Spiritualism and the New Psychology

soon realise that they depend far more upon early training, social position, and the general influence of surroundings than upon any reasoning process. After this exerci

two neighbours of opposite political beliefs:-if they are both keen gardeners they may exchange views about methods and manures, and in case of difference of opinion one will possibly convince the other by argument. On other matters, too, they will mutually be open to conviction. If one favours Ilfracombe for a holiday an

urd, and unworkable, and may point in vain to such countries as China, where it apparently works with no more trouble than occurs with our system. Reasons will

do things which others regard as opposed to those principles, and if approached on the

lowing nothing to interfere with them. They are placed in logic-tight compartments and c

term applied to the process by which lunatics defend their delusions, I will add that there is no dividing line betwee

t that they influence his consideration of certain questions related to them. The more logic-tight the compartment is, the more warmly does its owner defend it; but where plain reasoning is concerned few men can be roused to enthusiasm. Even though there may be people who

veryday occurrence with all of us, and the man

nflict between his two activities. Or consider those not uncommon instances where a man prominent in religious work is detected in some financial crime; it is usual to regard him as a hypocrite who has used religion as a cloak, but it is equally proba

sness only by means of a process of rationalisation which allows the two to exist without great mental c

d to indicate a system of ideas having a common centre,[2] whether the

corresponding direction. If a keen botanist and an equally keen amateur photographer are travelling by train each views the scenery according to his complex: the one might note the trees and plants, their flowering or bursting into leaf

their mind-work is purely logical; so it is, up to a certain point, and the more exact the science the less room there is for thinking in complexes; but the reception of a new theory is always opposed by those whose firmly established complexes are offended by it. The aim of scientif

ed and admitted by its owner, and another, such as a political one, where the influence is strongly de

being inborn and common to the race. It is difficult to determine what emotions and d

, nestling from time to time on his feet. Then he moved away and saw the mother-bird return with 'the great terror of man' upon her; next he approached the group again, but the mother-b

h the instinct and inseparable from it. Acquired tendencies associated with emotion can therefore share the strength of instincts (the application of this fact is the theme of Mr. Kidd's book), and we accordingly find the results of early training accepted by the consciousness as perfect and unquestionable. Th

complexes concerning the Right of Might so built into his unconscious that he gave them the obedience tha