The present study is one of the series of reports in which the authors have investigated the nature of imagery appearing in the socalled “post-hypnotic hallucinatory state”. In a previous paper the authors reported that images in the post-hypnotic hallucinatory state were influenced in their position and clearness by a visual stimulus which was present beside the hallucinatory image. In the present study the authors attempted to investigate what effect one mental image, not a perceptual one, might have on the another mental image in a visual field, and especially how interaction would take place between two mental images which appear in succession.Twenty-five subjects, who observed the imagery in the same position that the original stimulus had occupied, that is in the original position, were selected. In these subjects two successive images were induced by two successive conditioned stimuli at the following intervals ; simultaneously, immediately afterwards (0 sec.), and 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 secs. afterwards. Then, they were asked to report as to the form, position, and clearness of these images by means of drawings. The main results were as follows.Firstly, the effect of the successive interactions of the two images as to position and clearness was studied. When two images appeared simultaneously, they influenced each other as to their position and clearness. In successive appearence of the two images, not only the change in position and clearness, but also an impression of image movement was observed. As a rule, one image modifies the position of the other, causing the latter to take the following four kinds of position ; (1) a hallucinatory image “ix” appeared in the same position as the original visual stimulus “Ix”, (2) “ix”appeared between “Ix” and “Iy”, (3) “ix”appeared on “Iy” and (4) “ix” appeared beyond “Iy” (see Fig. 1). One image modified the clearness of another image in two ways ; (1) the latter disappeared and only the former remained, (2) two images co-existed in a strong-weak relationship or in equal clearness. In connection with the time interval of the successive images, the authors found the following tendency : the shorter the time interval of succession, the more conspicious the displacement of the first image as compared with the second, while the longer the time interval the more conspicious the displacement of the second as compared with the first (Fig. 2). As for the effect of the time interval on image clarity, it was discovered that the shorter the interval, the clearer the second image as compared with the first, while the longer the interval, the clearer the first as compared with the second (Fig. 3). From the above-mentioned facts it may be concluded that accuracy of original position and clearness of image vary side by side.Studying the movement of successive images, the authors found that there were two cases ; (1) image movement in which the image itself moved from one position to another, (2) an impression of movement of something which appeared between two stationary images. It may be said that the smaller the spatial distance between two sound-objects, used as conditioned stimuli, the more conspicious the movement. Also, the impression of movement was more conspicious when a sound-object was moved around than when treated as a fixed stimulus. From these results it may be concluded that the impression of movement is the effect of the visualization of the movement of sound stimuli.Two hypothetical considerations are offered ; first, on the interaction between two images appearing in succession, and second, on the movement of the image.
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Jan 1, 1960
Floyd S Cornelison + 1
Open Access