criminal psychology-第114部分

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　and　even　after　the　section；　during　the　dictation　of　the　protocol；　my　imagination　still　seemed　to　see　the　corpse　moving　a　hand　or　a　foot。

The　imagination　may　also　cause　changes　in　color。　Once；　I　saw　on　my　desk；　which　stood　next　to　a　window；　a　great　round　drop　of　water　on　the　left　side　of　which　the　panes　of　the　window　were　reflected。　（Fig。　11）。　The　whole　business　was　about　a　meter　　from　my　eye。　I　saw　it　repeatedly　while　working　and　it　finally　occurred　to　me　to　inquire　how　such　a　great　drop　of　water　could　get　there。　I　had　sat　at　my　desk　for　hours　without　moving。　I　must　have　observed　it　if　it　had　dropped　there。　Refraining　intentionally　from　going　closer；　I　started；　without　avail；　to　consider　how　it　could　have


｛illust。　caption　=　FIG。　11。｝

come。　Some　time　after　I　examined　the　drop　of　water　FIG。　11。　and　found　it　to　be　an　ink…blot；　long　ago　completely　dried；　and　bearing　on　its　left　side　a　few　grains　of　white　cigar　ash。　I　had　taken　these　to　be　the　image　of　the　window；　and　hence；　had　immediately　attached　to　it　the　idea　of　the　shining；　raised　drop　of　water。　I　had　altogether　overlooked　the　deep　black　color　of　the　drop。　On　the　witness　stand　I　would　have　sworn　that　I　had　seen　a　drop　of　water；　even　if　I　had　known　the　evidence　on　the　matter　to　be　important。

In　many　cases　it　is　possible　to　control　the　imagination；　but　only　when　it　is　known　that　the　images　can　not　be　as　they　are　seen。　Everybody　is　aware　how　a　half…covered　object　at　a　distance；　or　objects　accidentally　grouped　in　one　way　or　another；　are　taken　for　God　knows　what。　Thus　once；　looking　from　my　desk　to　my　smoking　table；　I　saw　an　enormous　pair　of　tailor's　scissors　half…covered　by　a　letter。　It　remained　identical　under　a　number　of　repeated　glances。　Only　when　I　thought　vigorously　that　such　a　thing　could　not　possibly　be　in　my　room　did　it　disappear。　A　few　scales　of　ashes；　the　lower　round　of　the　match　safe；　the　metal　trimmings　of　two　cigar　boxes　half…　covered　by　a　letter　and　reflected　by　the　uncertain　light　breaking　through　the　branches　of　a　tree；　were　all　that　the　tailor's　scissors　was　composed　of。　If　there　had　been　such　a　thing　in　the　house；　or　if　I　had　believed　something　like　it　to　exist　in　the　house；　I　should　have　sought　no　further　and　should　have　taken　my　oath　that　I　had　seen　the　thing。　It　is　significant　that　from　the　moment　I　understood　the　phenomenon　I　could　not　restore　the　image　of　the　scissors。　How　often　may　similar　things　be　of　importance　in　criminal　trials！

The　so…called　captivation　of　our　visual　capacity　plays　a　not　unimportant　part　in　distinguishing　correct　from　illusory　seeing。　In　order　to　see　correctly　we　must　look　straight　and　fully　at　the　object。　Looking　askance　gives　only　an　approximate　image；　and　permits　the　imagination　free　play。　Anybody　lost　in　a　brown　study　who　pictures　some　point　in　the　room　across　the　way　with　his　eyes　can　easily　mistake　a　fly；　which　he　sees　confusedly　askance；　for　a　great　big　bird。　Again；　the　type　of　a　book　seems　definitely　smaller　if　the　eyes　are　fixed　on　the　point　of　a　lead　pencil　with　a　certain　distance　　before　or　above　the　book。　And　yet　again；　if　you　stand　so　that　at　an　angle　of　about　90　degrees　from　the　fixation　point；　you　look　at　a　white　door　in　a　dark　wall；　observing　its　extent　in　indirect　vision；　you　will　find　it　much　higher　than　in　direct　vision。

These　examples　indicate　how　indirect　vision　may　be　corrected　by　later　correct　vision；　but　such　correction　occurs　rarely。　We　see　something　indirectly；　we　find　it　uninteresting；　and　do　not　look　at　it　directly。　When　it　becomes　of　importance　later　on；　perhaps　enters　into　a　criminal　case；　we　think　that　we　have　seen　the　thing　as　it　is；　and　often　swear　that　‘‘a　fly　is　a　big　bird。''

There　are　a　number　of　accidents　which　tend　to　complete　illusion。　Suppose　that　the　vision　of　a　fly；　which　has　been　seen　indirectly　and　taken　for　a　big　bird　happens　to　be　synchronous　with　the　shriek　of　some　bird　of　prey。　I　combine　the　two　and　am　convinced　that　I　have　seen　that　bird　of　prey。　This　may　increase；　so　much　so　that　we　may　have　series　of　sense…illusions。　I　cite　the　example　of　the　decorative　theatrical　artist；　who　can　make　the　most　beautiful　images　with　a　few；　but　very　characteristic　blots。　He　does　it　by　emphazising　what　seems　to　us　characteristic；　e。　g。；　of　a　rose　arbor；　in　such　a　way　that　at　the　distance　and　under　the　conditions　of　illumination　of　the　theatre　we　imagine　we　really　see　a　pretty　rose　arbor。　If　the　scene　painter　could　give　definite　rules　he　would　help　us　lawyers　a　great　deal。　But　he　has　none；　he　proceeds　according　to　experience；　and　is　unable　to　correct　whatever　mistakes　he　has　committed。　If　the　rose　arbor　fails　to　make　the　right　impression；　he　does　not　try　to　improve　ithe　makes　a　new　one。　This　may　lead　to　the　conclusion　that　not　all　people　require　the　same　characteristics　in　order　to　identify　a　thing　as　such；　so　that　if　we　could　set　the　rose　arbor　on　the　stage　by　itself；　only　a　part　of　the　public　would　recognize　it　as　properly　drawn；　the　other　part　would　probably　not　recognize　it　at　all。　But　if；　of　an　evening；　there　is　a　large　number　of　decorations　on　the　stage；　the　collective　public　will　find　the　arbor　to　be　very　pretty。　That　will　be　because　the　human　senses；　under　certain　circumstances；　are　susceptible　to　sympathetic　induction。　In　the　case　of　the　rose　arbor　we　may　assume　that　the　artist　has　typically　represented　the　necessary　characteristics　of　the　arbor　for　one　part　of　the　audience；　for　another　part　those　of　a　castle；　for　another　part　those　of　a　forest；　and　for　a　fourth　those　of　a　background。　But　once　an　individual　finds　a　single　object　to　be　correct；　his　senses　are　already　sympathetically　inductive；　i。　e。；　captivated　for　the　correctness　of　the　whole　collection；　so　that　the　correctness　passes　from　one　object　to　the　total　　number。　Now；　this　psychic　process　is　most　clear　in　those　optical　illusions　which　recently　have　been　much　on　public　exhibition　（the　Battle　of　Gravelotte；　the　Journey　of　the　Austrian　Crown　Prince　in　Egypt；　etc。）。　The　chief　trick　of　these　representations　is　the　presenting　of　real　objects；　like　stones；　wheels；　etc。；　in　the　foreground　in　such　a　way　that　they　fuse　unnoticeably　with　the　painted　picture。　The　sense　of　the　spectator　rests　on　the　plastic　objects；　is　convinced　of　their　materiality　and　transfers　the　idea　of　this　plasticity　to　the　merely　pictured。　Thus　the　whole　image　appears　as　tri…dimensional。

The　decorations　of　great　parks　at　the　beginning　of　the　last　century　indicate　that　illumination　and　excited　imagination　are　not　alone　in　causing　such　illusions。　Weber　tells　ecstatically　of　an　alley　in　Schwetzing　at　the　end　of　which　there　was　a　highly　illuminated　concave　wall；　painted　with　a　landscape　of　mountains　and　water…falls。　Everybody　took　the　deception　for　a　reality　because　the　eye　was　captivated　and　properly　inducted。　The　artist's　procedure　must　have　been　psychologically　correct　and　must　have　counted　upon　the　weakness　of　our　observation　and　intellection。　Exner　points　to　the　simple　circumstance　that　we　do　not　want　to　see　that　things　under　certain　conditions　must　terminate。　If　we　draw　a　straight　line　and　cover　an　end　with　a　piece　of　paper；　every　one　wonders　that　the　line　is　not　longer　when　the　paper　is　removed。

I　know　of　no　case　in　criminal　procedure　where　illusions　of　this　kind　might　be　of　importance；　but　it　is　conceivable　that　such　illusions　enter　in　numberless　instances。　This　is　especially　susceptible　of　observation　when　we　first　see　some　region　or　object　hastily　and　then　observe　it　more　accurately。　We　are　astonished　how　fundamentally　false　our　first　conception　was。　Part　of　this　falseness　may　be　adduced　to　faults　of　memory；　but　these　play　little　or　no　part　if　the　time　is　short　and　if　we　are　able　to　recall　that　the　false　conception　appeared　just　as　soon　as　we　observed　the　situation　in　question。　The　essential　reason　for　false　conception　is　to　be　found　only　in　the　fact　that　our　first　hasty　view　was　incorrectly　inducted；　and　hence；　led　to　illusions　like　those　of　the　theatre。　Thus；　it　is　possible　to　take　a　board　fence　covered　at　points　with　green　moss；　for　a　moss…covered　rock；　and　then　to　be　led　by　this　to　see　a　steep　cliff。　Certain　shadows　may　so　magnify　the　size　of　the　small　window　of　an　inn　that　we　may　take　it　to　be　as　large　as　that　of　a　sitting　room。　And　if　we　have　seen　just　one　window　we　think　all　are　of　the　same　form　and　are　convinced　that　the　inn　is　a　mansion。　Or　again；　we　see；　half…covered；　through　the　woods；　a　distant　pool；　and　in　memory　we　then　see　the　possibly；　　but　not　necessarily；　present　river。　Or　perhaps　we　see　a　church　spire；　and　possibly　near　it　the　roof　of　a　house　rises　above　the　trees；　then　we　are　inducted　into　having　seen　a　village；　although　there　really　are　visible　only　the　church　and　the　house。

These　illusions　again；　I　must　repeat；　are　of　no　importance　if　they　are　at　all　doubted；　for　then　the　truth　is　ascertained。　When；　however；　they　are　not　doubted　and　are　sworn　to；　they　cause　the　greatest　confusion　in　trials。　A　bar…room　quarrel；　a　swung　cane；　and　a　red　handkerchief　on　the　head；　are　enough　to　make　people　testify　to　having　seen　a　great　brawl　with　bloody　heads。　A　gnawing　rat；　a　window　accidentally　left　open　through　the　night；　and　some　misplaced；　not　instantaneously　discovered　object；　are　the　ingredients　of　a　burglary。　A　man　who　sees　a　rather　quick　train；　hears　a　shrill　blowing　of　the　whistle；　and　sees　a　great　cloud；　may　think　himself　the　witness　of　a　wreck。　All　these　phenomena；　moreover；　reveal　us　things　as　we　have　been　in　the　habit　of　seeing　them。　I　repeat；　here　also；　that　the　photographic　apparatus；　in　so　far　as　it　does　not　possess　a　refracting　lens；　shows　things　much　more　truly　than　our　eye；　which　is　always　corrected　by　our　memory。　If　I　permit　a　man　sitting　on　a　chair　to　be　photographed；　front　view；　with　his　legs　crossed　and　stretched　far　out；　the　result　is　a　ludicrous　picture　because　the　boots　seem　immensely　larger　than　the　head　of　the　subject。　But　the　photograph　is　not　at　fault；　for　if　the　subject　is　kept　in　the　same　position　and　then　the　apparent　size　of　head　and　boot　are　measured；　we　get　accurately　the　same　relation　as　on　the　photograph。　We　know　by　experience　how　big　a　head　is。　And　hence；　we　ordinarily　see　all　relations　of　size　in　proper　proportion。　But　on　the　photograph　we　can　not　apply　this　‘‘natural''　standard　becaus