  However, for James the continuity that is characteristic of our consciousness involved more than the mere absence of gaps, whether objective or subjective. He also held that this continuity typically involves a (fairly) high degree of similarity in the qualitative character of one’s experience from moment to moment. Large and sudden variations do occur – a sudden thunderclap makes a massive difference to one’s auditory experience – but these do not usually disrupt background continuities in (say) bodily feeling, or so James argued.