may serve
as the means by which the word may be revived. When you write the word,
you make kinaesthetic impressions which may later serve as forms of
revival. So the movements of expression produce sensory material that
may serve as tentacles by means of which you can later reach back into
your memory and recall facts.

We shall now consider another service of expressions which, though
little regarded, nevertheless is of much moment. When we make
expressive movements, much nervous energy is generated; much more than
during passive impression. Energy is sent back to the brain over the
kinaesthetic nerve cells, and the greater the extent of the movement,
the greater is the amount of new energy sent to the brain. It pours
into the brain and diffuses itself especially throughout the
association areas. Here it excites regions which could not be excited
by a more limited amount of energy. This means, in psychical terms,
that new ideas are being aroused. The obvious inference from this fact
is that you may, by starting movements of expression, actually summon
to your assistance added powers of mind. For example, when you are
called upon to recite in class, your mind seems to be a complete
blank--in a state of "deadlock." You may break this "deadlock" and
start brain-action by some kind of movement. It may be only to clear
your throat, to ejaculate "well," or to squirm about in the seat, but
whatever form the movement takes, it will usually be effective in
creating the desired nervous energy, and after the inertia is once
overcome the mental stream will flow freely. The unconscious
application of this device is seen when a man is called on suddenly to
make a speech for which he has not prepared. He usually starts out by
telling a story, thus liberating nervous energy to pour back into the
brain and start thinking processes. With increasing vehemence of
expression, the ideas come more and more freely, and the result is a
speech which surpasses the expectations of the speaker himself. The
gesticulations of many speakers have this same function, being
frequently of great service in arousing more nervous energy, which goes
back to the brain and arouses more ideas.

The device of stimulating ideas by expressive movements may be utilized
in theme- or letter-writing. It is generally recognized that the
difficult thing in such writing is to get a start, and the too common
practice is to sit listlessly gazing into space waiting for
"