St. Landry democrat., 1890-03-22
The DUAL NATURE OF THOUGHT.
BY IsADORE BAKER.

There are savages with intellects so fee
BILE that if obliged to concentrate their
attention for several consecutive minutes
upon one or any particular subject, they
invariably fall asleep. Between such Ger
ebral conditions and the possibility of an
experiment related by M Paulhan in Re-
cue Scieatifque, May %, 1887, there are
many sequels of evolution.
M. Paulhan repeated 81 lines of poetry
while multiplying the number !, 321 ,242,-
131, 1921, 241, 81 by 2. The time required
was 10 seconds Performing the opera
ton separately the time required to null
tiply the same number was II seconds to
repeat the same lines of poetry, seconds.
As in this, and similar experiments. it
takes longer to perform the operations
separately than simultaneously.
This process OF double thought has been
known and practiced by trained intellects
in myriad forms of art and invention. In
music, where the player executes with
equal skill and precision an entire and dis
similar melody with each hand in dicta-
ton, as when Napoleon kept three secre-
taries busy on as many different subjects
at the same moment; in drawing, as when
Sir Joshua Reynolds could sketch deer
with one hand, while the other hand was
depicting hare with equal accuracy.
The celebrated Morphy could play sew
oral games of chess simultaneously with
out seeing any of the boards on which the
various games were being conducted, a
feat of thought from which led to ulti-
mate sacrifice of his life. That the brain
at last gave way, and he died insane, prove
that physiology has. something to say to
memory.
In some instances this power of dual
concentration seems to be native to the
individual, independent of training or en-
vironment; as illustrated by the lad whose
parents accused him of inattention to the
pastors sermon. The church building
was of primitive construction, and the
boys eyes, like poets, Gin fine frenzy
rolling" seemed to be fixed upon the
rafters instead of the ocalled thread of
dis course.
In evidence that he had not only listened,
but remembered, he repeated the entire
sermon yer batim, adding: "And now
can tell you how many joists there are in
the ceiling"
Prof. Swing gives somewhat humorous
touch to this faculty of dual attention
"Clergymen while speaking in the pull
pit have their own thoughts about certain
toilets and faces down in the pews, and
along with their arguments that might
seem to prove the existence of heaven or
hell, they can not avoid the reflection that
Mrs. Oleander has a new shawl, OF that
Miss Columbine has returned from Europe
or Long Branch but the rules of public
address demand that from this multiplicity
of ideas in the brain, judlcious selection
should be made by the speaker, and that
in his assumed discourse on some theolog-
ical theme he must suppress his views
about Mrs Oleander and Miss Columbine. :"
| 1t will be remembered that Prof. Swing
was once arraigned for heresy, and in
the light of the above declaration it may
be inferred that his learned accusers had
causus belh of attack.
Another instance of church meditation
may be cited in proof of the dual nature
of thought. The first part OF Mrs. Stoves
great fiction history of slavery ever com
mitted to writing was the death of Uncle
Tom. This scene presented itself almost
as tangible vision to her mind while sit
ting at the communion table of the little
church in Brunswick. 1t is not reasonable
to suppose that Mrs. Stowe was Indifferent
to the devout influences of the occasion,
but that the mind may be occupied by two
| or more themes at one and the same mo-
ment.
A writer, Burnham, in a recent number
of Scrsbaaer, argues that this power of
double impressions may be utilized into
economy of intellectual work. According
to his theory, the subject naturally divides
itself into two parts:
1. Consciousness and the problem Of
economy.
Q. Unconscious cerebral processes and
the problem of economy.
In practice of the first concentration Of
mind energy to the exclusion of unessen.
tial ideas. This is the first principle Of
economic mental activity. Strengthen the
power of attention. AS the mind is nur
tured by what it feeds upon, let the diet
be wholesome and neutrality-suspicious. the
dainties of diletantism nor the dyspeptit
menu of Teufelsdrockh, but the true men
tai bread and fruit correlative of physica
sustenanee.
We remember that in which we are
most interested, says Emerson, which pos
tuiate, if true, reminds us to be only in
terested in matters of Importance to human
welfare and happiness. A knowledge Of
the best that has been said and known il
the worlds history can only be obtained
through the effort of will power in the ex
clusion of non essential ideas.
There is no profounder study than psy
chology and it's relation to human affairs
The sense, perception, the conscious O
unconscious cerebral processes offering 81
wide a field for conjecture, but abou
which SO little positively is known.