Excerpts from
Your Mind and How to Use It A MANUAL OF PRACTICAL PSYCHOLOGY by William Walker Atkinson Order in Adobe PDF eBook or printed form for $9.95 (+ printing charge) or click here to order in printed form from Amazon.com for $26.95 Book Description
Atkinson covers the whole spectrum on a very interesting subject: The Mind! From what it is, to how it works, to what creates certain feelings and how those feelings can be transformed or utilized to your benefit. It is indeed a practical manual anyone can gain insight from - very powerful. Contents: Chapter 1
- what
is the mind Chapter 2
- the
mechanism of
mental states Chapter 3 -
the
great nerve
centers Chapter 4
- consciousness Chapter 5
- attention Chapter 6 -
perception Chapter 7 -
memory Chapter 8
- memory
(2) Chapter 9
- imagination Chapter 10 - the
feelings Chapter 11 - the
emotions Chapter 12 - the
instinctive emotions Chapter 13 - the
passions Chapter 14 - the
social emotions Chapter 15 - the
religious emotions Chapter 16 - the
esthetic emotions Chapter 17 - the
intellectual emotions Chapter 18 - the
role of the emotions Chapter 19 - the
emotions and happiness Chapter 20 - the
intellect Chapter 21 - conception Chapter 22 - classes
of concepts Chapter 23 - judgments Chapter 24 - primary
laws of thought Chapter 25 - reasoning Chapter 26 - inductive
reasoning Chapter 27 - deductive
reasoning Chapter 28 - fallacious
reasoning Chapter 29 - the
will Chapter 30 - will-training Chapter 31 - will-tonic CHAPTER I.
What is the Mind?
PSYCHOLOGY
is generally considered to be the science of mind, although more
properly it is
the science of mental states—thoughts, feelings, and acts of
volition. It was
formerly the custom of writers on the subject of psychology to begin by
an
attempt to define and describe the nature of mind, before proceeding to
a consideration
of the subject of the various mental states and activities. But more
recent
authorities have rebelled against this demand, and have claimed that it
is no
more reasonable to hold that psychology should be held to an
explanation of the
ultimate nature of mind than it is that physical science be held to an
explanation of the ultimate nature of matter. The attempt to explain
the
ultimate nature of either is futile—no actual necessity exists for
explanation
in either case. Physics may explain the phenomena of matter, and
psychology
the phenomena of mind, without regard to the ultimate nature of the
substance
of either. The science of physics has
progressed steadily during the past
century, notwithstanding the fact that the theories regarding the
ultimate
nature of matter have been revolutionized during that period. The facts
of the
phenomena of matter remain, notwithstanding the change of theory
regarding the
nature of matter itself. Science demands and holds fast to facts,
regarding
theories as but working hypotheses at the best. Someone has said that
"theories are but the bubbles with which the grown-up children of
science
amuse themselves." Science holds several well-supported, though
opposing,
theories regarding the nature of electricity, but the facts of
the
phenomena of electricity, and the application thereof, are agreed upon
by the
disputing theorists. And so it is with psychology; the facts
regarding mental
states are agreed upon, and methods of developing mental powers are
effectively
employed, without regard to whether mind is a product of the brain, or
the
brain merely an organ of the mind. The fact that the brain and nervous
system
are employed in the phenomena of thought is conceded by all, and that
is all
that is necessary for a basis for the science of psychology. Disputes
regarding the ultimate nature of mind are now generally passed over to
the
philosophers and metaphysicians, while psychology devotes its
entire attention
to studying the laws of mental activities, and to discovering
methods of
mental development. Even philosophy is beginning to tire of the
eternal
"why" and is devoting its attention to the "how" phase of
things. The pragmatic spirit has invaded the field of philosophy,
expressing
itself in the words of Prof. William James, who said: "Pragmatism is
the
attitude of looking away from first things, principles, categories,
supposed
necessities; and of looking forward toward last things, fruits,
consequences, facts" Modern psychology is essentially
pragmatic in
its treatment of the subject of the mind. Leaving to metaphysics the
old
arguments and disputes regarding the ultimate nature of mind, it bends
all its
energies upon discovering the laws of mental activities and states, and
developing methods whereby the mind may be trained to perform better
and more
work, to conserve its energies, to concentrate its forces. To
modern
psychology the mind is something to be used, not merely
something about
which to speculate and theorize. While the metaphysicians deplore
this tendency,
the practical people of the world rejoice. mind defined. Mind is
defined as "the faculty or power whereby thinking creatures feel,
think,
and will." This definition is inadequate and circular in nature,
but this
is unavoidable, for mind can be defined only in its own terms and only
by reference
to its own processes. Mind, except in reference to its own activities,
cannot
be defined or conceived. It is known to itself only through its
activities.
Mind without mental states is a mere abstraction—a word without a
corresponding
mental image or concept. Sir William Hamilton expressed the matter as
clearly
as possible, when he said: "What we mean by mind is simply that
which perceives,
thinks, feels, wills, and desires." Without the perceiving, thinking,
feeling,
willing, and desiring, it is impossible to form a clear conception
or mental
image of mind; deprived of its phenomena it becomes the merest
abstraction. "think about that
which thinks." Perhaps the simplest method of
conveying the idea of the existence
and nature of the mind is that attributed to a celebrated German
teacher of
psychology who was wont to begin his course by bidding his students
think of
something, his desk, for example. Then he would say, "Now think of that
which thinks about the desk." Then, after a pause, he would add,
"This thing which thinks about the desk, and about which you are now
thinking, is the subject matter of our study of psychology." The
professor
could not have said more had he lectured for a month. Professor Gordy has well said
on this point: "The mind must
either be that which thinks, feels, and wills, or it must be
the
thoughts, feelings, and acts of will of which we are conscious—mental
facts, in
one word. But what can we know about that which thinks, feels,
and
wills, and what can we find out about it? Where is it? You will
probably say,
in the brain. But, if you are speaking literally, if you say that it is
in the
brain, as a pencil is in the pocket, then you must mean that it takes
up room,
that it occupies space, and that would make it very much like a
material thing.
In truth, the more carefully you consider it, the more plainly you
will see
what thinking men have known for a long time—that we do not know and
cannot
learn anything about the thing which thinks, and feels, and wills. It
is beyond
the range of human knowledge. The books which define psychology as the
science
of mind have not a word to say about that which thinks, and feels, and
wills.
They are entirely taken up with these thoughts and feelings and acts of
the
will,—mental facts, in a word,—trying to tell us what they are, and to
arrange
them in classes, and tell us the circumstances or conditions under
which they
exist. It seems to me that it would be better to define psychology as the
science of the experiences, phenomena, or facts of the mind, soul, or
self—of
mental facts, in a word. In view of
the facts of the case, and following the example of the best of the
modern
authorities, in this book we shall leave the consideration of the
question of the ultimate nature of
mind to the metaphysicians, and shall confine ourselves to the mental
facts, the laws governing them, and the best methods of governing
and using them
in "the business of life." The
classification and method of development to be followed in this book is
as
follows:— I. The
mechanism of mental states, i.e. the brain, nervous system,
sense
organs, etc. II.
The fact of Consciousness and its planes. III.
Mental processes or faculties, i.e. (1) Sensation and
Perception; (2) Representation, or
Imagination
and Memory; (3) Feeling or Emotion; (4) Intellect, or Reason and
Understanding;
(5) Will or Volition. Mental states depend upon the
physical mechanism for manifestation,
whatever may be the ultimate nature of mind. Mental states, whatever
their
special character, will be found to fit into one of the above five
general
classes of mental activities. CHAPTER II
The
Mechanism of Mental States. THE mechanism
of mental states—the mental machinery by means of which we feel, think,
and
will—consists of the brain, nervous system, and the organs
of sense. No matter what may be the
real nature of mind,—no matter what
may be the
theory held
regarding its activities,—it must be admitted that the mind is
dependent upon
this mechanism for the manifestation of what we know as mental states.
Wonderful as is the mind, it is seen to be dependent upon this physical
mechanism for the expression of its activities. And this dependence is
not upon
the brain alone, but also upon the entire nervous system. The best
authorities agree that the higher and more complex mental states are
but an
evolution of simple sensation, and that they are dependent upon
sensation for
their raw material of feeling and thought. Therefore it is proper
that we
begin by a consideration of the machinery of sensation. This
necessitates a
previous consideration of the nerves. the
nerves.
The body
is traversed by an intricate system of nerves, which has been likened
to a
great telegraph system. The nerves transmit sensations from the
various parts
of the body to the great receiving office of the brain. They also serve
to
transmit the motor impulses from the brain to the various parts of
the body,
which impulses result in motion of appropriate parts of the body. There
are
also other nerves with which we have no concern in this book, but which
perform
certain physiological functions, such as digestion, secretion,
excretion, and
circulation. Our chief concern, at this point, is with the sensory
nerves. The
sensory nerves convey the impressions of the outside world to the
brain. The
brain is the great central station of the sensory nerves, the
latter having
countless sending stations in all parts of the body, the "wires"
terminating in the skin. When these nervous terminal stations are
irritated or
excited, they send to the brain messages calling for attention. This is
true
not only of the nerves of touch or feeling, but also of those concerned
with
the respective senses of sight, smell, taste, and hearing. In fact, the
best
authorities hold that all the five senses are but an evolution of the
primary
sense of touch or feeling. the
sense of
touch.
The nerves of the sense of
touch have their ending in the outer
covering or skin of the body. They report contact with other
physical
objects. By means of these reports we are aware not only of contact
with the
outside object, but also of many facts concerning the nature of
that object,
as, for instance, its degree of hardness, roughness, etc., and its
temperature.
Some of these nerve ends are very sensitive, as, for example, those of
the tip
of the tongue and finger ends, while others are comparatively lacking
in
sensitiveness, as, for illustration, those of the back. Certain of
these sensory
nerves confine themselves to reporting contact and degrees of pressure,
while
others concern themselves solely with reporting the degrees of
temperature of
the objects with which their ends come in contact. Some of the latter
respond
to the higher degrees of heat, while others respond only to the lower
degrees
of cold. The nerves of certain parts of the body respond more readily
and
distinctly to temperature than do those of other parts. To illustrate,
the
nerves of the cheek are quite responsive to heat impressions. the sense of
sight. the sense of
hearing. the sense of smell the sense of
taste. The nerves
of the sense of taste terminate in the tongue, or rather in the tiny
cells of
the tongue which are called “taste buds.” Substances taken into the
mouth
chemically affect these tiny cells, and an impulse is transmitted to
the
gustatory nerves, which then report the sensation to the brain.
The
authorities claim that taste sensations may be reduced to five general
classes, viz.: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and “hot.” There are
certain nerve centers having important offices in the production and
expression
of mental states, located in the skull and in the spinal column—the
brain and
the spinal cord—which we shall consider in the following chapter.
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