Chapter 6

           Thereismorethanthegermoftruthinthingserroneousinthechild’sdefinitionofmemoryasthethingoneforgetswith.Tobeabletoforgetmeanssanity.Incessantlytoremember,meansobsession,lunacy.SotheproblemIfacedinsolitary,whereincessantrememberingstroveforpossessionofme,wastheproblemofforgetting.WhenIgamedwithflies,orplayedchesswithmyself,ortalkedwithmyknuckles,Ipartiallyforgot.WhatIdesiredwasentirelytoforget.

           Thereweretheboyhoodmemoriesofothertimesandplaces—the“trailingcloudsofglory”ofWordsworth.Ifaboyhadhadthesememories,weretheyirretrievablylostwhenhehadgrowntomanhood?Couldthisparticularcontentofhisboybrainbeutterlyeliminated?Orwerethesememoriesofothertimesandplacesstillresidual,asleep,immuredinsolitaryinbraincellssimilarlytothewayIwasimmuredinacellinSanQuentin?

           Solitarylife-prisonershavebeenknowntoresurrectandlookuponthesunagain.Thenwhycouldnottheseother-worldmemoriesoftheboyresurrect?

           Buthow?Inmyjudgment,byattainmentofcompleteforgetfulnessofpresentandofmanhoodpast.

           Andagain,how?Hypnotismshoulddoit.