Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-08
ON FEELING UNREAL
BY H. Arlington Bruce

t~HOUGH perfectly healthy" writes
correspondent, 81 suffer at times from
- weird feeling of unreality-as if
words said, acts committed, and sights seen by
me take place in dream, being an onlooker
rather than participant.
cat home am natural, and am not troubled
10 any great extent by this CHASTITY feeling. On
the street and in company, however, sort OF
haze envelopes me, and my actions at that time,
though not Seemingly unearthly to others, bear
that aspect to me.
"Could you advise me to the cause and rem
edy of this condition? ask this, moreover, in
behalf not only of myself but of many who are
victims of this strange malady."
My correspondent is quite right in suggest
ing that many suffer on occasions frequently,
or repeatedly from this feeling of unreality.
1t is characteristic symptom of morbid con-
dition we'll known to medical psychologists un-
der the name of pSychaSthenia.
AS to its cause there are differences of opin-
ion. Some investigators claim that it is essen
tally due to disorder of the organic SenSa-
tions particularly the muscle sensations. 9th
ers the majority, deem it distinctly mental
trouble, having as basis mental fatigue or emo
tiOnal stress.
The emontional stress responsible for it need
not be of recent occurrence. Often in fact, it
is connected with forgotten experiences in the
pSychastheneS early life.
In such cases the forgetting is more SEEM
! ing than real That is to say, the experiences
| question, though not consciously remembered
| are remembered subconSciouSly with uncom-
mon vividnesS. 1t is held to be this peculiar
vividnesS which causes psychic disturbance
SO profound as to affect the recognition Of
ones personal identity.
| To bring abou. a cure it may may not be
necessary to get at the subconsciouS memories
and recall them to conscious remembrance, as
can be done by various psychological devices.
| Often all that is needed is psychic re-educa-
| tion," whereby the sufferer gains greater emo
tional control and less self-centred attitude
to life
For in pSychasthenia, as in the pSycho-1eu-
rosis generally, there is always an undue con-
centration on self. The more the thoughts can
be externalied-as by increased interest in
ones work or ones recreatons-the less the
likelihood of being tormented by any feeling
of unreality.
In many cases, though, supplementary meas
ureS-in the way, especially, of increasing the
vital powerS-Should be taken. PsychaSthenes
will always do we'll to examine their living
habits closely
Anything which causes depletion of vitality
| improper diet faulty posture working or sleep
ing in ill-ventilated rooms, understanding,
over-exerciSing, excess of any Sort-tendS di-
| rectly to weaken emotional CONTROL and thereby
also to weaken ones hold reality. Also it
is a commonplace of modern medical psychol-
ogy that in proportion the vitality is leSsened
subconSciouS memories gain increased power to
harm.
| Body building and mind building should &C
| cordingly 60 hand in hand in combating this
| distressing malady of "feelng unreal"
| Copyright, 1921, by The Associated NewSpa-
perS)