58 SCIENCE AND METHOD. 



in the affirmative. (See also the same author's 

 Science et Rcligio7i, pp. 313^^ seq?) 



Are we forced to give this affirmative answer by 

 the facts I have just stated ? I confess that, for my 

 part, I should be loth to accept it. Let us, then, 

 return to the facts, and see if they do not admit of 

 some other explanation. 



It is certain that the combinations which present 

 themselves to the mind in a kind of sudden illumina- 

 tion after a somewhat prolonged period of unconscious 

 work are generally useful and fruitful combinations, 

 which appear to be the result of a preliminary sifting. 

 Does it follow from this that the subliminal ego, 

 having divined by a delicate intuition that these 

 combinations could be useful, has formed none but 

 these, or has it formed a great many others which 

 were devoid of interest, and remained unconscious ? 



Under this second aspect, all the combinations are 

 formed as a result of the automatic action of the 

 subliminal ego, but those only which are interesting 

 find their way into the field of consciousness. This, too, 

 is most mysterious. How can we explain the fact that, 

 of the thousand products of our unconscious activity, 

 some are invited to cross the threshold, while others 

 remain outside? Is it mere chance that gives them 

 this privilege? Evidently not. For instance, of 

 all the excitements of our senses, it is only the most 

 intense that retain our attention, unless it has been 

 directed upon them by other causes. More commonly 

 the privileged unconscious phenomena, those that are 

 capable of becoming conscious, are those which, 

 directly or indirectly, most deeply affect our sen- 

 sibility. 



