ProfessorStarbuckgivesananalogouscase，andaconversecaseofhatredsuddenlyturningintolove，inhisPsychologyofReligion，p。141。Comparetheotherhighlycuriousinstanceswhichhegivesonpp。137-144，ofsuddennon-religiousalterationsofhabitorcharacter。Heseemsrightinconceivingallsuchsuddenchangesasresultsofspecialcerebralfunctionsunconsciouslydevelopinguntiltheyarereadytoplayacontrollingpartwhentheymakeirruptionintotheconsciouslife。Whenwetreatofsudden’conversion，’IshallmakeasmuchuseasIcanofthishypothesisofsubconsciousincubation。
InJohnFoster’sEssayonDecisionofCharacter，thereisanaccountofacaseofsuddenconversiontoavarice，whichisillustrativeenoughtoquote：——
Ayoungman，itappears，“wasted，intwoorthreeyears，alargepatrimonyinprofligaterevelswithanumberofworthlessassociateswhocalledthemselveshisfriends，andwho，whenhislastmeanswereexhausted，treatedhimofcoursewithneglectorcontempt。Reducedtoabsolutewant，heonedaywentoutofthehousewithanintentiontoputanendtohislife，butwanderingawhilealmostunconsciously，hecametothebrowofaneminencewhichoverlookedwhatwerelatelyhisestates。Herehesatdown，andremainedfixedinthoughtanumberofhours，attheendofwhichhesprangfromthegroundwithavehement，exultingemotion。Hehadformedhisresolution，whichwas，thatalltheseestatesshouldbehisagain；hehadformedhisplan，too，whichheinstantlybegantoexecute。Hewalkedhastilyforward，determinedtoseizethefirstopportunity，ofhoweverhumbleakind，togainanymoney，thoughitwereeversodespicableatrifle，andresolvedabsolutelynottospend，ifhecouldhelpit，afarthingofwhateverhemightobtain。Thefirstthingthatdrewhisattentionwasaheapofcoalsshotoutofcartsonthepavementbeforeahouse。Heofferedhimselftoshovelorwheelthemintotheplacewheretheyweretobelaid，andwasemployed。
Hereceivedafewpenceforthelabor；andthen，inpursuanceofthesavingpartofhisplanrequestedsomesmallgratuityofmeatanddrink，whichwasgivenhim。Hethenlookedoutforthenextthingthatmightchance；andwent，withindefatigableindustry，throughasuccessionofservileemploymentsindifferentplaces，oflongerandshorterduration，stillscrupulousinavoiding，asfaraspossible，theexpenseofapenny。Hepromptlyseizedeveryopportunitywhichcouldadvancehisdesign，withoutregardingthemeannessofoccupationorappearance。Bythismethodhehadgained，afteraconsiderabletime，moneyenoughtopurchaseinordertosellagainafewcattle，ofwhichhehadtakenpainstounderstandthevalue。Hespeedilybutcautiouslyturnedhisfirstgainsintosecondadvantages；retainedwithoutasingledeviationhisextremeparsimony；andthusadvancedbydegreesintolargertransactionsandincipientwealth。Ididnothear，orhaveforgotten，thecontinuedcourseofhislife，butthefinalresultwas，thathemorethanrecoveredhislostpossessions，anddiedaninveteratemiser，worthL60，000。”[94]
[94]Op。cit。，LetterIII。，abridged。