criminal psychology-第132节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
urs dance around a corpse and sing。 If； at night； I put out the lamp in my study and the moon falls on the work； the seven femurs
dance as lively as may be during the time it takes my eyes to adapt themselves from the lamplight to the moonlight。 Something similar I see on an old carved dresser。 The carving is so delicate that in dim light it shows tiny heads and flames after the fashion of the Catholic church pictures of ‘‘poor souls；'' in purgatory。 Under certain conditions of illumination the flames flicker； the heads move； and out of the fire the arms raise themselves to the clouds floating above。 Now this requires no unusual excitement； simply the weary sensing of evening； when the eyes turn from prolonged uniform reading or writing to something else。＇1＇ It has happened to me from my earliest childhood。 High bodily temperature may easily cause hallucinations。 Thus； marching soldiers are led to shoot at non… existing animals and apparently…approaching enemies。 Uniform and fatiguing mental activity is also a source of hallucination。 Fechner says that one day having performed a long experiment with the help of a stop…watch； he heard its beats through the whole evening after。 So again when he was studying long series of figures he used to see them at night in the dark so distinctly that he could read them off。
Then there are illusions of touch which may be criminalistically important。 A movement of air may be taken for an approaching man。 A tight collar or cravat may excite the image of being stifled！ Old people frequently have a sandy taste while eating；when this is told the thought occurs that it may be due to coarsely powdered arsenic； yet it may be merely illusion。
The slightest abnormality makes hallucinations and illusions very easy。 Persons who are in great danger have all kinds of hallucinations； particularly of people。 In the court of law； when witnesses who have been assaulted testify to having seen people； hallucination may often be the basis of their evidence。 Hunger again； or loss of blood； gives rise to the most various hallucinations。 Menstruation and hmorrhoids may be the occasions of definite periodic visions； and great pain may be accompanied by hallucinations which begin with the pain； become more distinct as it increases； and disappear when it ceases。
It might seem that in this matter； also； the results are destructive and that the statements of witnesses are untrue and unreliable。 I do not assert that our valuation of these statements shall be checked from all possible directions； but I do say that much of what we have considered as true depends only on illusions in the broad sense of the word and that it is our duty before all things rigorously to test everything that underlies our researches。
＇1＇ Cf。 A。 Mosso： Die Ermdung。 Leipzig 1892。
Section 105。 （C） Imaginative Ideas。
Illusions of sense； hallucinations； and illusions proper taken as a group； differ from imaginative representations because the individual who has them is more or less passive and subject to the thing from which they arise； while with the latter the individual is more active and creates new images by the _*combination_ of existing or only imagined conditions。 It does not matter whether these consist of the idea only； or whether they are the product of word； manuscript； picture； sculpture； music； etc。 We have to deal only with their occurrence and their results。 Of course there is no sharp boundary between imaginative ideas and sense…perception； etc。 Many phenomena are difficult to classify and even language is uncertain in its usage。 The notion ‘‘illusion'' has indicated many a false ideal； many a product of incoherent fancy。
The activity of the imagination； taken in the ordinary sense； requires analysis first of all。 According to Meinong＇1＇ there are two kinds of imaginative imagesa generative； and a constructive kind。 The first exhibits elements； the second unites them。 Thus： I imagine some familiar house； then I reproduce the idea of fire （generative）； now I unite these two elements； and imagine the house in question in flames （constructive）。 This involves several conditions。
The conditions of generation offer no difficulties。 The difficulty lies in the constructive aspect of the activity； for we can imagine astonishingly little。 We can not imagine ourselves in the fourth dimension； and although we have always had to make use of such quantities； we all have the idea that the quantity A represents； e。 g；； a line； A； a square； A； a cube； but as soon as we have to say what image A； A； etc。； represents； our mathematical language is at an end。 Even twelve men or a green flame seen through red glass or two people speaking different things can barely be imagined with any clearness。 We have the elements but we can not construct their compounds。 This difficulty occurs also in the consideration of certain objects。 Suppose we are looking at an artistically complete angel； we are always bothered by the idea that his wings are much too small to enable him to fly。 If an angel constructed like a man is to be borne by his wings； they must be so gigantic as to be unreproducible by an artist。 Indeed a person slightly more grubby；
＇1＇ Phantasie u。 Phantasienvorstellung。 Zeitsehrift f。 Philosophie u。 philosophische Kritik。 Vol。 95。
and interested in anatomy； will bother； at the sight of the most beautiful statue of an angel； concerning the construction of the limbs； the wings； and their relation to the skeleton。 In certain directions； therefore； the imagination is too weak to conceive an ethereal being in human form floating in the air。 Further； one authority points out that we think more frequently of centaurs than of human beings with serpentine bodies； not because centaurs are more sthetic but because horses are more massive than serpents。 I do not believe this to be the true explanation； for otherwise we should have had to imagine people with canine bodies； inasmuch as we see as many dogs as horses； if not more。 But the fact is correct and the explanation may be that we imagine a centaur because of the appropriate size； the implied power； and because it is not a wide leap from a horseman to a centaur。 In short； here also we see that the imagination prefers to work where difficulties are fewer。 Thus； with the ease of imagining an object there goes its definite possibility。 I know an old gentleman in A and another one in B who have never seen each other； but I can easily imagine them together； speaking； playing cards； etc。； and only with difficulty can I think of them as quarreling or betting。 In the _*possibility_ there is always a certain ease； and this is appropriated by the imagination。
It is significant that when others help us and we happen to find pleasure therein； we answer to very difficult demands upon the imagination。 In the opera the deviation from reality is so powerful that it seems silly to one unaccustomed to it。 But we do not need the unaccustomed person。 We need only to imagine the most ordinary scene in an opera； i。 e。； a declaration of love； sung； an aria declining it； an aria before committing suicide； a singing choir with a moral about this misfortune。 Has anything even remotely like it ever been seen in real life？ But we accept it quietly and find it beautiful and affecting simply because others perform it without difficulty before our eyes and we are willing to believe it possible。
The rule to be derived from all the foregoing is this。 Whenever we believe a statement to be based on imagination； or to have been learned from some imaginative source； we must always connect it with its most proximate neighbors； and step by step seek out its elements and then compound them in the simplest possible form。 We may； in this fashion； get perhaps at the proper content of the matter。 Of course it need not yield another imaginary image。 And its failure to do so would be an objection if the compound were the end of the work and were to be used in itself。 But that is not the case。 All that is required is to derive a certain starting…point from the hodge…podge of uncertainties and unintelligibility。 When the construction is made it must be compared with all the material at hand and tested by that material。 If the two agree； and only when they agree； may it be assumed that the starting…point has been properly chosen。 But not to make this construction means to feel around aimlessly； and to give up the job before it has been really begun。
Let us take the simplest possible instance of such a situation。 In a bowling alley； two youths； A and B； had a lively quarrel； in which A held the ball in his hand and threatened to throw it at B's head。 B； frightened； ran away； A pursued him； after a few steps threw the ball into the grass； caught B； and then gave him an easy blow with the fiat of his hand on the back of his head。 B began to wabble； sank to the ground； became unconscious； and showed all the signs of a broken head （unconsciousness； vomiting； distention of the pupils； etc。）。 All the particular details of the event are unanimously testified to by many witnesses； non…partisan friends of A and B； and among them the parish priest。 Simulation is completely excl
