bodily foundation of consciousness, and particularly of man's
conceptual activities, the question arises as to the nature of those
activities which have their foundation in other systems, such as that
of the muscles, where life, not death, prevails. Here an answer must be
given which will surprise the reader acquainted with modern theories of
psycho-physical interaction; but if he meets it with an open mind he
will not find it difficult to test.

Just as the conceptual activity has as its bodily foundation the brain,
with the nervous appendages, so it is volitional activity which is
based on processes taking place in the muscular region of the body and
in those organs which provide the body's metabolism.

A statement which says that man's will is as directly based on the
metabolic processes of the body, both inside and outside the muscles,
as is his perceiving and thought-forming mind on a process in the
nerves, is bound to cause surprise. Firstly, it seems to leave out the
role commonly ascribed to the so-called motoric part of the nervous
system in bringing about bodily action; and secondly, the
acknowledgment of the dependence of consciousness on corporeal 'dying'
implies that willing is an unconscious activity because of its being
based on life processes of the body.

The first of these two problems will find its answer at a later stage
of our discussion when we shall see what entitles us to draw a direct
connexion between volition and muscular action. To answer the second
problem, simple self-observation is required. This tells us that, when
we move a limb, all that we know of is the intention (in its conceptual
form) which rouses the will and gives it its direction, and the fact of
the completed deed. In between, we accompany the movement with a dim