New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-08-02
Professor Jastroso's Surrey of the
Sabconsci0uS Field.

r,r,fessor Jastrow enters a fascinating field OF
.tsgatfou when he takes his readers on what
:. terms tour Of inspection OF the mental es-
'-,ssbn,ent' for the purpose Of studying the
-soonscious processes OF the human mind He
.ssrs apparently not 10 journey along the
.,bs marked out by other explorers in this re-
S,.D hit to blaze cut new ways FOR himself.
= has read widely on the subject. but admits
-. he has rot found much OF what has been
-;,,sl BIZ others to be notably helpful" TO his
.oieets He makes one exception, indeed, in
s.ving that 1T IS rare that any writer on psy-
..oloey can carry through his purpose without
stnoviedging his obligations to Professor Will
49, 1ames-a privilege that I am wholly I'M
.ining 10 forego" He further records with
,os,re'' his appreciation OF the work of the late
s--eseric ". H. Myers, in his two volumes on
sEunan Personality" but also records with re-
.,s,- that in spite OF a common interest in the
s.me ranges of phenomena, and fair measure
= agreement in their Interpretation. he finds
i. own point Of view go little in accord with
,se. Of Mr. Myers that ne has been able 10
r71at but slightly by the latters discerning
lobors" Unfortunately Professor Jastrow does
-, explain on what points he finds himself COM
Teled TO disagree with Mr.. Myers. and those
-bo wish 10 judge between the two writers can
oslr do so by reading or reviving their recollec~
,ion Of Human Personality
Although professedly writing as much for the
general reader as for the student in psychology,
professor Jastrow has not succeeded in making
che volume easy to read,' in spite of his appar-
entity earnest efforts TO do so. His idea of
aEopularizing his subject consists in the fire.
ouent use Of metaphors. which he too often
rushes TO such extremes that they tend to
carry the mind Of the reader beyond the limits
af analogy. and so 20 confuse instead of helping
hin 10 q better understanding of the authors
meaning. His style is complex and involved. OF
ITO ways Of expressing an idea he almost in
yariably chooses the longer. until his explana-
lions are drowned in turbulent sea OF words.
Or. Jastrow considers the subconscious under
Two heads. the normal and the abnormal. Under
The former he treats Of the wide range OF sub
conscious activities in the normal, everyday life,
taking Up such topics as the simpler dream eX-
psriences and dream actions, as well the dis
fribution of attention in complex activities and
the general submerged tone OF much of our
thinking. feeling and doing. Under the head Of
the abnormal he passes On to an investigation OF
states Of distraction. OF revery, Of ecstasy, Of
marked automatism, Of exaggerated suggesti-
blity Of artificial associations, Of somnam-
bulsm, of Notwithstanding those induced
By the actions OF drugs-of delirium. of halluci-
nation. Of altered personality and of hypnotic
and trance states. A short third part is given
Up TO theoretical discussion OF the subject in
review. No more characteristic example of the
difficulty of Dr. Jastrow's style could be selected
than the passage in which he justifies his per-
fectly rational division Of his subject into the
TWO parts respectively entitled THE Normal"
and THE Abnormal He says:
In the preceding sections subconscious processes
occupation; such occupation is guided by directive
critically Judged and proceeds with decided 9 eft
and with awareness of means and end; or, in
50 far it deviates from this. it does so in degree
Iather than through any change of status. When
hEever. we have to consider a mental movement
that is enthusiastically expressive OF the
dominance of just that group OF activities that in
that though subject TO decided variation in the
value Of each of its components comes TO repre-
must also be admitted that the line of contrast thus
drawn between mental procedures, in which the
dominant tone and issue IS conscious one, and
such are conducted under the leadership of sub
conscious relations does not fairly coincide with
The distinction between the normal and the abb
normal in the usual and commendable sense Of
these terms Yet each distinction in large measure
coTdant methods OF approach not opposed points Of
view. Hitherto the central attention has been
directed 10 phenomena that are fundamentally the
Substantial support of slIbconscios assimilation
The attention is be transferred times a
Eent Of parts, TO critical study Of the phenOm-
ena that result from quiescence of what is
normally active, of a prominence Of what is
mally subsidiary. Of an independent functoning OF
What is normally restrained, TO so altered
ordering Of the minds occupation as 10 demand a
different mode Of apprehension, a different bent OF
The inquirng temper.
The general theory Of the author, based on
The results Of investigations. IS that the sub
conscious phenomena Of the mind constitute but
one phase Of personality. and do not involve. as
they have suggested TO many, the existence Of
sublininal self. Professor Jastrow's argu-
menrs are sound where they can be disentangled
from the confusion of verbiage in which they
are concealed The author draws freely for
Illustrations. in his consideration OF altered per-
sonalities, on DR.. Morton Princes entertaining
look The Dissertation Of a Personality; from
d. sidis and DR. Goodharts account of the case
q Nh. Hanna. in their volume Multiple Per-
sonality,' and from other kindred works: and
these voluminous quotations come as pleasant
resting places in toilsone literary journey.
The Life and Letters OF Lafcadio Hearn,'' by
Elizabeth Bisland, viii be one of the early au-
tualn publications. Of Hougaton, SIifiin &
Co Il viii be brought out in TWO richly
illustrated volumes ard viii contain an album
aance Of new material. Hearns biographer en-
9oyed his friendship for nearly thirty year.
she saw him in many different parts OF the
world and her portrait Of him viii be authori-
.~uFe Many friends have, Of course. assisted
ner with letters. and his published works. too.
S4eld plenty Of material. The life Of this sin
guar type was extraordinarily varied lie
aFed now with wealthy aunt in Wales. now
4 me ascetic atmosphere of a Roman Catho-
-c college. and now il extreme poverty on the
-ast Side q New York. He knew the literary
.''Aehla Of Cincinnati and that Of New Orleans,
-e went from Place 10 place in the American
uoplcs' and for fourteen years. down to the day
VI ms death. in 1904. he lived in Japan as
S1.]en Of that country. He made interesting
--iNS Wherever he went, and, what with the
'elits Of these relations and the impress