and the character of the individual. All that we know about the deeper levels of the stream of thought is learned by inference from our active consciousness. Hence the more knowledge we have of conscious processes the better prepared we shall be to understand the subconscious. We are likely to employ the latter term less instead of more frequently as our knowledge increases.

It is chiefly because of our ignorance of the profound relationship of the mind to the brain that we place so much stress on the subconscious. It is our ignorance of the laws of consciousness exhibited in reasoning that has led to the assumption that there is a subjective mind that reasons differently. Again, we have resorted to the hypothesis that the subconscious mind is the soul because our ideas are so vague concerning the meaning of this eulogistic term. The subconscious is not a realm of mysterious powers that accomplish wonders through suggestion without effort on our part, but it is like a shadow copying the absurd as well as the intelligible shapes which our consciousness casts upon it.

Now, this is indeed disappointing to some, and these propositions need proof, but the result will be that we shall be put in surer possession of our minds. I had a pupil once whose remarks were illuminating in this connection. Having faithfully tried to persuade her that despite her increasing