До Адама

           ThismediumiswhatWeismanntermsthe“germplasm.”Itcarriesthememoriesofthewholeevolutionoftherace.Thesememoriesaredimandconfused,andmanyofthemarelost.Butsomestrainsofgermplasmcarryanexcessivefreightageofmemories—are,tobescientific,moreatavisticthanotherstrains;andsuchastrainismine.Iamafreakofheredity,anatavisticnightmare—callmewhatyouwill;buthereIam,realandalive,eatingthreeheartymealsaday,andwhatareyougoingtodoaboutit?

           Andnow,beforeItakeupmytale,IwanttoanticipatethedoubtingThomasesofpsychology,whoarepronetoscoff,andwhowouldotherwisesurelysaythatthecoherenceofmydreamsisduetooverstudyandthesubconsciousprojectionofmyknowledgeofevolutionintomydreams.Inthefirstplace,Ihaveneverbeenazealousstudent.Igraduatedlastofmyclass.Icaredmoreforathletics,and—thereisnoreasonIshouldnotconfessit—moreforbilliards.

           Further,IhadnoknowledgeofevolutionuntilIwasatcollege,whereasinmychildhoodandyouthIhadalreadylivedinmydreamsallthedetailsofthatother,long-agolife.Iwillsay,however,thatthesedetailsweremixedandincoherentuntilIcametoknowthescienceofevolution.Evolutionwasthekey.Itgavetheexplanation,gavesanitytothepranksofthisatavisticbrainofminethat,modernandnormal,harkedbacktoapastsoremoteastobecontemporaneouswiththerawbeginningsofmankind.

           ForinthispastIknowof,man,asweto-dayknowhim,didnotexist.ItwasintheperiodofhisbecomingthatImusthavelivedandhadmybeing.