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imagining the invisible； or else； in the language of devotion；
they are life…long subjects of 〃barrenness〃 and 〃dryness。〃
Such inaptitude for religious faith may in some cases be
intellectual in its origin。 Their religious faculties may be
checked in their natural tendency to expand； by beliefs about the
world that are inhibitive； the pessimistic and materialistic
beliefs； for example； within which so many good souls； who in
former times would have freely indulged their religious
propensities； find themselves nowadays； as it were； frozen； or
the agnostic vetoes upon faith as something weak and shameful；
under which so many of us today lie cowering； afraid to use our
instincts。 In many persons such inhibitions are never overcome。
To the end of their days they refuse to believe； their personal
energy never gets to its religious centre； and the latter remains
inactive in perpetuity。
In other persons the trouble is profounder。 There are men
anaesthetic on the religious side； deficient in that category of
sensibility。 Just as a bloodless organism can never； in spite of
all its goodwill； attain to the reckless 〃animal spirits〃 enjoyed
by those of sanguine temperament； so the nature which is
spiritually barren may admire and envy faith in others； but can
never compass the enthusiasm and peace which those who are
temperamentally qualified for faith enjoy。 All this may；
however； turn out eventually to have been a matter of temporary
inhibition。 Even late in life some thaw； some release may take
place； some bolt be shot back in the barrenest breast； and the
man's hard heart may soften and break into religious feeling。
Such cases more than any others suggest the idea that sudden
conversion is by miracle。 So long as they exist； we must not
imagine ourselves to deal with irretrievably fixed classes。
Now there are two forms of mental occurrence in human beings；
which lead to a striking difference in the conversion process； a
difference to which Professor Starbuck has called attention。 You
know how it is when you try to recollect a forgotten name。
Usually you help the recall by working for it； by mentally
running over the places； persons； and things with which the word
was connected。 But sometimes this effort fails： you feel then
as if the harder you tried the less hope there would be； as
though the name were JAMMED； and pressure in its direction only
kept it all the more from rising。 And then the opposite expedient
often succeeds。 Give up the effort entirely； think of something
altogether different； and in half an hour the lost name comes
sauntering into your mind； as Emerson says； as carelessly as if
it had never been invited。 Some hidden process was started in
you by the effort； which went on after the effort ceased； and
made the result come as if it came spontaneously。 A certain
music teacher； says Dr。 Starbuck； says to her pupils after the
thing to be done has been clearly pointed out； and unsuccessfully
attempted： 〃Stop trying and it will do itself！〃＇108＇
＇108＇ Psychology of Religion； p。 117。
There is thus a conscious and voluntary way and an involuntary
and unconscious way in which mental results may get accomplished；
and we find both ways exemplified in the history of conversion；
giving us two types； which Starbuck calls the volitional type and
the type by self…surrender respectively。
In the volitional type the regenerative change is usually
gradual； and consists in the building up； piece by piece； of a
new set of moral and spiritual habits。 But there are always
critical points here at which the movement forward seems much
more rapid。 This psychological fact is abundantly illustrated by
Dr。 Starbuck。 Our education in any practical accomplishment
proceeds apparently by jerks and starts just as the growth of our
physical bodies does。
〃An athlete 。 。 。 sometimes awakens suddenly to an understanding
of the fine points of the game and to a real enjoyment of it；
just as the convert awakens to an appreciation of religion。 If he
keeps on engaging in the sport； there may come a day when all at
once the game plays itself through himwhen he loses himself in
some great contest。 In the same way； a musician may suddenly
reach a point at which pleasure in the technique of the art
entirely falls away； and in some moment of inspiration he becomes
the instrument through which music flows。 The writer has chanced
to hear two different married persons； both of whose wedded lives
had been beautiful from the beginning； relate that not until a
year or more after marriage did they awake to the full
blessedness of married life。 So it is with the religious
experience of these persons we are studying。〃＇109＇
＇109＇ Psychology of Religion； p。 385。 Compare； also； pp。 137…144
and 262。
We shall erelong hear still more remarkable illustrations of
subconsciously maturing processes eventuating in results of which
we suddenly grow conscious。 Sir William Hamilton and Professor
Laycock of Edinburgh were among the first to call attention to
this class of effects； but Dr。 Carpenter first； unless I am
mistaken； introduced the term 〃unconscious cerebration；〃 which
has since then been a popular phrase of explanation。 The facts
are now known to us far more extensively than he could know them；
and the adjective 〃unconscious；〃 being for many of them almost
certainly a misnomer； is better replaced by the vaguer term
〃subconscious〃 or 〃subliminal。〃
Of the volitional type of conversion it would be easy to give
examples；＇110＇ but they are as a rule less interesting than
those of the self…surrender type； in which the subconscious
effects are more abundant and often startling。 I will therefore
hurry to the latter； the more so because the difference between
the two types is after all not radical。 Even in the most
voluntarily built…up sort of regeneration there are passages of
partial self…surrender interposed； and in the great majority of
all cases； when the will had done its uttermost towards bringing
one close to the complete unification aspired after； it seems
that the very last step must be left to other forces and
performed without the help of its activity。 In other words；
self…surrender becomes then indispensable。 〃The personal will；〃
says Dr。 Starbuck； 〃must be given up。 In many cases relief
persistently refuses to come until the person ceases to resist；
or to make an effort in the direction he desires to go。〃
＇110