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Untitled Article
strict demonstration ^ and it is to be , hoped that , considering its nature , allowance will be made for what may have the appearance of wild ness and extravagance . Nothing further can be attempted than to mention what has the greatest
probability on its side . Those thoughts are now then to be accounted for which enter the
mind instantaneously and imperceptibly , and whose connection with other ideas cannot be traced . These , as it is evident , will likewise include sublime and uncommon thoughts which occur in a regular course of reflection , but
which greatly excel those that commonly offer themselves on these occasions . —These sentiments , so unaccountably produced , must be of one or other of these two kinds ; either old ideas revived or new
ones suggested . But by the former is not meant those that had been the subject of late meditation , nor those that have often employed the thought , nor those that we were sensible at the time
were gained by recollection ; be ^ r cause then they may easily be accounted for upon the common principles of memory , whatever these are . A ^ ain , the second kind CD ' of ideas , that is , the suggestion of original ones , will be considered and shewn to be so far allied to
the first as to be distantly sug . gested b y them . — But . before we come to discuss either of these two cases distinctly , we may first make some previous observations upon the various means by which thoughts in general may instantaneousl y engage the attention , and break in upon the connection
of our ideas , or sublime thoughts suggested , which are plainly connected with the subject , but the
Untitled Article
immediate step from the one to the other not discernible . And then for the clearing of the diffi - culty before us there will be only
a little more necessary than an application of these observations . It is well known that there is a most wonderful connection between the body and mind , and that they have a correspondent influence over one another : but of either
cases , that of the body over the mind is by far the greatest . We observe , that it is to external objects that we are originally indebted for most of our ideas : the
impressions which they make on the organs of sense , are in some unknown manner conveyed to the soul . It is pretty evident that they become the means of suggesting a
far greater number of ideas than those which relate to their peculiar and known properties : to assist the clearness of our conceptions we may have often compared our sentiments with the qualities of a
visible object ; now this object when it next presents itself before us , will naturally recal to the memory the thought which had been compared with it . But it is enough to the present purpose that it is fact . We should further take
notice of the different state of the animal spirits at different times when they move slow thoughts will occur with greater regularity , but with more dulness and less
originality ; but when they are warm and lively , ideas will flow in a more rapid succession ; if tInattention can be preserved the ^ e seasons are peculiarly favourable
to study , but if it is abated , or not fixed on any thing in particular , what can be more natural than that it should wander from object to object From ihefranu :
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270 The Suggestion of Instantaneous Thoughts .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1814, page 270, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2440/page/14/
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