The mind at work : a handbook of applied psychology / edited by Geoffrey Rhodes.

Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The mind at work : a handbook of applied psychology / edited by Geoffrey Rhodes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/252 (page 8)
    kind must have a beginning, and that beginning must be associated with the first gleam of con- scious life. I know that I am I. We start there. In recent years scientists and scholars have devoted much time to the study of the phenomena of consciousness with important results. The psycho-physiological side of the subject we have already considered. But there is another, and perhaps more important, branch of the work. We have learned, among other things, that the discretion of purposeful actions associated with a realization of personal identity^-, so far from representing the entirety of our consciousness, is only its focal-point. Much of our conscious life goes on without thought or effort on our part. We breathe and digest, for instance, without having wittingly given any fiat for these actions to take place. There are also other functions of the body that would appear to be mainly under the control of some agent removed from the theatre of our immediate attention. Once we have mastered the art of walking and talking, or even swimming or dancing, we perform these actions automatically at will. Without at present going more deeply into this fascinating depart- ment of psychology and discussing the phenomena of subconsciousness, we may say that it is certain that our mental powers are not limited in their operation by any captious yea or nay on our part.