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There are five stages in the process, namely :
I. In this first stage, what takes place is the establishment of the relation of contact between the organs of sensation and the vibrations from the external object in the external world. The stimulus from outside, create a sort of excitation in the end-organ {ear, eye, etc.)-only in the organs of sensation and not in the mind. In this first stage a relation is established between the subjective and objective world.
2. After the relation is established, a kind of excitation takes place in the consciousness, where the person thinks “ What is that?". This second -stage, in the process, is the first activity of the mind. (inanas.) It is the state of mind in which the person asks himself “What is that ?" or “What was that ?" when recalling something seen or heard in the past.
3. Then after the mind has thus been aroused, there follow three more stages in the process of knowing the object. The mind itself does not come into contact with the physical object and does not pass through the above mentioned stage No. 1; still it has the 2nd. In the 3rd stage now being mentioned the consciousness begins to run in this way :-(suppose I see something in the distance which I cannot quite make out)“ What is this? well, it cannot be a person, still it has that shape, and yet it does not move” etc. It is a kind of cogitation.
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