This term is generally employed to signify “divine” inspiration--ideas
which are implanted directly into the human mind by some external
Divinity. Such a conception, needless to say, is not in accord with
modern thought. Throughout the ages, inspirational addresses have been
heralded as evidence of the supernatural. The Pythoness at Delphi
inhaled the mystic vapor, rising from a cleft in the rock, and gave
forth her Oracular utterances. (See Dempsey: “The Delphic Oracle”; H.
N. Bate, “The Sibylline Oracles.”) Even in our own day, “mediums” give
similar inspirational addresses, at various spiritualistic centers.
It is not necessary, however, to consider such utterances divine, or
supernatural, for the vast majority of them may be interpreted in
terms of psychology, with relative ease. They are the products of the
subconscious mind of man. George N. Raymond has written an interesting
book, entitled “The Psychology of Inspiration,” to which the reader
may be referred to further _data_ upon this subject. While it is
somewhat religious in tone, it has some good material in it. Like
Intuition, this subject has been much neglected by academic psychology,
and there is much need for a careful study of its various problems.