84 PSYCHOLOGY AND PREACHING
ing-tone, but if increased beyond a certain point it will pro duce unpleasantness, because it then becomes obstructive of vital processes, disturbing and disorganizing in tendency. (3) And there is a point beyond which an emotion, pleasant or unpleasant, will produce unconsciousness, because it over taxes the power of the organism, exhausts the vital energy of the nervous system, or of those parts of it which are directly involved. (4) Strong emotion of any kind involves a rapid consumption of nervous energy; and after it has passed leaves the organism apathetic. If the exhaustion has been profound and general and this, of course, is more likely to result from excessive unpleasant emotion the organism will fall into a state of indifference to all stimuli. There will be for a time a general incapacity for feeling of any kind. (5) If the exhaustion has been partial, involving only certain parts of the nervous system or certain vital processes, there is likely to be for a time an apathetic unre- sponsiveness to the particlar class of stimuli which called forth the excessive emotion and also to those of the same general tendency ; but there may be an abnormal responsive ness to stimuli of the opposite type. A period of excessive joy is almost certain to be followed by a period of depres sion in which there will be an unusual sensibility to all sug gestions of unhappiness and sorrow. A period of optimism in business has its inevitable sequence of pessimism or of panic. A period of extreme exaltation of the religious feel ings will be followed by a time of indifference or of laxity, of unbelief or worldliness, as surely as the night follows the day. (6) Indeed, the indulgence of excessive emotions is most demoralizing, no matter what interest arouses them. It tends towards the disorganization of the personality, and is altogether inconsistent with the development of a high type of character. In politics it is a great hindrance to the development of a high and stable social order. In religion it is no less injurious than in other spheres of life; it is inconsistent with the attainment of the high ethical aims of Christianity. It is noteworthy that politics and religion are
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