SUGGESTIONS AND DISCUSSION 



433 



of this sensory complex. Shifting the eyes, 

 selective tensing of various muscles of pos- 

 tural orientation, or talking to one's self 

 are some of the devices we learn to use for 

 purposes of tliis control. Even the young 

 child achieves coordination as he masters 

 these devices. By permitting, pari passu 

 with the event, observation of bodily changes 

 as they occur, consciousness provides a di- 

 rect and indirect control of bodily movement 

 within the frame of the shifting environment. 

 It provides this without even the most rudi- 

 mentary knowledge of the neurophysiological 

 mechanisms which supply the integrated 

 patterns and permit facihty in their control. 

 Such a screen is no less essential to volun- 

 tary direction of thought and behavior than 

 the cathode ray screen is to the radar op- 

 erator who, watching the pattern, may ma- 

 nipulate controls and intelligently direct 

 complex electrodynamic functions of which 

 he may have not the shghtest comprehen- 

 sion. Without such an observable inte- 

 grated controllable pattern, purposeful di- 

 rection of the activity would be intellectually 

 and physically impossible. With such a pat- 

 tern in what may be thought of as the screen 

 of consciousness the submariner may, with- 

 out knowledge of neurophysiology, intelli- 

 gently direct his complex sensory, neural, or- 

 ganic, emotional, and affective functions. 

 More remarkable still, he may, depending 

 on how good a set he has — how good is his 

 "imagery" — reinstate, to varying degrees the 

 images of yesterday; he may review last 

 year's horizons. In so doing he may rein- 

 state not merely a shadowy pattern of yester- 

 day's teleoceptor (visual and auditory) pat- 

 terns, but the interoceptor (organic) con- 

 comitants of those patterns with their 

 emotional and affective implications as well. 

 He may thus not merely compare results of 

 today's with yesterday's scanning of the ex- 

 ternal world, but he may also evaluate to- 

 day's view of the external world on the basis 

 of yesterday's favorable or unfavorable or- 

 ganic reactions to it. So important are these 

 reinstatements or repetitions from yesterday 



that they may, especially with eyes closed, 

 tinge the entire screen of consciousness. In- 

 deed, the submariner's awareness or field of 

 consciousness may be occupied by far differ- 

 ent patterns from those projected at him 

 from the inside of a hull under 30 fathoms. 

 On a submarine, within the limited orbit of 

 one's gaze, and amid the deadly repetition of 

 each day's routine, it is true if anywhere, 

 that a man carries his own ultimate resources. 

 In the last resort his escape mechanisms are 

 within himself. 



And herein hes the problem of morale. 

 As always on a submarine, a major consider- 

 ation should be habitabiUty, and this is no 

 less true of psychological habitabiUty than 

 of other kinds. Although each man may 

 carry certain devices for "escape" within his 

 own processes of consciousness, the problem 

 of maintaining morale, stated in general 

 terms, consists in the maintenance of such a 

 high level of psychological habitability in 

 terms of interest, cameraderie, esprit de corps, 

 mutual respect, etc., that his limited and 

 permissible leave in the land of fantasy shall 

 be as pleasant as possible. The physiological 

 dividends of such psychological habitability 

 may be assured. 



V. Suggestions and Discussion 



In the survey of evidence relating to stress 

 questions have arisen regarding possible de- 

 sirabiUty of changes in pohcy, procedure and 

 equipment. Some of these possibihties can 

 be inmiediately disregarded by the experi- 

 enced submariner as impracticable; some of 

 them may be recognized as appropriate sub- 

 ject matter for future research. 



1. Chronic cumulative effects of CO2. So 

 far as we know the effects of excessive CO2 

 over extended periods have not been inves- 

 tigated as have effects of oxygen deficiency. 

 This offers an important unexplored field for 

 investigation. In view of the cerebral vaso- 

 dilator action of CO2 and its tendency to 

 favor low voltage fast activity in the electro- 

 encephalogram similar to effects of mental 

 effort, "tension," and anxiety, it would be 



