 

 and the action, or conclusion. However, no sharp line 

 can be drawn between the "mind" of animals and man. 

 There are some acts of animals, that show remarkable 

 hesitation and reason. The beaver, for example, while 



