236 THE GROUNDWORK OF SCIENCE

occurred before, and without such recognition no recurrence

of a bygone mental image, however many times it should

occur, would be an act of memory.

But there are two forms of real memory. All our readers,

we are quite sure, have now and again tried to recall some-

thing they know they before knew and ought to recollect.

As memory is not truly a voluntary act, they can only turn

their minds in this or that direction, which they think may

possibly or probably lead them to it, till at last they have

thus succeeded, and have before their minds once more the

thought they wanted to regain. Such a mode of reappear-

ance, due to a more or less prolonged effort of the

imagination directed in different directions by the will, is

distinguishable as recollection.

But very often an image of the past suddenly appears

in consciousness unsought unbidden and, it may be, that

its reappearance is far from a welcome one. Such a

spontaneous resurrection of past thoughts and images is

distinguishable as reminiscence,

It is "recollection," the presence of which is implied in

our reflex knowledge of our own existence, because for

that we voluntarily turn the mind backwards on itself. We

have spoken of our knowledge of our existence " from

moment to moment," because we are not sure that it is

possible ever to know the present moment by a reflex act.

It is true that it is possible to look at a coloured object

and say, " Now I see red." In our own case, it seems to

us that we can thus be reflexly conscious of the present

moment. Nevertheless, we cannot be sure that in this we

do not deceive ourselves. For since we are a unity made

up of material existence, thought, and feeling ; since the

mind cannot act in any way without some concurrent

action of the nervous system ; and since no nervous

action can take place without requiring a certain time for

occurred before, and without such recognition no recurrence

of a bygone mental image, however many times it should

occur, would be an act of memory.

But there are two forms of real memory. All our readers,

we are quite sure, have now and again tried to recall some-

thing they know they before knew and ought to recollect.

As memory is not truly a voluntary act, they can only turn

their minds in this or that direction, which they think may

possibly or probably lead them to it, till at last they have

thus succeeded, and have before their minds once more the

thought they wanted to regain. Such a mode of reappear-

ance, due to a more or less prolonged effort of the

imagination directed in different directions by the will, is

distinguishable as recollection.

But very often an image of the past suddenly appears

in consciousness unsought unbidden and, it may be, that

its reappearance is far from a welcome one. Such a

spontaneous resurrection of past thoughts and images is

distinguishable as reminiscence,

It is "recollection," the presence of which is implied in

our reflex knowledge of our own existence, because for

that we voluntarily turn the mind backwards on itself. We

have spoken of our knowledge of our existence " from

moment to moment," because we are not sure that it is

possible ever to know the present moment by a reflex act.

It is true that it is possible to look at a coloured object

and say, " Now I see red." In our own case, it seems to

us that we can thus be reflexly conscious of the present

moment. Nevertheless, we cannot be sure that in this we

do not deceive ourselves. For since we are a unity made

up of material existence, thought, and feeling ; since the

mind cannot act in any way without some concurrent

action of the nervous system ; and since no nervous

action can take place without requiring a certain time for