IMAGINATION. 67 



periment of the elder Darwin I saw only the edges of the die as bright 

 lines on a dark ground. Sometimes, however, I saw the die really white 

 and its edges black ; it was then on a paler ground. I could soon at 

 will change between a white die with black borders on a light field, and 

 a black die with white borders on a dark field ; and I can do this at any 

 moment now. After long practice . . . these experiments succeeded 

 better still. I can now call before my eyes almost any object which I 

 please, as a subjective appearance, and this in its own natural color and 

 illumination. I see them almost always on a more or less light or dark, 

 mostly dimly changeable ground. Even known faces I can see quite 

 sharp, with the true color of hair and cheeks. It is odd that I see 

 these faces mostly in profile, whereas those described [in the previous 

 extract] were all full-face. Here are some of the final results of these 

 experiments : 



" 1) Some time after the pictures have arisen they vanish or change 

 into others, without my being able to prevent it. 



"2) When the color does not integrally belong to the object, I cannot 

 always control it. A face, e.g., never seems to me blue, but always in 

 its natural color ; a red cloth, on the other hand, I can sometimes 

 change to a blue one. 



" 3) I have sometimes succeeded in seeing pure colors without objects; 

 they then fill the entire field of view. 



"4) I often fail to see objects which are not known to me, mere fic- 

 tions of my fancy, and instead of them there will appear familiar ob- 

 jects of a similar sort ; for instance, I once tried to see a brass sword- 

 hilt with a brass guard, instead of which the more familiar picture of a 

 rapier-guard appeared. 



" 5) Most of these subjective appearances, especially when they were 

 bright, left after-images behind them when the eyes were quickly 

 opeued during their presence. For example, I thought of a silver stir- 

 rup, and after I had looked at it a while I opened my eyes and for a 

 long while afterwards saw its after-image. 



" These experiments succeeded best when I lay quietly on my back 

 and closed my eyes. I could bear no noise about me, as this kept the 

 vision from attaining the requisite intensity. The experiments succeed 

 with me now so easily that I am surprised they did not do so at first, 

 and I feel as though they ought to succeed with everyone. The im- 

 portant point in them is to get the image sufficiently intense by the ex- 

 clusive direction of the attention upon it, and by the removal of all 

 disturbing impressions." * 



The negative after-images luhich succeeded upon Meyer s 

 imagination ivhen he opened his eyes are a highly interest- 

 iuf^, though rare, phenomenon. So far as I know there is 



* Meyer, op. cit. pp. 238-41. 



