442 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—J. 
17. Dr. J. T. MacCurpy.—The Psychology of Déja Vu. 
The work of Grasset, Freud, and others has shown that déja vu is caused 
by activation of an unconscious memory of a real event, a fantasy, or a dream, 
which in some way resembles the co-incident, conscious perception. This 
memory, although stimulated, does not enter consciousness as such, but affects 
it only as an obsessive feeling of familiarity. A newly described group in 
manic-depressive insanity—the perplexity cases—are characterised by a peculiar 
affect closely analogous to the feeling of déja vu. In studying this condition 
the mental processes, which result in this subjective perplexity, are easily dis- 
covered. We are thus enabled to see the mechanism of production of déja vu 
and, in turn, to understand more fully the nature of normal recognition. 
18, Dr. E. Mayo.—Reverie and Industrial Fatigue. 
19, Dr. C. M. Hincks.—Mental Hygiene as a National Enterprise. 
20. Prof. C. 8. Yoaxum.—The Definition of Personality. 
An effort to formulate a definition of personality which would enable the 
psychologist to proceed experimentally in this field as he has done in the fields 
of sensation or perception. would be of value. The following definition is 
proposed ; Personality is that combination of behaviour forms in the individual 
which during the process of individuation distinguishes that individual from 
others of a group. 
21. Prof. J. P. Porter.—A Comparative Study of Ideational Pro- 
cesses and Intelligence. 
22. Dr. A. A. Ropacx.—Some Phenomena of Graphic Interference. 
Problem.—To discover both conscious and unconscious experiences attendant 
on writing from dictation at a steadily increased speed. 
Method.—Twenty-two subjects were used. The stimuli-words or other 
symbols were made known to the writers so as to avoid mishearings. Dis- 
traction was not introduced. 
Results.—The course of least exertion, previously reported in ‘The Inter- 
ference of Will-Impulses ’ manifested itself in slips of various kinds (anticipa- 
tions, repetitions, substitutions, omissions, and combinations), automatic and 
meaningless marks; but a very curious type of result was the composite, con- 
sisting of rudiments of two or more stimuli, but not resembling either. Most 
of the lapses and other phenomena are due to two processes in the nervous 
system, assimilation and perseveration. Very few lapses are attended by intro- 
spective consciousness—these being confined to anticipations for the most part. 
Other results are the slurring of vowels and favouring of initial letters as 
against final letters, and the degeneration of the handwriting to primitive 
strokes and dashes with increased speed. The introspective protocols offered 
some very interesting observations in connection with the nature of inhibition. 
Wednesday, August 13. 
23. Dr. J. Drever.—Conscious and Unconscious in Psychology. 
Consciousness is not an entity, but a character or attribute belonging to 
certain processes. It is marked by ‘psychical integration’ and a peculiar 
‘inner view ’ of the event. 
The ‘ unconscious’ ought to mean always dispositional elements rather than 
mental processes. Mental processes of a different order from conscious processes 
ought to be designated ‘endopsychic,’ as, for example, the processes in the 
operation of associative bonds or in conflict. 
24, Dr. Curistins Lapp-Franxiin.—Theories of Colour Vision. 
References : Dr. Ladd-Franklin’s Appendix to Vol. 2 of the English transla- 
tion of Helmholtz’s Physiological Optics, to be published by the Optical Society 
