Question

But where was his mind? Far and deep in its own region, busying itself, with preternatural activity, to marshal a procession of stately thoughts that were soon to issue thence; and so he saw nothing, heard nothing, knew nothing, of what was around him; but the spiritual element took up the feeble frame, and carried it along, unconscious of the burden, and converting it to spirit like itself. Men of uncommon intellect, who have grown morbid, possess this occasional power of mighty effort, in which they throw the life of many days, and then are lifeless for as many more. What was the state of the mind of the person described in the passage?

1) Focused and aware of his surroundings
2) Engaged in deep thought and unaware of his surroundings
3) Overwhelmed by the burden of his thoughts
4) Unable to convert his thoughts into action

Answer 1

The person was deeply engrossed in thought, completely disconnected from his surroundings.

Step-by-step explanation:

The person described in the passage was in a state of deep thought and unaware of his surroundings. The text indicates that the person's mind was so intensely focused on organizing complex thoughts that he became oblivious to the physical world around him. This profound absorption in internal contemplation meant that he neither saw, heard, nor knew anything external; his mind took over and transformed his physical existence into something akin to spirit. This sort of total mental engrossment, to the exclusion of sensory perception or awareness of the environment, is associated with individuals who are highly intellectual yet may suffer from periods of morbidity.