22 DEVELOPMENT AND PURPOSE CHAP. 



of the scene by which the said foreground is filled. To 

 understand this relation, not in its metaphysical essence, 

 but in its empirical detail, is highly important for our 

 purpose. 



We may approach the question by a simple and familiar 

 analysis of the ordinary content of every-day conscious- 

 ness. As I write these words my interest is concentrated 

 directly upon the idea that I am seeking to express. This 

 forms the c Blickpunkt,' the ' centre of vision ' in the field 

 of my consciousness over a considerable space of time. 

 From this centre many other elements are from moment 

 to moment determined. The central idea expresses itself 

 in words, of which the most important are matter of con- 

 scious choice occupying therefore for the moment the 

 centre of attention. The lesser words, the * ifs ' and c ands,' 

 come more automatically under the influence of the mean- 

 ing which the sentence has to express, and the actual 

 writing is of course in the main a more or less mechanical 

 process. This part of the proceeding however is psycho- 

 logically not the least interesting. Consciousness, though 

 barely occupied with it, retains control over it, sufficient, 

 for example, as a rule to notice and correct a slip, though in 

 fact success in this respect will be in inverse proportion to 

 concentration on the main idea. The detail of the writing 

 then is half within and half without the control of con- 

 sciousness. It occupies a marginal position. Yet beyond 

 it there are still further and dimmer sense-elements ; the 

 objects on the table coming within the sphere of vision, 

 the sense of sunlight and chirrup of birds out of doors, 

 the permanent background of organic feeling. Lastly, the 

 thinking process may be vaguely disturbed by a sound 

 which presently reveals itself, as the striking of a clock, and 

 in this case there may be the paradoxical effect that the 

 strokes which I definitely hear are the last two or three, but 

 that when I notice them I am at the same time aware that 

 there have been several previous strokes. I am in fact 

 aware of having heard these strokes though I was not at 

 the moment aware of hearing them. 



So far this brief and familiar analysis shows that in 

 consciousness there is every gradation in the fulness and 



