818. A small group of cases may naturally be mentioned here. From two different points of view they stand for the most part at the entrance of our subject. I speak of motor inhibitions, prompted at first by subliminal memory, or by subliminal hyperesthesia, but merging into telaesthesia or telepathy. Inhibitions - sudden arrests or incapacities of action - (more or less of the Socratic type) - form a simple, almost rudimentary, type of motor automatisms. And an inhibition - a sudden check on action of this kind - will be a natural way in which a strong but obscure impression will work itself out. Such an impression, for instance, is that of alarm, suggested by some vague sound or odour which is only subliminally perceived. And thus in this series of motor automatisms, just as in our series of dreams, or in our series of sensory automatisms, we shall find ourselves beginning with cases where the subliminal self merely shows some slight extension of memory or of sensory perception, - and shall thence pass insensibly to cases where no "cryptomnesia" will explain the facts known in the past, and no hyperesthesia will explain the facts discerned in the present.

I will begin with a form of inhibition parallel in its triviality to the pin-finding or muscle-reading experiments already mentioned. We may most of us have observed that if we perform any small action to which there are objections, which we have once known but which have altogether passed from our minds, we are apt to perform it in a hesitating, inefficient way. The observer whose account I subjoin in 818 A - a lady specially susceptible to subliminal impressions, and specially prompt in self-analysis (Mrs. Verrall) - has observed that the existence of a forgotten memory (so to term it) may actually neutralise purposive muscular adjustments.

Parallel to this trivial case of inability to grasp an unneeded envelope is a case of sudden check from throwing into the fire a bundle of banknotes mistaken for useless papers (818 B).

819. Trivial, again, yet so promptly observed that its very triviality has significance, is the following experience of sudden inhibition mixed with corresponding impulse - the walk unconsciously arrested, the eyes bent on the ground for a reason not at first comprehended by the supraliminal self. (From Proceedings S.P.R., vol. xi. p. 415).

Leckhampton House, Cambridge, September 14th, 1895.

Yesterday morning (September 13th, 1895), just after breakfast, I was strolling alone along one of the garden paths of Leckhampton House, repeating aloud to myself the verses of a poem. I became temporarily oblivious to my garden surroundings, and regained my consciousness of them suddenly to find myself brought to a stand, in a stooping position, gazing intently at a five-leaved clover. On careful examination I found about a dozen specimens of five-leaved clover as well as several specimens of four-leaved clover, all of which probably came from the same root. Several years ago I was interested in getting extra-leaved clovers, but I have not for years made any active search for them, though occasionally my conscious attention, as I walked along, has been given to appearances of four-leaved clover which proved on examination to be deceptive. The peculiarity of yesterday's "find" was that I discovered myself, with a sort of shock, standing still and stooping down, and afterwards realised that a five-leaved clover was directly under my eyes. I plucked some of the specimens, and showed them at once to Mr. and Mrs. Myers, and explained how I had happened to find them.

Clover plants were thickly clustered in the neighbourhood, but I failed on looking to find any other specimens, The incident naturally suggests the arresting of my subliminal attention.

R. Hodgson.

Compare with this Dr. Guebhard's case (see 819 A) of sudden perception of a bifid fern, where the careless sweep of the eye seems to have been arrested by a similar subliminal call.