criminal psychology-第126部分

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of　vision　is


＇2＇　ber　die　Quelle　der　Sinnestuschungen。　Magazin　fr　Seelenkunde　VIII。

＇3＇　Erklrung　der　Sinnestuschungen。　Wurzburg　1888。

　altered　and　changes　in　size；　in　form；　or　appearance　occur。''　Naturally　the　criminalist　can　not　perceive　slight　indigestion；　weak　hysteria；　or　an　inflamed　area　in　the　retina　when　he　is　examining　witnesses；　yet　false　observations　like　those　described　may　have　a　definite　influence　upon　the　decision　in　a　case。

If　such　abnormal　occasions　are　lacking　the　reasons　for　optical　illusions　are　of　another　nature。　As　a　rule　optical　illusions　occur　when　there　is　an　interruption　in　the　communication　between　the　retina；　the　sense　of　movement；　and　the　sense　of　touch；　or　when　we　are　prevented　from　reducing　the　changes　of　the　retinal　image　to　the　movement　of　our　body　or　of　our　eyes。　This　reduction　goes　on　so　unconsciously　that　we　see　the　idea　of　the　object　and　its　condition　as　a　unit。　Again；　it　is　indubitable　that　the　movement　of　the　body　seems　quicker　when　we　observe　it　with　a　fixed　glance　than　when　we　follow　it　with　our　eyes。　The　difference　may　be　so　significant　that　it　is　often　worth　while；　when　much　depends　on　determining　the　speed　of　some　act　in　a　criminal　case；　to　ask　how　the　thing　was　looked　at。

Fechner　has　made　a　far…reaching　examination　of　the　old　familiar　fact　that　things　on　the　ground　appear　to　run　when　we　ride　by　them　rapidly。＇1＇　This　fact　may　be　compared　with　the　other；　that　when　you　look　directly　into　swift…moving　water　from　a　low　bridge；　the　latter　seems　all　of　a　sudden　to　be　swimming　rapidly　up　stream；　though　the　water　does　not　appear　to　stand　still。　Here　some　unknown　factor　is　at　work　and　may　exercise　considerable　influence　on　many　other　phenomena　without　our　being　able　to　observe　the　results。　To　this　class　may　be　added　the　extraordinary　phenomenon　that　from　the　train　objects　easily　seem　too　near　and　hence　appear　smaller　than　they　are。　It　may　be；　however；　that　the　converse　is　true　and　objects　appear　smaller；　or　at　least　shorter；　and　that　inasmuch　as　we　are　in　the　habit　of　attributing　the　diminution　of　size　in　objects　to　their　distance；　we　tax　the　latter　as　false。　So　much　is　certainthat　whenever　we　ourselves　move　quickly　we　make　false　judgments　of　size；　distance；　and　even　color。　The　last　may　be　due　to　the　fact　that　during　a　quick　passage；　colors　may　so　compose　themselves；　that　green　and　red　become　white；　and　blue　and　yellow；　green；　etc。　I　believe　that　all　these　illusions　are　increasing　in　connection　with　the　spread　of　bicycling；　inasmuch　as　many　observations　are　made　from　the　fleeting　wheel　and　its　motion　tends　to　increase　the　illusions　considerably。　Concerning　the　differences　in　movement　Stricker＇2＇


＇1＇　Elemente　die　Psychophysik。　Leipzig　1889。

＇2＇　Studien　ber　die　Sprachvorstellung。　Vienna　1880。

　says：　‘‘If　I　lie　on　my　back　and　see　a　bird　fly　in　the　uniformly　blue　heaven；　I　recognize　the　movement　although　I　have　no　object　with　which　to　compare　it。　This　can　not　be　explained　by　the　variety　of　points　on　the　retina　which　are　affected；　for　when　the　bird　pauses　and　I　turn　my　eye；　I　know　that　it　is　not　moving。''　The　last　argument　is　not　correct。　If　the　bird　is　sitting　on　a　branch　I　know；　in　spite　of　all　my　occipital　movement；　that　it　is　quiet；　but　only　because　I　perceive　and　observe　the　bird's　immobility。　If；　however；　I　lie　on　my　back　like　Stricker　and　see　above　me　a　bird　of　the　class　that；　so　to　speak；　swim　motionless　in　the　air　for　minutes　at　a　time；　and　if　then　I　turn　my　head；　I　can　not　tell　when　the　bird　begins　to　move。　Here　then　we　have　no　exception　to　the　general　rule　and　can　always　say　that　we　are　speaking　of　movement　optically　perceived　when　the　rays　issuing　from　any　body　progressively　touch　various　points　on　the　retina。　And　since　this　occurs　when　we　are　in　motion　as　well　as　when　the　object　is　in　motion　it　happens　that　we　can　not　locate　the　movement；　we　cannot　say　whether　it　be　in　us　or　in　the　object。

Of　course；　the　possibility　that　fanciful　images　may　appear　during　movement　is　familiar。　If　I　sit　quietly　in　the　forest　and　at　some　distance　see　a　stone　or　a　piece　of　wood　or　a　little　heap　of　dried　leaves；　etc。；　it　may　be　that；　because　of　some　illusion；　I　take　it　to　be　a　rolled　up　hedgehog；　and　it　may　happen　that　I　am　so　convinced　of　the　nature　of　the　object　while　I　am　looking　at　it　that　I　see　how　the　hedgehog　stretches　itself；　sticks　out　its　paws　and　makes　other　movements。　I　remember　one　winter　when；　because　of　some　delay；　a　commission　on　which　I　was　serving　had　failed　to　reach　a　village　not　far　from　the　capital。　We　had　gone　to　investigate　a　murder　case　and　had　found　the　body　frozen　stiff。　The　oven　in　the　room　was　heated　and　the　grave…digger　placed　the　stiff　body　near　the　oven　in　order　to　thaw　it　out。　We　at　this　time　were　examining　the　place。　After　a　while　I　was　instructed　by　the　examining　justice　to　see　about　the　condition　of　the　corpse；　and　much　to　my　disgust；　I　found　it　sitting　near　the　oven；　bent　over。　It　had　thawed　out　and　collapsed。　During　the　subsequent　obduction　I　saw　most　clearly　how　the　corpse　made　all　kinds　of　movements；　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　character