The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-04-05
Mental Phenomena
CONTINUED from first paee)

uttermost reach of discovery there arises and must
ever arise, the question-What is beyond? AS it is
impossible to think of limit to space to ex-
cude the idea of space lying outside that limit, 30
cannot conceive of any explanation profound
enough exclude the question-What is the
PLANTATION of that explanations"
Millenniums ago the question was asked: What
is man?' And many are the attempts that have
been made to satisfactorily answer it, two only Of
which l will give and then pass on to more easily
demonstrabe phase of my subject. Plato's definition
of was, that he is a triune composite of sorl,
soul-b body and earth body" TO which the definition
of Paul, four centuries later, very simar--vz,,
body, soul and spirit
1t is of the psychic self-being speak when
we say going to do this that. 1t is indeed
not alien to truth at first it may to be,
when the plural term WEI when referring to
oursef. For the body acts not alone the heart does
not function of itself; the brain is not independent,
and the mindfactors back of brain dependent
upon the self-beng for their intelligent direction.
We say of certain persons that they have a
strong personality. This means than healthy
brain and active mind factors: it means potent
psychic self being, which consistently directs the
ergies of both of these. And it is this psychic self
being that constitutes man free moral agent. For
it is by auto-suggeson that the incnations towards
evil, that had their inception in the mind through
extraneous sources, are counteracte9.
But it is a further phenomena of mind, that re-
peated actions, either of the mind alone of both
mind and body, form grooves the brain tissues
which renders more easy and probable the further
exercise Of mind or body in those particular chan
nes. Thus act, either metal physical by
repetition becomes a habit. And these habits-es-
peciay if they be evil ones-once formed require a
much greater exercise of will power (which is but
self to break than would have been needed to
come the evil influence when first it made itself felt
And the will becomes so weakened finally through
disuse that the unfortunate who has failed to
exert himself in his behalf becomes fatally
meshed in the tangled sken of his misdeeds.
These words of Tennyson very pertinent in
connection with thought of the gradual but
weakening of the will through repeated and unhin-
dered acts:
And weaker grows through acted crime,
Or seeming genial venia fault,
Recurring and suggesting STILL
writer (PauD of the first century was even
emphatic in his declaration that there was a
potent force working within him, impelling even
compelling, him to do that which he did not wish to
do He expresses himself thus
The good that l would, 1 do but the evil which l
would not, that do. find then law, that when would
do good evil is present with me.
Shakespeare in recognition of the potent power
of suggestion and mans often failure to overcome it,
has of his characters ask: why do yield to
that suggeston?''
But if in each and all of us, the actions of the
objective mind modified by coordinate action
of the subjective mind, there would be solidarity
of character unitv of DurnOse a sublime and con-
sstent effort of each for the welfare of the other,
such would make of earth habtation so delight
full that beside it Utopia itself could offer allure
ment.
Yet another phase of mental phenomena, is pre-
judice. Prejudice causes ones thoughts of and &C.
tons towards another to be illogical unreasonable.
For if ones mind becomes prejudiced, either in ia
vor of or against person the cause person
resents it will not, in affairs regarding that person
that with great clarity it would
have done had this adverse feeling been melted.
We hold sometimes attitude prejudicial to per-
merely because of his nationality. his place of
origin, his political affiliations the religion of his
choice, etc.
Now, you will agree with me that this is not n
ly unfair but unjust. For not to many of us has
there been vouchsafed choice either of nationality
place of birth !! And religious persuasions and
political affiliations governed, primarily by geo.
graphical location, secondarily, by associative in
fuence. There good men and bad men in every
nation and of every cline; and to Judge an individ-
ual by the general reputation of his native land.
to esteem entire nation degraded because of the
detection of person. each injustice, is to
be guilty of unwarranted and unjust prejudice.
Attorneys make capital of this phase of mental
phenomena to influence the jury. Even though they
know that statements they endeavoring to draw
from the witness will be objected to by opposing