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"Secondly, Neither doth every Involuntary Phantasm, or such as the Soul is not Conscious to it self to have purposely excited or raised up within it self, seem to be a Sensation or Perception of a thing, as existing without us; for there may be Straggling Phantasms, which come into the Mind we know not how; and bubble up of themselves, which yet the Soul may distinguish from Sensations or Perceptions of things, as existing really without it; because of some other Phantasms at the same time in the Soul, whose Vigours and Lustre do cloud and eclipse them."

— Cudworth, Ralph (1617-1688)

Author

Cudworth, Ralph (1617-1688)

Work Title

A Treatise Concerning Eternal and Immutable Morality

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

Printed for James and John Knapton

Date

1731

Metaphor

"Secondly, Neither doth every Involuntary Phantasm, or such as the Soul is not Conscious to it self to have purposely excited or raised up within it self, seem to be a Sensation or Perception of a thing, as existing without us; for there may be Straggling Phantasms, which come into the Mind we know not how; and bubble up of themselves, which yet the Soul may distinguish from Sensations or Perceptions of things, as existing really without it; because of some other Phantasms at the same time in the Soul, whose Vigours and Lustre do cloud and eclipse them."

Metaphor in Context

Secondly, Neither doth every Involuntary Phantasm, or such as the Soul is not Conscious to it self to have purposely excited or raised up within it self, seem to be a Sensation or Perception of a thing, as existing without us; for there may be Straggling Phantasms, which come into the Mind we know not how; and bubble up of themselves, which yet the Soul may distinguish from Sensations or Perceptions of things, as existing really without it; because of some other Phantasms at the same time in the Soul, whose Vigours and Lustre do cloud and eclipse them. For when there are Phantasms of several Kinds at the same time in the Soul, or such as arise from different Motions of the Spirits, the Soul silently comparing both together, naturally looks upon the more vigorous, strong, and permanent of those Phantasms only as Real Existences; but the more Faint, Flitting and Transitory, as Imaginary things. Now there are two kinds of Involuntary Phantasms, as I have already intimated, in the Soul, when we are awake. One that proceeds from such Motions of the Spirits as are caused by the Nerves moved from the Objects without: Another that proceeds from the Spirits of the Brain, otherwise moved than by the Nerves: And therefore when we are awake, and have Phantasms of both these kinds together in the Soul, those Phantasms that arise from the Motions of the Nerves caused by the Objects without, appearing very different from those other Phantasms that arise from the Spirits otherwise moved than by the Nerves, both in respect of their Vigour and Constancy, do therefore to all such Persons, as are not distempered either in Body or in Mind, naturally seem to be Real, or Things existing without the Soul, but the latter Imaginary. Whereas in Sleep, when the Nerves being relaxated, communicate no Motion to the Spirits, the very same Phantasms (there being now no other and Stronger to compare with them and discredit or disgrace them) do naturally appear to the Soul as Sensations of things Really existing without the Soul.
(III.iv.5, pp. 119-121)