50 



PSYCHOLOGY. 



Imagination.' Lately, however, a mass of revelations have 

 poured in, which make us see how false a view this is. 

 There are imaginations, not * the Imagination,' and they 

 must be studied in detail. 



INDIVIDUALS DIFFER IN IMAGINATION. 



The first breaker of ground in this direction was Fechner, 

 in 1860. Fechner was gifted with unusual talent for sub- 

 jective observation, and in chapter xliv of his ' Psychophy- 

 sik' he gave the results of a most careful comparison of his 

 own optical after-images, with his optical memory-pictures, 

 together with accounts by several other individuals of their 

 optical memory-pictures.* The result was to show a great 



* The dilfereuces uoted by Fechner between after-images and images 

 of imagination proper are as follows : 



After-images. 



Feel coercive ; 



Seem unsubstantial, vaporous ; 



Are sharp in outline ; 



Are bright ; 



Are almost colorless ; 



Are continuously enduring ; 



Cannot be voluntarily changed. 

 Are exact copies of originals. 



Are more easily got with shut than 

 with open eyes ; 



Seem to move when the head or eyes 

 move ; 



The field within which they appear 

 (with closed eyes) is dark, con- 

 tracted, flat, close to the eyes, in 

 front, and the images have no 

 perspective ; 



The attention seems directed for- 

 wards towards the sense-organ, in 

 observing after-images. 

 Finally, Fechner speaks of the im 



Imaginatio7i-images. 



Feel subject to our spontaneity ; 



Have, as it were, more body ; 



Are blurred ; 



Are darker than even the darkest 

 black of the after-images ; 



Have lively coloration ; 



Incessantly disappear, and have to 

 be renewed by an effort of will. 

 At last even this fails to revive 

 them. 



Can be exchanged at will for others. 



Cannot violate the necessary laws of 

 appearance of theiroriginals — e.g. , 

 a man caunot be imagined from 

 in front and behind at once. The 

 imagination must walk round him, 

 so to speak ; 



Are more easily had with open than 

 with shut eyes ; 



Need not follow movements of head 

 or eyes. 



The field is extensive in three dimen- 

 sions, and objects can be imagined 

 in it above or behind almost as 

 easily as in front. 



In imagining, the attention feels at 

 if drawn backwards towards tha 

 brain, 

 possibility of attending to both after- 



