“Thestateofanhedonia，ifImaycoinanewwordtopairoffwithanalgesia。”hewrites，“hasbeenverylittlestudied，butitexists。Ayounggirlwassmittenwithaliverdiseasewhichforsometimealteredherconstitution。Shefeltnolongeranyaffectionforherfatherandmother。Shewouldhaveplayedwithherdoll，butitwasimpossibletofindtheleastpleasureintheact。Thesamethingswhichformerlyconvulsedherwithlaughterentirelyfailedtointeresthernow。Esquirolobservedthecaseofaveryintelligentmagistratewhowasalsoapreytohepaticdisease。Everyemotionappeareddeadwithinhim。Hemanifestedneitherperversionnorviolence，butcompleteabsenceofemotionalreaction。Ifhewenttothetheatre，whichhedidoutofhabit，hecouldfindnopleasurethere。Thethoughtofhishouseofhishome，ofhiswife，andofhisabsentchildrenmovedhimaslittle，hesaid，asatheoremofEuclid。”[76]
[76]Ribot：Psychologiedessentiments，p。54。
Prolongedseasicknesswillinmostpersonsproduceatemporaryconditionofanhedonia。Everygood，terrestrialorcelestial，isimaginedonlytobeturnedfromwithdisgust。Atemporaryconditionofthissort，connectedwiththereligiousevolutionofasingularlyloftycharacter，bothintellectualandmoral，iswelldescribedbytheCatholicphilosopher，FatherGratry，inhisautobiographicalrecollections。InconsequenceofmentalisolationandexcessivestudyatthePolytechnicschool，youngGratryfellintoastateofnervousexhaustionwithsymptomswhichhethusdescribes：——
“IhadsuchauniversalterrorthatIwokeatnightwithastart，thinkingthatthePantheonwastumblingonthePolytechnicschool，orthattheschoolwasinflames，orthattheSeinewaspouringintotheCatacombs，andthatPariswasbeingswallowedup。Andwhentheseimpressionswerepast，alldaylongwithoutrespiteIsufferedanincurableandintolerabledesolation，vergingondespair。Ithoughtmyself，infact，rejectedbyGod，lost，damned！Ifeltsomethinglikethesufferingofhell。BeforethatIhadnevereventhoughtofhell。Mymindhadneverturnedinthatdirection。Neitherdiscoursesnorreflectionshadimpressedmeinthatway。Itooknoaccountofhell。Now，andallatonce，Isufferedinameasurewhatissufferedthere。
“Butwhatwasperhapsstillmoredreadfulisthateveryideaofheavenwastakenawayfromme：Icouldnolongerconceiveofanythingofthesort。Heavendidnotseemtomeworthgoingto。
Itwaslikeavacuum；amythologicalelysium，anabodeofshadowslessrealthantheearth。Icouldconceivenojoy，nopleasureininhabitingit。Happiness，joy，light，affection，love——allthesewordswerenowdevoidofsense。WithoutdoubtIcouldstillhavetalkedofallthesethings，butIhadbecomeincapableoffeelinganythinginthem，ofunderstandinganythingaboutthem，ofhopinganythingfromthem，orofbelievingthemtoexist。Therewasmygreatandinconsolablegrief！Ineitherperceivednorconceivedanylongertheexistenceofhappinessorperfection。Anabstractheavenoveranakedrock。Suchwasmypresentabodeforeternity。”[77]
[77]A。Gratry：Souvenirsdemajeunesse，1880，pp。119-121，abridged。Somepersonsareaffectedwithanhedoniapermanently，oratanyratewithalossoftheusualappetiteforlife。Theannalsofsuicidesupplysuchexamplesasthefollowing：——
Anuneducateddomesticservant，agednineteen，poisonsherself，andleavestwolettersexpressinghermotivefortheact。Toherparentsshewrites：——
“Lifeissweetperhapstosome，butIpreferwhatissweeterthanlife，andthatisdeath。Sogood-byforever，mydearparents。
Itisnobody’sfault，butastrongdesireofmyownwhichIhavelongedtofulfillforthreeorfouryears。IhavealwayshadahopethatsomedayImighthaveanopportunityoffulfillingit，andnowithascome……ItisawonderIhaveputthisoffsolong，butIthoughtperhapsIshouldcheerupabitandputallthoughtoutofmyhead。”Toherbrothershewrites：“Good-byforever，myowndearestbrother。BythetimeyougetthisI
shallbegoneforever。Iknow，dearlove，thereisnoforgivenessforwhatIamgoingtodo……Iamtiredofliving，soamwillingtodie……Lifemaybesweettosome，butdeathtomeissweeter。”S。A。K。Strahan：SuicideandInsanity，2dedition，London，1894，p。131。
Somuchformelancholyinthesenseofincapacityforjoyousfeeling。Amuchworseformofitispositiveandactiveanguish，asortofpsychicalneuralgiawhollyunknowntohealthylife。
Suchanguishmaypartakeofvariouscharacters，havingsometimesmorethequalityofloathing；sometimesthatofirritationandexasperation；oragainofself-mistrustandself-despair；orofsuspicion，anxiety，trepidation，fear。Thepatientmayrebelorsubmit；mayaccusehimself，oraccuseoutsidepowers；andhemayorhemaynotbetormentedbythetheoreticalmysteryofwhyheshouldsohavetosuffer。Mostcasesaremixedcases，andweshouldnottreatourclassificationswithtoomuchrespect。
Moreover，itisonlyarelativelysmallproportionofcasesthatconnectthemselveswiththereligioussphereofexperienceatall。Exasperatedcases，forinstance，asaruledonot。IquotenowliterallyfromthefirstcaseofmelancholyonwhichIlaymyhand。ItisaletterfromapatientinaFrenchasylum。
“Isuffertoomuchinthishospital，bothphysicallyandmorally。
BesidestheburningsandthesleeplessnessforInolongersleepsinceIamshutuphere，andthelittlerestIgetisbrokenbybaddreams，andIamwakedwithajumpbynightmaresdreadfulvisions，lightning，thunder，andtherest，fear，atrociousfear，pressesmedown，holdsmewithoutrespite，neverletsmego。
Whereisthejusticeinitall！WhathaveIdonetodeservethisexcessofseverity？Underwhatformwillthisfearcrushme？
WhatwouldInotowetoanyonewhowouldridmeofmylife！Eat，drink，lieawakeallnight，sufferwithoutinterruption——suchisthefinelegacyIhavereceivedfrommymother！WhatIfailtounderstandisthisabuseofpower。Therearelimitstoeverything，thereisamiddleway。ButGodknowsneithermiddlewaynorlimits。IsayGod，butwhy？AllIhaveknownsofarhasbeenthedevil。Afterall，IamafraidofGodasmuchasofthedevil，soIdriftalong，thinkingofnothingbutsuicide，butwithneithercouragenormeansheretoexecutetheact。Asyoureadthis，itwilleasilyprovetoyoumyinsanity。Thestyleandtheideasareincoherentenough——Icanseethatmyself。ButIcannotkeepmyselffrombeingeithercrazyoranidiot；and，asthingsare，fromwhomshouldIaskpity？Iamdefenselessagainsttheinvisibleenemywhoistighteninghiscoilsaroundme。IshouldbenobetterarmedagainsthimevenifIsawhim，orhadseenhim。Oh，ifhewouldbutkillme，deviltakehim！
Death，death，onceforall！ButIstop。Ihaveravedtoyoulongenough。Isayraved，forIcanwritenootherwise，havingneitherbrainnorthoughtsleft。OGod！whatamisfortunetobeborn！Bornlikeamushroom，doubtlessbetweenaneveningandamorning；andhowtrueandrightIwaswheninourphilosophy-yearincollegeIchewedthecudofbitternesswiththepessimists。
Yes，indeed，thereismorepaininlifethangladness——itisonelongagonyuntilthegrave。Thinkhowgayitmakesmetorememberthatthishorriblemiseryofmine，coupledwiththisunspeakablefear，maylastfifty，onehundred，whoknowshowmanymoreyears！”[78]
[78]RoubinovitchetToulouse：LaMelancolie，1897，p。170，abridged。
Thislettershowstwothings。First，youseehowtheentireconsciousnessofthepoormanissochokedwiththefeelingofevilthatthesenseoftherebeinganygoodintheworldislostforhimaltogether。Hisattentionexcludesit，cannotadmitit：
thesunhaslefthisheaven。Andsecondlyyouseehowthequeruloustemperofhismiserykeepshismindfromtakingareligiousdirection。Querulousnessofmindtendsinfactrathertowardsirreligion；andithasplayed，sofarasIknow，nopartwhateverintheconstructionofreligioussystems。
Religiousmelancholymustbecastinamoremeltingmood。
Tolstoyhasleftus，inhisbookcalledMyConfession，awonderfulaccountoftheattackofmelancholywhichledhimtohisownreligiousconclusions。Thelatterinsomerespectsarepeculiar；butthemelancholypresentstwocharacterswhichmakeitatypicaldocumentforourpresentpurpose。Firstitisawell-markedcaseofanhedonia，ofpassivelossofappetiteforalllife’svalues；andsecond，itshowshowthealteredandestrangedaspectwhichtheworldassumedinconsequenceofthisstimulatedTolstoy’sintellecttoagnawing，carkingquestioningandeffortforphilosophicrelief。ImeantoquoteTolstoyatsomelength；butbeforedoingso，Iwillmakeageneralremarkoneachofthesetwopoints。
Firstonourspiritualjudgmentsandthesenseofvalueingeneral。
Itisnotoriousthatfactsarecompatiblewithoppositeemotionalcomments，sincethesamefactwillinspireentirelydifferentfeelingsindifferentpersons，andatdifferenttimesinthesameperson；andthereisnorationallydeducibleconnectionbetweenanyouterfactandthesentimentsitmayhappentoprovoke。
Thesehavetheirsourceinanothersphereofexistencealtogether，intheanimalandspiritualregionofthesubject’sbeing。Conceiveyourself，ifpossible，suddenlystrippedofalltheemotionwithwhichyourworldnowinspiresyou，andtrytoimagineitASITEXISTS，purelybyitself，withoutyourfavorableorunfavorable，hopefulorapprehensivecomment。Itwillbealmostimpossibleforyoutorealizesuchaconditionofnegativityanddeadness。Nooneportionoftheuniversewouldthenhaveimportancebeyondanother；andthewholecollectionofitsthingsandseriesofitseventswouldbewithoutsignificance，character，expression，orperspective。Whateverofvalue，interest，ormeaningourrespectiveworldsmayappearenduedwitharethuspuregiftsofthespectator’smind。Thepassionofloveisthemostfamiliarandextremeexampleofthisfact。Ifitcomes，itcomes；ifitdoesnotcome，noprocessofreasoningcanforceit。YetittransformsthevalueofthecreaturelovedasutterlyasthesunrisetransformsMontBlancfromacorpse-likegraytoarosyenchantment；anditsetsthewholeworldtoanewtunefortheloverandgivesanewissuetohislife。Sowithfear，withindignation，jealousy，ambition，worship。Iftheyarethere，lifechanges。Andwhethertheyshallbethereornotdependsalmostalwaysuponnon-logical，oftenonorganicconditions。Andastheexcitedinterestwhichthesepassionsputintotheworldisourgifttotheworld，justsoarethepassionsthemselvesGIFTS——giftstous，fromsourcessometimeslowandsometimeshigh；butalmostalwaysnonlogicalandbeyondourcontrol。Howcanthemoribundoldmanreasonbacktohimselftheromance，themystery，theimminenceofgreatthingswithwhichouroldearthtingledforhiminthedayswhenhewasyoungandwell？Gifts，eitherofthefleshorofthespirit；andthespiritblowethwhereitlisteth；andtheworld’smaterialslendtheirsurfacepassivelytoallthegiftsalike，asthestage-settingreceivesindifferentlywhateveralternatingcoloredlightsmaybesheduponitfromtheopticalapparatusinthegallery。
Meanwhilethepracticallyrealworldforeachoneofus，theeffectiveworldoftheindividual，isthecompoundworld，thephysicalfactsandemotionalvaluesinindistinguishablecombination。Withdraworperverteitherfactorofthiscomplexresultant，andthekindofexperiencewecallpathologicalensues。
InTolstoy’scasethesensethatlifehadanymeaningwhateverwasforatimewhollywithdrawn。Theresultwasatransformationinthewholeexpressionofreality。Whenwecometostudythephenomenonofconversionorreligiousregeneration，weshallseethatanotinfrequentconsequenceofthechangeoperatedinthesubjectisatransfigurationofthefaceofnatureinhiseyes。
Anewheavenseemstoshineuponanewearth。Inmelancholiacsthereisusuallyasimilarchange，onlyitisinthereversedirection。Theworldnowlooksremote，strange，sinister，uncanny。Itscolorisgone，itsbreathiscold，thereisnospeculationintheeyesitglareswith。“ItisasifIlivedinanothercentury。”saysoneasylumpatient——“Iseeeverythingthroughacloud。”saysanother，“thingsarenotastheywere，andIamchanged。”——“Isee。”saysathird，“Itouch，butthethingsdonotcomenearme，athickveilaltersthehueandlookofeverything。”——“Personsmovelikeshadows，andsoundsseemtocomefromadistantworld。”——“Thereisnolongeranypastforme；
peopleappearsostrange；itisasifIcouldnotseeanyreality，asifIwereinatheatre；asifpeoplewereactors，andeverythingwerescenery；Icannolongerfindmyself；Iwalk，butwhy？Everythingfloatsbeforemyeyes，butleavesnoimpression。”——“Iweepfalsetears，Ihaveunrealhands：thethingsIseearenotrealthings。”——Suchareexpressionsthatnaturallyrisetothelipsofmelancholysubjectsdescribingtheirchangedstate。[79]
[79]IculltheseexamplesfromtheworkofG。Dumas：LaTristesseetlaJoie，1900。