Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-28

CConC1nueo From First Page.)
psychology may have been involved In
many magical phenomena.
"Spancer'S ghost theory held that
every religion arose from worship of the
dead, which followed belief in souls and
spirits as a result of ignorant misin-
depreciation of shadows, reflections,
echoS, dreams, Somnambulism, swoons,
catalepSy, death and the like.
Results Of Suggestion"
Conversion, the dynamic of faith,
and other genuine results produced by
religion are interpreted as due to Sug-
geStion and other normal psychological
processes. But a considerable group of
scientists have collected data apparently
inexplicable by fallacy or suggestion
alleged instances Of dream soul, appa-
ritions or communications through me-
diums evidential Of survival beyond
bodily death.
Magic and spiritualism have CAPT.
talized mystery, secrecy and credulity
and have involved vast amounts of
| superstition, fraud, exploitation and
to reject as fallacious data inconsistent
with previously systematized belief has
been characteristic of many scientists
| as well as Of many spiritualists."
The concentration of the American
population in cities may rapidly be pro-
ducing a condition that has preceded
the fall of all great civilizations, DR..
James S. Plant Of Newark told the
SociologistS.
In behavior clinic at Newark DR..
Plant has studied the genesis of child
doll Ill
lions of personality, he pointed out are
introvertS and extravertS-the former
shy, retiring and dreamy, while the lat
ter are active and practical. The intro
vert Is more likely not to make a good
social adjustment.
While the hereditary organism of the
| nervous system has something to do
with the temperament, he believes, much
| Is determined by environment. The
drive for leadership, he said, probably
! exists In about equal proportions in
everybody. One child expresses it sue
| ceSSfully in actual leadership of his
playmates-that is, becomes an extra
vert. In another, whose motor nervous
mechanisms function slowly, the drive
! finds its final outlet in symbolic express
sion. as In day dreams, where he identi-
! f1es himself with some famous leader.
Tendencies to IntrOversion.
Now, in a city like Newark. there are
six conditions tending to produce intro
| version. Free play, where the child
| can exert his drive for leadership, can
not flourish on the streets and side
! walks and in the Fairgrounds and in
, the Fairgrounds it Is directed by adults
The children have no intimate touch
with the elements of nature which
would civ an opportunity for express
sion of the personality in action. Thus
only 2 out of $500 examined ever had
dug caves and couldn't if they had
| wanted to. Apartment house dwellers
do not know their neighbors as do
dwellers in detached houses, and the
child is unable to make human contacts
outside the family. There is much
greater opportunity for vicarious play
| life-the child sitting in the semi
| darkness of the moving picture theater
! finding expression for his drives by
! identifying himself with a figure on
| the screen, or with base ball and foot
ball players from the security of the
grandstand. In addition the newspapers
| and the radio are continually bringing
| information of exciting and tragic
/ situations in which the individual can
do nothing.
Now, said DR.. Plant, all young civili-
cations are eXtravert, societies finding
| expression for their drives through
| active pursuits such as fighting, build
| ing, hunting, etc. Those gradually are
replaced by introverted activities, such
as writing, art and music. Then comes
| the end.
THE fall of every great civilization, y
| he said, has been preceded by great
symbolic activity, the people expressing
themselves in symbols Of activity rather
than activity ITSELF
Are nations crazy? Their behavior
in war and diplomacy closely parallels
that of psychopathic personalities, DR.
George e. Partridge of the Sheppard &
Enoch Pratt Hospital, Baltimore. tolc
the society. He has been making a close
study of the psychopathic personality
or ''sociopath," whom ne described al
.fhe desnair Of society - He character.