До Адама

           Forinstance,therewasthefalling-through-spacedream—thecommonestdreamexperience,onepracticallyknown,byfirst-handexperience,toallmen.

           This,myprofessortoldme,wasaracialmemory.Itdatedbacktoourremoteancestorswholivedintrees.Withthem,beingtree-dwellers,theliabilityoffallingwasanever-presentmenace.Manylosttheirlivesthatway;allofthemexperiencedterriblefalls,savingthemselvesbyclutchingbranchesastheyfelltowardtheground.

           Nowaterriblefall,avertedinsuchfashion,wasproductiveofshock.Suchshockwasproductiveofmolecularchangesinthecerebralcells.Thesemolecularchangesweretransmittedtothecerebralcellsofprogeny,became,inshort,racialmemories.Thus,whenyouandI,asleepordozingofftosleep,fallthroughspaceandawaketosickeningconsciousnessjustbeforewestrike,wearemerelyrememberingwhathappenedtoourarborealancestors,andwhichhasbeenstampedbycerebralchangesintotheheredityoftherace.

           Thereisnothingstrangeinthis,anymorethanthereisanythingstrangeinaninstinct.Aninstinctismerelyahabitthatisstampedintothestuffofourheredity,thatisall.Itwillbenoted,inpassing,thatinthisfallingdreamwhichissofamiliartoyouandmeandallofus,weneverstrikebottom.Tostrikebottomwouldbedestruction.Thoseofourarborealancestorswhostruckbottomdiedforthwith.True,theshockoftheirfallwascommunicatedtothecerebralcells,buttheydiedimmediately,beforetheycouldhaveprogeny.