Boris Sidis

“ The whole purpose of the moment's being is adaptation to external conditions. These adaptations, however, are brought about not by the mere sensitivity, but by motor reactions. If the moment shows sensitivity towards the play of definite external stimuli, it shows itself still more ready to give vent to its activity in definite sets of motor reactions. In fact we may say that primarily sensitivity is readiness for reaction. The stimulus that irritates the naked protoplasm of the amoeba results in movement of its pseudopodium. ”

“ Thus if the fly is deprived of its frontal ganglia, or head, it remains quiet as if dead, until it is stimulated, when a motor reaction immediately follows. If such a "headless" fly is turned on its back, it rights itself, or flies some distance, alighting on its legs, and again remaining in the same state until a new stimulus brings it out of its torpor. If the thorax is stimulated, the front legs pass through the wiping movement. If the delicate hair on the lower part of the abdomen are irritated, the hind legs react. If the side hair are stimulated, the side legs respond, and so on. ”

“ The reaction character of mental life is still more distinctly manifested in the various forms of mental dissociation, such as are to be found in the psychopathic and neuropathic diseases and in the states of hypnosis, and in fact in all the phenomena belonging to the order known as the subconscious. Many of the most important methods in psychology and psychopathology are based on this reaction aspect of the moment-consciousness. ”

“ The nature and primary function of the moment is to be sensitive to stimuli. The origin of the moment takes its rise in sensory responsiveness, and its growth is due to the formation of successive layers of sensory elements. ”

“ When deprived of the brain they are automata immediately responding to stimuli with simple movements of but little adaptation. With their brain in full and healthy function they are, biologically regarded, highly organized beings responding to external stimulations with complex movements of more or less perfect adaptation.
Should we like further illustration and evidence we can find it not only in phylogenesis, but also in ontogenesis. Young animals react to any passing stimulus; their life is full of movement and activity. ”

“ The sensori-motor relation is observed not only in the lowest forms of psychic life, but also in the highest. In the highest form of mental life we still meet with the same factor of motor reactions. Mental activity tends to pass into action. Psychic processes, motor and glandular reactions are interrelated. All along the course of mental activity reaction is present as its invariable concomitant. Some muscles are in a state of tension, others in a condition of relaxation. ”

“ Without its brain the frog is an automaton responding to external stimuli immediately with some simple set of movements. With its brain present the response differs only in the fact that it is more complex and more adaptive. ”

“ When the person thinks of the left side of the room the movements swing to the left; when the subject thinks of a series of definite movements, movements of a similar order and character are followed out by the pen of the automatograph. Subjects who are of a pronounced motor type when their attention is distracted write with the automatographic pen the ideas of which they happen to think at that moment. ”

“ The fly, the bee, the ant, the butterfly, the fish, the frog react immediately as soon as they are acted upon by influences of their external medium. In this respect they almost resemble highly complicated mechanisms that manifest definite sets of movements when acted on different parts of structure. Especially is this manifested in the lower centres. The fly, the ant, the bee, the butterfly, without their higher central ganglia are pure automata. ”

“ As soon as the change of temperature occurs, the migration instinct of birds is awakened. Young pointers are sometimes known to point the first time they are taken out. Young chicks disperse and show fright as soon as they hear an intense sound. In an infant of two days old I have observed protective grasping movements; the infant when immersed in the bath tub for the first time got hold and clasped firmly with his little finger the hand of the person that bathed him. ”

“ External stimuli simply liberate pent-up energy in centres which are but little co-ordinated. In this respect of lack of co-ordination and adaptation young animals resemble vertebrates or invetebrates deprived of their frontal ganglia. ”

“ The irritation of the nerve endings of the ascidian or of the medusa results in the contractions of the muscular coat. In the more highly organized animals the excitation of the peripheral sense-organ results in contraction and relaxation of muscles or secretions of glands. ”