A continuous flow of sense-data (perceptions, thoughts, memories, and sensations) produced in the mind without either self-censorship or self-reflection. The concept was conceived by the American psychologist William James (brother of the writers Henry and Alice James), but is widely used in literary studies to describe a style of writing that tries to emulate this particular state of mind. The key examples are James Joyceâs Ulysses (1922) and Virginia Woolfâs To the Lighthouse (1927). Ideally, writing of this type should give the reader the impression they are witnessing thoughts as they are born, as though they were somehow able to jack directly into another consciousness.