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time he has become nearly enough awake to be half conscious； he
will find that it is already at work upon another subject。 Make
the experiment and see。
Y。M。 At any rate； he can make it stick to a subject if he
wants to。
O。M。 Not if it find another that suits it better。 As a
rule it will listen to neither a dull speaker nor a bright one。
It refuses all persuasion。 The dull speaker wearies it and sends
it far away in idle dreams； the bright speaker throws out
stimulating ideas which it goes chasing after and is at once
unconscious of him and his talk。 You cannot keep your mind from
wandering； if it wants to； it is master； not you。
After an Interval of Days
O。M。 Now； dreamsbut we will examine that later。
Meantime； did you try commanding your mind to wait for orders
from you； and not do any thinking on its own hook？
Y。M。 Yes； I commanded it to stand ready to take orders when
I should wake in the morning。
O。M。 Did it obey？
Y。M。 No。 It went to thinking of something of its own
initiation； without waiting for me。 Alsoas you suggestedat
night I appointed a theme for it to begin on in the morning； and
commanded it to begin on that one and no other。
O。M。 Did it obey？
Y。M。 No。
O。M。 How many times did you try the experiment？
Y。M。 Ten。
O。M。 How many successes did you score？
Y。M。 Not one。
O。M。 It is as I have said： the mind is independent of the
man。 He has no control over it； it does as it pleases。 It will
take up a subject in spite of him； it will stick to it in spite
of him； it will throw it aside in spite of him。 It is entirely
independent of him。
Y。M。 Go on。 Illustrate。
O。M。 Do you know chess？
Y。M。 I learned it a week ago。
O。M。 Did your mind go on playing the game all night that
first night？
Y。M。 Don't mention it！
O。M。 It was eagerly； unsatisfiably interested； it rioted in
the combinations； you implored it to drop the game and let you
get some sleep？
Y。M。 Yes。 It wouldn't listen； it played right along。 It
wore me out and I got up haggard and wretched in the morning。
O。M。 At some time or other you have been captivated by a
ridiculous rhyme…jingle？
Y。M。 Indeed； yes！
〃I saw Esau kissing Kate；
And she saw I saw Esau；
I saw Esau； he saw Kate；
And she saw〃
And so on。 My mind went mad with joy over it。 It repeated it
all day and all night for a week in spite of all I could do to
stop it； and it seemed to me that I must surely go crazy。
O。M。 And the new popular song？
Y。M。 Oh yes！ 〃In the Swee…eet By and By〃； etc。 Yes； the
new popular song with the taking melody sings through one's head
day and night； asleep and awake； till one is a wreck。 There is
no getting the mind to let it alone。
O。M。 Yes； asleep as well as awake。 The mind is quite
independent。 It is master。 You have nothing to do with it。 It
is so apart from you that it can conduct its affairs； sing its
songs； play its chess； weave its complex and ingeniously
constructed dreams； while you sleep。 It has no use for your
help； no use for your guidance； and never uses either； whether
you be asleep or awake。 You have imagined that you could
originate a thought in your mind； and you have sincerely believed
you could do it。
Y。M。 Yes； I have had that idea。
O。M。 Yet you can't originate a dream…thought for it to work
out； and get it accepted？
Y。M。 No。
O。M。 And you can't dictate its procedure after it has
originated a dream…thought for itself？
Y。M。 No。 No one can do it。 Do you think the waking mind
and the dream mind are the same machine？
O。M。 There is argument for it。 We have wild and fantastic
day…thoughts？ Things that are dream…like？
Y。M。 Yeslike Mr。 Wells's man who invented a drug that made
him invisible； and like the Arabian tales of the Thousand Nights。
O。M。 And there are dreams that are rational； simple；
consistent； and unfantastic？
Y。M。 Yes。 I have dreams that are like that。 Dreams that
are just like real life； dreams in which there are several
persons with distinctly differentiated charactersinventions of
my mind and yet strangers to me： a vulgar person； a refined one；
a wise person； a fool； a cruel person； a kind and compassionate
one； a quarrelsome person； a peacemaker； old persons and young；
beautiful girls and homely ones。 They talk in character； each
preserves his own characteristics。 There are vivid fights； vivid
and biting insults； vivid love…passages； there are tragedies and
comedies； there are griefs that go to one's heart； there are
sayings and doings that make you laugh： indeed； the whole thing
is exactly like real life。
O。M。 Your dreaming mind originates the scheme； consistently
and artistically develops it； and carries the little drama
creditably throughall without help or suggestion from you？
Y。M。 Yes。
O。M。 It is argument that it could do the like awake without help
or suggestion from youand I think it does。 It is argument that
it is the same old mind in both cases； and never needs your help。
I think the mind is purely a machine； a thoroughly independent
machine； an automatic machine。 Have you tried the other
experiment which I suggested to you？
Y。M。 Which one？
O。M。 The one which was to determine how much influence you
have over your mindif any。
Y。M。 Yes； and got more or less entertainment out of it。 I
did as you ordered： I placed two texts before my eyesone a
dull one and barren of interest； the other one full of interest；
inflamed with it； white…hot with it。 I commanded my mind to busy
itself solely with the dull one。
O。M。 Did it obey？
Y。M。 Well； no； it didn't。 It busied itself with the other one。
O。M。 Did you try hard to make it obey？
Y。M。 Yes； I did my honest best。
O。M。 What was the text which it refused to be interested in
or think about？
Y。M。 It was this question： If A owes B a dollar and a
half； and B owes C two and three…quarter； and C owes A thirty…
five cents； and D and A together owe E and B three…sixteenths of
ofI don't remember the rest； now； but anyway it was wholly
uninteresting； and I could not force my mind to stick to it even
half a minute at a time； it kept flying off to the other text。
O。M。 What was the other text？
Y。M。 It is no matter about that。
O。M。 But what was it？
Y。M。 A photograph。
O。M。 Your own？
Y。M。 No。 It was hers。
O。M。 You really made an honest good test。 Did you make a
second trial？
Y。M。 Yes。 I commanded my mind to interest itself in the
morning paper's report of the pork…market； and at the same time I
reminded it of an experience of mine of sixteen years ago。 It
refused to consider the pork and gave its whole blazing interest
to that ancient incident。
O。M。 What was the incident？
Y。M。 An armed desperado slapped my face in the presence of
twenty spectators。 It makes me wild and murderous every time I
think of it。
O。M。 Good tests； both； very good tests。 Did you try my
other suggestion？
Y。M。 The one which was to prove to me that if I would leave
my mind to its own devices it would find things to think about
without any of my help； and thus convince me that it was a
machine； an automatic machine； set in motion by exterior
influences； and as independent of me as it could be if it were in
some one else's skull。 Is that the one？
O。M。 Yes。
Y。M。 I tried it。 I was shaving。 I had slept well； and my
mind was very lively； even gay and frisky。 It was reveling in a
fantastic and joyful episode of my remote boyhood which had
suddenly flashed up in my memorymoved to this by the spectacle
of a yellow cat picking its way carefully along the top of the
garden wall。 The color of this cat brought the bygone cat before
me； and I saw her walking along the side…step of the pulpit； saw
her walk on to a large sheet of sticky fly…paper and get all her
feet involved； saw her struggle and fall down； helpless and
dissatisfied； more and more urgent； more and more unreconciled；
more and more mutely profane； saw the silent congregation
quivering like jelly； and the tears running down their faces。 I
saw it all。 The sight of the tears whisked my mind to a far
distant and a sadder scenein Terra del Fuegoand with Darwin's
eyes I saw a naked great savage hurl his little boy against the
rocks for a trifling fault； saw the poor mother gather up her
dying child and hug it to her breast and weep； uttering no word。
Did my mind stop to mourn with that nude black sister of mine？
Noit was far away from that scene in an instant； and was
busying itself with an ever…recurring and disagreeable dream of
mine。 In this dream I always find myself； stripped to my shirt；
cringing and dodging about in the midst of a great drawing…room