Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-05
THAT INNER VOICE
BY H. ARLINGTON BRUCE

| ~ ECENTLY an interesting psychology
| X cal problem was presented to me. To
give it in the words of the one pre-
senting it.:
"Some years ago I was operating a saw
mill in a southern state. 1t became neces-
sary to put in a new and heavier saw, and
after the change had been made I watched
the saving closely.
IT noticed that the base was moving slight
ly, owing to the 1ooseness of bolt. With a
long wrench I started tightening the bolt
/ had pulled on it not more than two or three
times when, as clearly as though some one
were speaking to me, heard:
"'You can tighten that bolt just as we'll
if you stand on the other side
Instantly, without knowing why, moved
to the other side. A moment later the heavy
belt of the swiftly revolving saw broke and
whipped across the very spot on which had
been standing. Had I not moved I could
hardly have escaped fatal injuries.
"Then, for the first time, wondered who
or what had told me to move. I still am
wondering the same thing"
It is, of course, permissible to theorize that
here we have an instance of some occult in
! tervention for the saving of life. But also
much simpler explanation is available
based not on the assumption of spirit &C
ton" but on the well-established psyche
IOSlCd1 1dCC Ol SuUCOuSClOuS perception
through extraordinary acuteness of some
sense organ.
Compare, for example, the experience of
another man, a clergyman, who likewise
heard an inner voice giving him information
Of great interest to him, but -aving as our-
pose the mere gratifying of hobby.
The clergyman was an ardent entomologist.
Much of his spare time was given to collect
Ing and studying butterflies and moths One
evening, after an early supper, he went to a
nearby field, partly for a stroll and partly
with chronological ends in view,
Walking about, he suddenly was startled
to hear
you'll find chaonia on thai oak"
No one was near him. Greatly marveling,
he fastened toward a solitary oak some little
distance from him. There, sure enough.
resting on the tree, was fine specimen of
chaonia, rare moth.
The clergyman did not assume that "spir-
it, had interviewed to lead him to the moth.
He reasoned that, "out of the corne~ of his
eye' and without conscious awareness, he
must nave seen it flutter past him and set
tie on the tree
He reasoned, further, that because he
was at the moment in a state Of reverie-a
! state of psychic Observation-Disclosures had
been opportunity for the subconscious per-
cept to rise into the field of consciousness as
an auditory hallucination
This is sound psychological reasoning. The
probability would seem to be that precisely
the same mechanism was at V. Jrk in the case
or the millman whose life was saved by the
mysterious command to change his position.
Experienced in the ways of saws and belts,
1t is conceivable that he subconsciously per-
celVed' out of the corner Of his eye or ear,
signs of the weakening of the belt. It also is
conceivable that, fortunately for himself, he
was at the moment in a mental stat making
possible transition from the subconscious
70 Sne conscious through voice which was
nothing more than an haIlucinatorv evnres
sion OF knowledge he already possessed. ,