CHAPTER III 



THE AUTHOR'S INTROSPECTIONS 



In the preceding chapter we asked: What is it that 

 determines the horse's movements? Independent think- 

 ing, or external signs ? — ^We found that it was solely ex- 

 ternal signs, which we described as certain postures and 

 movements of the questioner. Beyond a doubt these nec- 

 essary signs were given involuntarily by all the persons 

 involved and without any knowledge on their part that 

 they were giving any such signs. This is to be seen 

 from their statements, which cannot be cavilled at, as 

 well as from the fact that several of them even to-day 

 still doubt the correctness of the explanation which we are 

 here offering. I myself for some time made these invol- 

 untary movements quite unwittingly and even after I had 

 discovered the nature of these movements and had thus 

 become enabled to call forth at will all the various re- 

 sponses on the part of the horse, I still succeeded in 

 giving the signs in the earlier naive involuntary manner. 

 It is not easy, to be sure, to eHminate at once the influ- 

 ence of knowledge and to focus attention with the great- 

 est amount of concentration on the number desired, 

 rather than upon the movement which leads to a success- 

 ful reaction on the part of the horse. To some this may 

 appear impossible, but those who are accustomed to do 

 work in psychological experimentation, will not deny 

 the possibility of such exclusive concentration upon cer- 

 tain ideas. 



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