LIBRARY OF COXGRESS. S ±£/X. v yij r not being relieved, I became satisfied that it was not my father who wrote, she again personated Mr. Y , and tried to make me believe that my friends had not found 142 THE INVISIBLES. me, and that therefore it was of no use to sit and write, thinking of them. But this long personation of my father had slightly increased my mother's power, so that she was now able to influence me to sit for writing, thinking of her. When I sat down for this purpose, Julia, presuming that my mother would now get control, assisted her against Miss Allen in identifying herself, and convinc- ing me that she was present. And she also proposed assisting in giving the narrative in explanation of my experience, upon the condition that while she should state the main facts correctly, she might make them appear as favorable as possible to herself, as she also proposed doing in reference to Mr. Y and Mr. L . To this proposition my friends assented, the under- standing being that I was to think of my mother during the writing. It was thought this would increase my mother's power about as much as though Julia did not assist her. The narrative was therefore really written by Julia, although my mother, to some extent, exercised her will at the same time. My mother's power did not increase so much as was anticipated, both by Julia and my friends, and as Julia's object in assisting was the hope of being connected with another medium — which she thought would be de- veloped — she insisted, when the narrative was finished, that this agreement should be made with her, and when this was refused, thinking now that my friends could not succeed without her assistance, she again joined Miss Allen in opposing them. As Miss Allen had again commenced her persecutions EXPLANATION OF AUTHOR'S NARRATIVE. 143 In the night, my mother had partially diverted her power from my brain to the protection of my person, and therefore Julia was able to state that Miss Allen was a former acquaintance of Mr. B , and to give me a false name, before my mother had regained suffi- cient power to prevent this. And when my mother had gained power enough to almost entirely prevent her writing, Julia, assisted by Miss Allen, succeeded in stating that this, to me, apparent loss of power by my mother, was owing to the treachery of the Duke and Mr. Y . The idea of Miss Allen and Julia in giving a false name for that of the former person, and telling me that she had been an acquaintance of Mr. B , seems to have been, that when I learned of Mr. B that he had never been acquainted with such a person, I would conclude that my mother had not written at all, and was not with me. And when I perceived the loss of power, at a subsequent sitting, the explanation given was the only one that occurred to them as being likely to discourage me from attempting to finish this work. It will be perceived that this explanation contradicts the idea that my mother had not written any, and taken in connection with the statement last given me relative to Miss Allen, tended — when I had learned the falsity of the latter — to show me that Julia had been treach- erous. Whether it did not occur to Miss Allen and Julia that this explanation would defeat the object of the falsehood relative to the former, or whether they concluded that it would be impossible to prevent my being satisfied that my mother was present, I do not know. 144 THE INVISIBLES. The most of the foregoing narrative is given as writ- ten by Julia, my mother having merely made a few corrections. It may not, therefore, be precisely such as the latter would have given if she had written the whole; but I am advised by her that it is substantially correct. The narrative as given by Julia did not diifer as to the main facts from the one now given, but in the endeavor to so state them that the course of herself, Mr. Y , and Mr. L should appear less reprehen- sible, there occurred some slight inconsistencies, though no absolute contradictions. It is a very extraordinary narrative, and I can hardly expect that it will be credited by those who — from the effect of education — believe that we immediately become entirely different beings upon the death of our present body. But there are no real grounds for such a belief, and, aside from any revelations to the contrary from the other world, it appears to me a very unphilosophical one. I have reasons — aside from the identification of my mother — for believing the narrative, which I cannot give the reader without making known the parties; I will however state one. The gentleman whom I have called Mr. L , was not one of my most intimate acquaintances, and there- fore is not one likely to be named if the narrative was a fiction, as both Miss Allen and Julia knew the names of my more intimate acquaintances in their world. But Mr. L is the person most likely to be selected by Mr. Y and Mr. J , especially by the former, for the purpose named. But, besides all this, it Avould, in my opinion, be im- EXPLANATION OF AUTHOR'S NARRATIVE. 145 possible for any one to invent a narrative which would so fully explain my experience with these beings. I have myself spent many an hour in endeavoring to form some theory which would account for the matter, but without success. The question will probably occur to most of my readers, "What object could these parties have had in view, which would induce them to take all this trouble?" So far as regards Mr. Y , his motive seems to have been the same as that which prompts individuals of our world (when the motive is not a pecuniary one), to seek at great trouble and expense to attain some posi- tion, or office. It must be recollected that those of the other world are differently situated from ourselves; they can visit and see us; and if the facts relative to myself and other mediums are as stated, the position of manager of com- munications would be one of much interest and impor- tance; for but a small portion of those of the other world who would wish to communicate with their friends in this, could be gratified. The Duke seems to have had the same desire as Mr. Y for the management; but, aside from this, he hoped to accomplish a very important object through me.* The motives actuating the male parties, I can then understand ; but it seems that the three females merely longed for intercourse with our world, and did not much care how this was effected. The first intention of Miss Allen and Julia was, it appears, to personate individuals of their world, as is done through other mediums, though * Which I should be unwilling to undertake as at present situated. 13 146 THE INVISIBLES. when Mr. J suggested making arrangements to have individuals of the better class really come and converse with their friends in our world, they thought this would be more interesting. Both Miss Allen and" Julia are very bitter towards Mr. J , probably because they think that his sug- gestion caused the defeat of their first scheme. But al- though they would probably have managed the persona- tions more skillfully than is done through other mediums, yet I am confident they could not have induced me to act as a public medium. It appears that a very large class of the other world spend most of their time here, and derive their principal grati- fication from the slight intercourse they are able to ob- tain with our world by surrounding mediums, and per- sonating the friends of those who call on them, or who sit in " circles." Why this is so, or why their world is so distasteful to them, I do not fully understand. I know little more about the other world than what is stated in this work. During the earlier part of my in- tercourse with these beings I was told little else than lies, and after the project suggested by Mr. J was adopted, I was requested to wait until I went to New York, for information of this nature ; and after I had come, I was told to wait until I was relieved of the " opposition." The fact of the two individuals called Miss Allen and Julia, remaining with me for more than two years for the purpose of preventing my friends from communicat- ing with me, and their malignancy in persecuting me in order to force my friends into compliance with their de- mands, are, notwithstanding all the experience I have EXPLANATION OF AUTHOR S NARRATIVE. 147 had, matters almost incomprehensible to me. There are individuals in our world who for a similar purpose would take a similar course for a short time, but they would soon become weary of it ; these devils, however, seem to be absolutely, or at least comparatively, tireless. I am convinced that while some on passing into the other world become better, others become much worse; and the latter fact, taken in connection with the longing of this class for intercourse with our world, and their comparative tirelessness, goes far toward explaining the course of these individuals. CHAPTER III. ORIGIN OF SPECIES IN OUR WOULD, AND BIRTH OF THE HUMAN SFECIES INTO ANOTHER. The subject of the origin of species in our world, is somewhat foreign to the object of this work ; but I state the theory which I have received from the other world ; in connection with the explanation of the phenomenon which we call death, or of our birth into another world, to show the apparent harmony of the phenomena. I can barely state the theory, without going at all into details, or attempting to maftitain it by argument. In fact, as I have received the theory since commenc- ing this work, it is almost as novel to me, as it will be to the reader, and I have not had much time for reflec- tion as to its probability. The slight study which I have given it, however, leads me to consider it more probable than any other theory which I have read upon the subject, or of which I can conceive. The author of "Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation," supposes that the various species now exist- ing in our world, including the human, have been de- veloped by what is called natural generation, from the lowest form of animal life. His idea is expressed in the following extract : — " That the simplest and most primitive type, under a law to which that of like production is subordinate, gave 148 ORIGIN OF SPECIES. 149 birth to the type next above it; that this again produced the next higher, and so on to the very highest ; the stages of advance being in all cases very small, namely from one species only to another ; so that the phenomenon has always been of a simple and modest character." The theory of a more recent writer, Mr. C. Darwin, may be understood from the title of his work, viz: — " On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favored races in the struggle for lifer He also holds that the development has been from the lowest form of animal life by natural generation, but thinks that the advance has been caused by the higher class of each species selecting the higher class in mating, and by the weaker, or inferior class, perishing more rapidly than the higher, in the struggle for existence. The objections to these two theories are great, if not insuperable. I think the number of scientific men who believe in either is comparatively small ; and the most of those who have expressed their belief, have done so, as it has appeared to me on reading their writings, be- cause they could conceive of no other origin, rather than because the theory seemed probable. I will now state, very briefly, the theory given me. The origin of species is, as stated in the two foregoing theories, by progression from the most primitive type ; but not by, what is called, natural generation. As there are two modes of propagation for plants— from the seeds and from the roots — "so there are two for animals — one called natural generation, the other, by birth, upon the death of the animal, from its body ; 13* 150 THE INVISIBLES. namely, from the center of the nervous system* of in- vertebrates, or brainless animals, and from the brain of the higher species. The origin of a new species, is in the latter mode, namely, by birth from the brain, or center of the ner- vous system, of the animal which dies. The birth of a butterfly from a worm, although not a precisely parallel case, may be used as an illustration. Every animal contains in the center of its nervous system, a germ, which, upon the death of the animal, will give birth to an animal of a higher type, provided the conditions are favorable for the birth ; if not, the germ dies with the animal. To commence then with the lowest form of animal life. As in the case of natural generation, so here, the conditions most favorable for birth are unfavorable for life, and the conditions most favorable for life are unfa- vorable for birth. The earth must therefore undergo a change, unfavor- able for the life of the existing species, before a birth can take place from the germ. When the earth has undergone sufficient change, the birth of a second species takes place, upon the death of an individual of the first ; but as the earth has not yet become fitted for the highest life of the second species, the earliest individu- als of this species will be of a low type ; and when the earth has become best fitted for the life of the second species, the first will cease to give birth at their death. When the earth has undergone a still further change, * I believe it is a question whether the very lowest forms of animal life have, what can properly be called, a nervous system, but my idea will be as well understood by that term as any other. ORIGIN OF SPECIES. 151 the second species will give birth to a third, and so on, until the present species, including the human, are born.* The earliest individuals of the human species were therefore of a low type, but little elevated above the monkey tribe from which they were born, but still, they were an entirely distinct species. There never was any intermediate link between the different species, or be- tween man and the monkey, as is supposed by Mr. Darwin, and the author of "Vestiges of Creation." When the earth became fitted for the life of man, and other existing species, or nearly so, the birth of species, in accordance with the law which I have stated, ceased ; and as it can undergo no further great changes — I mean of the kind it has undergone — such births are not to be expected in future. If this appears to the reader — as it at first probably will — a visionary and absurd theory, let him fully con- sider the question, as to how the human and other species, did, or coidd, have come into existence. I can conceive of but three modes, — namely, by natural generation, by the mode I have described, and by the direct interposi- tion of the Almighty upon the creation of each species. The last idea is, in my judgment, hardly worthy of being called a theory. The theory that man sprang from a monkey, has in- curred a good deal of ridicule. Perhaps there were some grounds for this, when the idea conveyed was, that monkeys were actually the father and mother of the first man ; for however slow the advance, this must have been * To treat of the causes for the variety of sjjecies now existing, would, even were I prepared to do so, occupy too much space. Properly treated, the subject would of itself fill a volume larger than this. L52 THE INVISIBLES, the fact, if the theory of Mr. Darwin is the correct one. But to suppose that man was born from the brain of a monkey, does not imply that he was ever a monkey, or that a monkey or its progeny could ever be made hnman beings; nor is there in the theory anything more derogatory to the dignity of man, than the idea that he was created from the dust of the earth, a considerable portion of which had formed the bodies of animals far inferior to monkeys. According to the theory I have given, the care of father or mother is not needed ; the animal quickly ar- riving at maturity — as, for example, does the butterfly on emerging from the chrysalis — requires no such care. Before describing the death of the human species in our world, and their birth into another, it is necessary briefly to describe the world into which we are born upon the death of our present body. The other, or upper world, (I can think of no better term by which to designate it), is not composed of an ethereal, or highly attenuated substance, as spiritualists and many others imagine. It is composed of the same matter as our own, and is as solid and substantial as our own; and its inhabitants have bodies as solid and sub- stantial as ours. The difference in the two worlds consists simply in a different combination, or crystallization of the particles of matter. To speak of the matter of the other world, in distinc- tion from that of our own, would therefore be meaning- less; and I will designate the particular combinations of matter of each world, by the word material. OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 153 The material of the other world, extends from the center of our own to the height of our atmosphere. Besides the world perceptible to our senses, we are then in another, equally substantial, not perceptible to us. I have briefly described the successive births of higher and higher species, as the earth became fitted for each, up to the birth of man. Since the birth of man, our earth has undergone but slight changes, and — as I have stated — can undergo but slight in future, from the causes heretofore operating. Slight, I mean, compared with those it has undergone since the first appearance of animal life upon it. It is not necessary that I should attempt to designate the difference between man and the lower animals. It will suffice my present purpose, if I state that the mind of man — unlike in this respect that of the lower animals — does not attain its full capacity before the decay of the body commences; its capacity seems, in fact, to be unlimited. But every one who has thought at all upon the sub- ject, must have felt that this world, and his present body — and the latter must of necessity be adapted to the world he lives in — are not fitted for the highest life of which he is capable. Here, then, there is a change in the order of progres- sion. So far as concerns the body, our world is unfitted for any further advance, and as to the mind, the capa- city of man's seems to be unlimited; at all events, it does not arrive at its utmost limit here, nor can I con- ceive that it ever could do so under similar circum- stances. 154 THE INVISIBLES. The next step in the order of progression is, then, the transference, or birth, — under the same law hitherto governing the progression of species — of man into a world better fitted for him, at the same time preserving his identity. The brain of the human species is partly composed of the material of the other world, inclosed in which material is the germ, (analogous to that in the lower animals), consisting of the same material. This germ, as well as the bodies of inhabitants of the other world, are not liable to destruction or injury by accidents as ours are. Why this is so, I cannot explain any further than by saying, that the fact is owing to the difference in material. Upon the death of the body, the individual is, for a short time, in appearance, to the inhabitants of the other world, as well as to those of this, really dead. In about a half an hour there are signs of life in the germ, and in about three days the individual arrives at his former stage of development; that is, if he died young, he arrives at the same stage; if he died aged, he arrives at a stage corresponding with the prime of life in our world. As to any future advance in apparent age, in the other world, I do not .at present understand the subject, and therefore will not enter upon it. If this also seems a fanciful theory, let the intelligent reader, who believes in a future existence, and who knows that all the operations of nature have a certain degree of uniformity, consider how he can exist after the death of his present body, in any other way than that I have indicated. All vegetable and animal life in our world proceeds from germs, or cells; and if the future OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 155 body is composed of matter — and I am unable to even conceive of one which is not — we have no reason for believing that it will be formed in any other way.* That the identity can be preserved in such a case, is certainly very mysterious, but no more so than the fact that the seed of a plant will produce a like plant, or that children frequently inherit, not only the bodily appear- ance, but the disposition, of one of the parents. Spiritualists, as the reader probably understands, be- lieve that there is within what they call the natural body, a spiritual body, and that at the death of the former, the latter simply leaves it. In fact, they all, so far as I am informed, believe that the spiritual body can, and frequently does, leave the natural body during the life of the latter, and again return and enter it. This theory appears to be entirely based upon the visions of seers, and communications from the spirits; and, as both of these have uniformly confirmed the idea that the spiritual body frequently leaves for a short time the natural body during the life of the latter, if this part of the theory is untrue, there is no foundation what- ever for the belief in the existence of a spiritual body. I shall have occasion in a subsequent part of this work, when reviewing various narratives, to discuss that portion of the spiritual tKeory relating to the spiritual body leaving the natural body during the life of the * The reader will, I presume, understand, that the birth of man into another world, is merely analogous to, not precisely like, in every respect, the birth of species in our world. In the latter ease the birth was not so speedy, and if the animal which died had not arrived at maturity, there would be no birth at all; and, as a matter of course, then, there is no parallel in the latter case to what I have stated about man's arriving at his former stage of development. 156 THE INVISIBLES. latter. I will only state here, that the idea appears to me excessively absurd ; that it supposes the existence, not only of two bodies, but of two minds, in what they call the same individual ; for we cannot conceive of a living human body entirely destitute of mind. As to the theory having been uniformly confirmed by the " spirits," this fact is almost proof positive that the theory is false. This point I shall endeavor to explain hereafter. I will give the theory of spiritualists as to the phe- nomenon called death, as explained by two prominent " seers." The following extracts are from a lecture by Hon. J. W. Edmonds, published under the title of " Wliat is Death ?" " I recollect on one occasion, I was standing by the death-bed of my nephew. The father of the boy, my brother, had to retire to his bed, having been exhausted by several nights watching, and I took his place. The boy died during my watch that night. His step-mother and his aunt (my sister) on one occasion during the night came into the room where I was watching. And while they stood by his bed-side looking at him, he was in the state of unconsciousness that preceded death. A few moments before he died, a beautiful smile came upon his face, and those two women said : ' How he suffers !' ' Suffers !' said I ; 'he rejoices,' his sight is opened — he sees where he is going, and who are to be his com- panions. And yet they shrank from a beautiful spir- itual manifestation, and interpreted it into an evidence of his suffering. Had they seen, as I did, who were OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 157 hovering around him ready to receive him, they wonld have rejoiced as I did. " When my nephew thus smiled at the very moment of death, he saw, as I did, that it was his mother, a cousin, and an aunt, who were attending on him, and waiting to welcome him to the spirit-life. His mind was on them, and not on his mortal throes or his mortal friends who stood by his bed-side. I saw, too, the joy with which in a little while he joined them, and in their loving company passed away from earth and its scenes.* "So, too, in the case of a brother-in-law, who died after a lingering illness, and of advanced age. I saw who attended his dying moments. I visited him fre- quently during his illness, and at his request, I detailed to him what I had then learned as to the life after death. One night, when sleeping in my own home, I was awak- ened out of a sound sleep about midnight, and saw his spirit standing by my bed-side. He told me that he had been up there with his sister-in-law, who had been dead some months, and he had found it to be just as I had told him. I supposed he was then dead, but I found the next morning that he was not, that he had that morning revived from the unconsciousness that had been stealing over him, and told his wife that he had been in the spirit-world ; that he had there met some friends, whom he named ; that he had found it to be as I had told him ;f that he knew where he was going ; that he was very happy, and wished her not to be distressed at * I copy the foregoing to show what powers are claimed by Judge Ed- monds; not that I doubt the presence of the nephew's relatives, or the possibility of his being impressed with the fact. f This was probably an instance of one mind impressing its action on another, upon which subject I shall state my ideas hereafter. 14 158 THE INVISIBLES. his death, for it was all well with him. A few days after that he died, and he was attended by his son and his father-in-law, who had died several years before, and he and I alike saw them when his departure oc- curred. " The next consideration is ; what happens immedi- ately after death ? The first thing, as I understand it, is the formation of the spirit-body. Connected with this subject there are many considerations of infinite importance, that alone would occupy me for several suc- cessive Sundays. I must, therefore, on this occasion, content myself with the endeavor to convey to you the general idea in a very brief statement, and leave you to work it out for yourselves, and see whether I am speak- ing truthfully to you, or whether I am misleading you. I ask you to receive nothing of this kind upon my au- thority. The road that I have traveled, I merely ask you to travel, .and see whether I have viewed the scene aright. " The formation of the spirit-body has been beheld by me on two occasions, and once, if I recollect aright, it was described by Mr. Davis as having been seen by him. That was in the case of a man who was crushed by a falling bank of earth. When we die, the mortal body decays — passes back to the dust from which it is said to come. But the other two parts of the trinity which I have mentioned* — the electrical body and the * The following is the paragraph referred to: — "As I understand it, man is a trinity, consisting, 1st, of the animal body, which is pos- sessed of attributes which he shares in common with the whole animal creation; 2d, of the soul, which has its intellect and its affections, pro- per to itself; and 3d, of what I may call, for want of a better phrase, his electrical body, which connects the soul with the animal body, and OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 159 soul — together pass into the other world. The spirit forms its body there. At the moment, or immediately after death, it passes out of the corpse in the shape of a pale, smoke-like flame, and hovers directly over it, an unformed, unshapen cloud for a while, but gradually as- suming the human form. When the process is through, and the electrical body has thus passed from the mortal, and is hovering about it, it assumes the precise form of the corpse it leaves behind. And here you see two per- sons, the dead body of the person lying on the bed, and the electrical body hovering over it, and both inanimate. "I beheld in one instance, the spirit body forming directly over the body of the man that lay dead, and when thus formed, I was struck with the marvelous resemblance to the earthly form of the individual who had thus died, represented in this cloud-body first formed. It lay there perfect in form, but there was no animation ; suddenly it started into new life. I under- stood then what it was — it was the soul entering that spirit body that was its tenement for the other life. " The next step after the formation of the spirit body, is the awakening to consciousness in the spirit life. With some this is a long time coming, with others it takes but a single instant, varying in different persons between these two extremes, and is produced partly by physical causes, but chiefly by our moral condition. "I can best illustrate the proposition by telling some incidents that have enabled me to come to something which at death leaves the body and passes into the spirit-world with the soul, and there constitutes its form or tenement. As the three united constitute the mortal man on earth, so the soul and the elec- trical body together constitute the spirit in its existence beyond the grave." 100 • THE INVISIBLES. like a correct conclusion upon this subject ; whether right or wrong, judge you upon your own examination. I say, in some instances it is long before consciousness re- turns. Once, at a circle, I was visited by the spirit of a young girl — this was, I think, in the month of March — she was the grand-daughter of an English nobleman ; she had died in London, when dancing at a party. When she awakened to consciousness she was with us. She thought she had been carried into the green-house, and that she was there when speaking to us. She heard our voices, and talked with us under that impression, and she was wonderfully surprised when we told her she was not in London but in America. " She was surprised to find that we were not savages, as she had always thought the Americans were, and in the course of my inquiries I found she had never been awa- kened to consciousness from the moment that she fell and expired until that moment. Then the inquiry was how long that unconsciousness had continued. She could not measure the time, but she remembered one of the feasts of the Church which occurred just before her death, and we knowing when that was, were thus enabled to know that she had been in this state of unconscious- ness from the previous November until March. During these four months she had known nothing ; she supposed that she had merely fainted in the ball-room, and was then recovering her consciousness in the green-house immediately adjoining. "On one occasion we were sitting at my house on Sunday afternoon, and enjoying a beautiful day in June, with our hearts uplifted in joy and gratitude to God, and we were laughing. A spirit came and reproached OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 161 us with desecrating the Sabbath. We found he had been a deacon of a church in Alabama. He had been dead several months, and the only consciousness he had had since his death had been that every Sunday he went to that church and was conscious of the services there. I asked him what he had been doing the rest of the time — what were his thoughts or actions on the week- days ? He answered ; ' I must have been asleep the rest of the time.' Months had passed, and the only con- sciousness he had had during the whole of those months had been that he went to the same church every Sunday, and was conscious of his being there, and there was preaching. Thus his consciousness had only been par- tially aroused. " I had a friend who died here a few years ago, a most good-natured, honest, noble-hearted fellow, but rather indolent. He was brought on one occasion after his death, to my house by some spirit friends, who de- sired to rouse him from this state of semi-torpor in which he was involved. He had heard it all his life long preached about the last judgment day, so when he arrived there and began to awaken, he settled down into a state of dreamy composure and waited to hear the last trump. He determined he would not stir and ought not to stir until the trump had sounded. He was brought to my house by those friends, in order to see if they could fully awaken him; and when told by those friends that he was then in my presence, he said it was all nonsense, and sank again into his half-unconscious condition, and refused to be disturbed." Other instances are given where the individual awa- kened to consciousness almost immediately after death, 14* 162 THE INVISIBLES. and also, where consciousness was not suspended at all. Judge Edmonds states that the spirit of his brother- in-law visited and conversed with him before death. The following must then, according to the Judge's theory, have been the process. The electrical body of the bro- ther-in-law, on issuing from the mortal body, hovered for awhile over the latter, "an unformed, unshapen cloud," until finally it assumed the form of the mortal body, then, in some manner, never explained by spiritu- alists, procured clothing — for the "spirits" never appear naked — and visited the spirit world, and conversed with his friends there, next visited the Judge and had a con- versation with him, and finally returned to the mortal body, divested itself of clothing, became again "an un- formed, unshapen cloud," and re-entered the mortal body. Why he returned to the mortal body, merely to undergo the process of dying, is not explained. Again, as to the Judge's theory of unconsciousness. How could the girl who died in London, find the Judge's circle in New York, while in a state of uncon- sciousness? And the same may be asked as to the Ala- bama deacon. And is not the idea of the spirits bring- ing a man who was waiting for the last trump to sound, to the Judge, for the purpose of awakening him, rather ludicrous? One would suppose the best way to awaken him would be, to blow a trumpet at his ear, telling him it was Gabriel's. Now I have not the slightest doubt of Judge Ed- monds' honesty or sincerity, nor that he was told by beings of the other world what he has stated. I have no reason for such doubts, for I have myself, since I OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 163 became able to converse with those of the other world, — at least during the earlier portion of my experience — received from them little else than lies; though the communications were generally more shrewd than the foregoing. The question will probably occur to the reader: — " How is it possible that an able lawyer, who is skillful in sifting and weighing evidence given by persons of our world, can be so easily deceived by those of another world?" There are various causes for this. I will only men- tion the prominent ones which combined to deceive me, and which I presume, operated upon Judge Edmonds. First: ignorance of the laws governing this inter- course. I supposed, as all spiritualists do, that as one individual of the other world could converse with a medium, any one could. Second; facts being given tending to identify the parties conversing, as being my friends. Third; the apparent improbability that any one would spend their time in visiting me, day after day, month after month, for the sole purpose of lying and deception. And fourth, the power these beings possessed to influence my mind; especially when I was unconscious that they had any such power. I presume Judge Edmonds is, what is called, an im- pressible medium, and therefore beings of the other world have the same power to influence his mind. While I state my full belief in the truthfulness and sincerity of Judge Edmonds, I do not wish to be under- stood as having the same confidence in all, calling them- selves seers. I will next give some extracts from a lecture by 164 THE INVISIBLES. Andrew Jackson Davis, upon, "Death and the After- Life." " Man is a triple organization. This fact is established in two ways — (1) by the concurrent observations of all seers, sensitives and mediums, and (2) by the phenome- nal developments of individual men and women. Man's external body is a casing composed of the aggre- gate refinements of the grossest substances. We will name the physical body iron, merely to give it a just classification and position in relation to mind and spirit. Next, we find that there is an intermediate organization — which Paul called the spiritual body — composed of still finer substances, the ultimation of the coarser elements which make up the corporeal or iron organization. The combination of the finer substances composing the inter- mediate or spiritual body, being so white and shining, may be called the silver organization. The inmost, or inside of this silvery body, (which interior Paul defi- nitely, said nothing about), is the immortal golden image. I use the term golden image, because that metal is just now exceedingly valuable in commerce, and goes directly to men's uppermost feelings and interests. Yes, a golden image! You cannot obtain it from stock-jobbers in Wall street. And yet it is there when you find yourself there; you may also see it deep down in the spiritual vault of a brother speculator; for whomsoever you meet, and wherever you meet, that person, like yourself, contains, against the lining sur- faces of his spiritual body, the golden image, which, let us thank the Eternal, cannot be bartered away on 'Change !" It is difficult for me to form an idea even of the OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 165 silver organization, and the golden image, contained against the lining surfaces of his spiritual body, — or silver organization — is entirely beyond my comprehen- sion. Perhaps the following paragraph will make the matter clear to the reader; it does not to me. "We call the inmost spirit — signifying the finest, the super-essential portion of man's nature, composed of all impersonal principles, which flow from the Deific centre of this glorious universe, taking a permanent residence within the spiritual body which they fill and exalt, just as the elements of the spiritual body live within this corporeal or iron organization, which is composed of mineral, vegetable, and animal atoms and vitalities. "And now, having disposed of these general conside- rations, I will tell you what I have seen. I will not give descriptions of phenomena from my supposition or imagination. I suppose that I need not repeat that I have had the periscopic ajfd clairvoyant ability to see through man's iron coating for the past fifteen years; neither need I again remark that, within the last twelve years, the result of the exercise of this faculty has come to be to me an education. I have stood by the side of many death-beds; but a description of manifes- tations in one case will suffice for the whole. " If the person is dying under or upon cotton, there are signs of agony, the head and body changing from side to side. Never allow any soul to pass out of the physical body through the agony of cotton or feathers, either beneath or in folds about the sufferer." Why cotton and feathers have such an injurious ef- fect, we are not informed. His description of the spir- itual body leaving the physical body, is somewhat 166 THE INVISIBLES. similar to that of Judge Edmonds ; I will therefore omit most of it. The following important items were not given by the Judge, and one would infer that he witnessed nothing of the kind. " The fine life-thread continues attached to the old brain.* The next thing is the withdrawal of the elec- tric principle. When this thread snaps, the spiritual body is free! and prepared to accompany its guardians to the Summer-Land. " The clairvoyant sees the newly-arisen spiritual body move off toward a thread of magnetic light which has penetrated the room. There is a golden shaft of celes- tial light touching this spiritual body near its head. That delicate chain of love-light is sent from above as a guiding power. The spiritual being is asleep, like a just-born, happy babe; the eyes are closed; and there seems to be no consciousness of existence. It is an un- conscious slumber. In many cases this sleep is long; in others not at all. The love-thread now draws the new-born body to the outside door. A thought-shaft descends upon one who is busy about the body. This person is all at once 'impressed' to open the door of the dwelling, and to leave it open for a few moments, or some other door of egress is opened ; and the spiritual body is silently removed from the house. The thread of celestial attraction gathers about and draws it ob- liquely through the forty-five miles of air." The spiritual body then, according to Mr. Davis, cannot leave the room, until some one of pur world opens the door or window. If this is true, there must be a great many "spirits" in our world, who have been waiting thou- * The other end lvirig attached to the '"spiritual body." OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 167 sands of years to be released. But if "spirits" can't get out until the door is opened, how can they get in when it is not? And how, for example, did Judge Edmonds' brother- in-law visit and leave him in the night, when no door was opened? Again, if there is so much trouble and delay at death, how is it that the spiritual body leaves the mortal body so readily during the life of the latter? And how can the spiritual body leave the mortal body, and go into the spirit world, or to any distance, without the "life-thread" being snapped, when the latter body is alive, if it cannot at death ? " At the battle of Fort Donelson, I saw a soldier in- stantly killed by a cannon-ball.* One arm was thrown over the high trees ; a part of his brain went a great distance; other fragments were scattered about in the open field ; his limbs and fingers flew among the dead and dying. Now what of this man's spiritual body? I have seen similar things many times — not deaths by cannon-balls, but analogous deaths by sudden accidents or explosions. Of this person whose body was so ut- terly annihilated at Fort Donelson, I saw that all the particles streamed up and met together in the air. The atmosphere was filled with those golden particles — ema- nations from the dead — over the whole battle-field. About three-quarters of a mile above the smoke of the battle-field, above all the ( clouds that lowered ' upon the hills and forests of black discord, there was visible the beautiful accumulation from the fingers and toes, and heart, and brain, of that suddenly killed soldier. * The " physical body " of Mr. Davis being at the time in New York, or vicinity. 168 THE INVISIBLES. There stood the new spiritual body three-quarters of a mile above all the discord and din and havoc of the furious battle ! And the bodies of many others were coming up from other directions at the same time; so that from half-a-mile to three and five miles in the clear, tranquil air, I could see spiritual organisms forming and departing thence in all directions. "Individuality usually returns, in cases of sudden death, after a few days in the homes of the Summer- Land. They are usually guided to some Brotherhood, to some Hospital, or to some open-armed Pavilion, and there they are watched and tenderly cared for, as are all who arrive from lower worlds. When the time ap- proaches for the spirit's awakening, then celestial music, or some gentle manipulation, or the murmuring melody of distant streams, or something like breathing passes made over the sleeping one, causes 'sensation' to re- turn, and thus the new comer is introduced to the Sum- mer-Land." Probably the reader has had enough of this. It is really too silly to be a subject for criticism. • The doctrine of death and resurrection, commonly called orthodox Christian, is not very clearly defined even in the minds of believers, as all intelligent ones admit when questioned upon the subject. They too, believe in a spirit which retains its conscious existence and individuality, but as to what this spirit is, they ap- pear to have no clearly defined idea, in fact, their ideas upon the subject are somewhat contradictory. Sometimes the spirit is represented as being merely the mind, and therefore without form ; at other times it is represented as having form, and as visiting and min- OUR BIRTH INTO ANOTHER WORLD. 169 istering to its friends in our world. And their ideas as to the resurrection are equally vague. The ignorant and unthinking class, believe that the identical body which was laid in the grave, is to be raised from it at some future period, Avhen the spirit will return and re-enter it. But the more intelligent class know that the identical particles of matter forming the body buried, cannot be again united in each and every case. It must then be a new body, having merely the appearance of the for- mer one. But if this is the case, there is no reason why the new body should be formed in the precise spot where the former one was buried. And as the idea is conveyed that the matter constituting the new body, is to be changed, so as to fit it for another world, there appears to be no reason why the body should not be formed in the other world, instead of being formed here, making it necessary for the spirit to come here for it. This doctrine seems to me as unphilosophical and unreasonable as that of Spiritualists. They are both entirely opposed to all the operations of nature which we daily witness. Therefore, as stated in reference to the theory of the origin of species,* I consider the expla- * I do not fully understand, and, owing to the difficulty of getting communications at present, have not endeavored to ascertain, how far the theory as to the origin of species, is based upon what they have witnessed in the death of the human species, and how far upon other facts. The question may perhaps occur to some, on reading Mr. Davis' statement of what he saw at Fort Donelson, " Suppose the head of an individual to be shattered by a cannon-ball — what would become in such a case of the germ described ?" I have stated that the germ was enclosed in material of the other world, and the material of our world — the cannon-ball— would have 15 170 THE INVISIBLES. nation given me of the birth of man into another world, as being far more probable than either of the two doc- trines above named. no effect upon this. The inhabitants of the other world pass through a solid wall of ours, without disturbing, or displacing the particles of matter composing it; and therefore a cannon-ball would pass through the material referred to without disturbing it. CHAPTER IV. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA, COMMONLY CALLED SPIJRITTTAJL. I have stated in the preceding chapter, that the other world, and the bodies of its inhabitants, are composed of the same matter as our own ; and that the former are as solid and substantial as the latter. Also, that what I have designated as the material of the other world — by which I mean the combinations of matter forming it — extends from the center of our earth to the height of our atmosphere. It is difficult, if not quite impossible, for us to understand how this can be. It seems, at first, a contra- diction of the self-evident fact, that two bodies cannot occupy the same space. And the idea that a human body as substantial as our own, can pass through a stone wall, or that material as hard and compact as iron, can pass through iron without displacing the particles of either; and that this solid material is entirely impercep- tible by our senses of sight and feeling — will, I presume, strike some of my readers as being very absurd. Yet I think most scientific, or well educated persons, will admit that there is nothing in the statement contra- m 172 THE INVISIBLES. dictory of any known fact. The truth is that we know nothing as to the real nature of matter. We only know how its different combinations affect our senses. "Of the intimate nature of matter the human facul- ties cannot take cognizance, nor can data be furnished, by observation or experiment, on which to found an investigation of it. All we know or ever can know of matter, is its sensible properties."* It would therefore be useless for me to attempt any explanation of this branch of my subject. And in this connection, there are other points which, for the reason that I do not understand the nature of matter, are also beyond my comprehension. We cannot see the other world or its inhabitants, yet the latter see our world and us. We cannot at will pass through the solid material of our world, yet those of the other pass without difficulty through the correspond- ing portion of theirs.f And a point more incompre- hensible to me than either of the foregoing, is, that those of the other world seem to have no power to move and confine each other by force, as with us. For ex- ample, it appears that Miss Allen and Julia, cannot be removed, and confined away from me. This is to me a great mystery; especially as they have power to lift and move inorganic material of their world. But at the same time, if they did not differ from us in this respect — if several could take hold of one, move him against his will, and confine him within walls, or in chains — then, so far as I can perceive, they * Brande's "Dictionary of Science, Literature and Art." f In moving, however, they displace the material of their world, precisely as we do that of ours. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 173 would be liable to the same accidents as ourselves, and would wound and kill each other as we do. The matter of the other world being the same as that of our own, the difference in material being merely one of combination, or crystallization, the explanations of the most startling manifestations heretofore called spiri- tual — or those which have attracted most attention — are based upon the fact, that inhabitants of the other world are able to so change, for a short time, material of their world, that it resembles in its sensible properties — that is, in the properties sensible to us — the material of our own world; yet there remains a difference, which I can- not understand. The agent employed to effect this change, is electri- city, or, more strictly, the nervous fluid of individuals of our world. The other world and its inhabitants have also their electricity and nervous fluid, but they differ to some extent from ours, and will not effect the desired change. The nervous fluid is electricity, which by its passage through the brain has become vitalized,* as food does by passing through the digestive organs; and, like the elements composing the body, the nervous fluid is con- stantly passing from the system, when it again becomes common electricity. But so rapid is the passage of electricity, that the * This is not in accordance with the belief of any physiologist whose work I have read. In fact, many physiologists doubt whether the nervous fluid is at all of an electrical nature. One reason for this doubt is, that experiments have shown that the nerves are not good conductors of electricity. But if the doctrine I have given is correct, then, the nerves being conductors of vital electricity, experiments with common electricity prove nothing. 15* 174 THE INVISIBLES. nervous fluid, if it on leaving the body met a good con- ductor, would pass to a great distance before losing its distinctive character.* The nervous fluid is not used because it is better for the purpose than common electricity; on the contrary, the change effected by the brain in the electricity, has made it less adapted to the purpose. But as individu- als of the other world cannot manage a galvanic bat- tery of ours, they are obliged to make use of the human machine. The nervous fluid differs in each individual. That of an intellectual man differs from that of an unintel- lectual one; and that of a very intellectual man will not answer the purpose. As I understand the subject, the brain of an intellectual man causes too great a change in the electricity; it becomes, perhaps, too much like that of the other world; while the brain of an unintel- lectual person causes but slight — or much less — change. Hence no very intellectual man has ever been a rap- ping or tipping medium. The reader must discriminate between, what may be called, an intelligent person, and an intellectual one. A dog may be educated by man, so as to become more in- telligent than an uneducated ape; yet the ape is the superior animal. So there are many educated and well- informed men, who have but little intellectuality. A liberal education— in the true meaning of the term — does, however, have an effect upon the intellect, and but few well-educated men are, or can be made, rapping mediums. * The bearing of this fact will be perceived when I state hereafter that the fluid of some persons will not answer the purpose. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 175 Of educated and intelligent female rapping mediums, there are many; but it is hardly necessary to state, that the female sex is not as intellectual as the male. Fe- males, as a rule, have comparatively feeble reasoning powers; they decide by impulse, or intuition, rather than by reasoning. Of course there are many excep- tions to the rule, but the exceptions have never been rapping mediums. The quantity of electricity passing through the brain, when the latter is in its normal state, is not sufficient to effect the change in material described: hence those of the other world have to increase the flow, by exciting the activity of the brain. This, of course, has an exhausting effect upon the medium. Even rapping can be continued but a certain length of time; and when the quantity of electricity required for other manifestations is still greater, the time of the performances is usually shortened. I once attended what is called, a " dark circle" — the room being darkened, where the performances were very violent and surprising — a large number of the other world probably being engaged in them, and therefore the quantity of electricity required being great, and in half an hour or less, the medium was so exhausted that she had to be conducted from the room. In order to excite this activity of brain, it is neces- sary that some one of the other world should become en rapport with the individual of ours whose brain is to be used. Here we come to another subject which we cannot fully understand, until we understand the connection of mind with matter ; I refer to the nature of this rapport. 176 THE INVISIBLES. I can therefore merely state the fact, that only the low- est, vilest, and most unintellectual of the other world, have hitherto been able to acquire any considerable control of the brain of any one of our world. It appears that however uneducated a man may be while in this world, on entering the other, if he is fitted for it, he becomes unable to exercise this control over our brains. It is only those whose affections and thoughts are con- centrated upon this world, who are entirely unfitted for the other, and who would get back here if they could — and only the most unintellectual of this class — who have hitherto been able to communicate through mediums. This "remark applies not only to " rapping" and "tip- ping" mediums, but also to writing and all other kinds ; for in all cases it is necessary that the one of the other world communicating, should be en rapport with the medium. And now the reader can understand why it is that so much nonsense and falsehood, and so little truth or in- formation have been received through mediums, or seers — for the latter are merely impressible mediums. My own case is peculiar, and my present situation is partly the result of accidental causes, as the reader will perceive from the explanation of my narrative. At first Ellen, one of the most ignorant and stupid creatures with whom I ever conversed, had the control ; when she had become able to control my hand so as to write, Miss Allen, who, although one of the greatest liars that ever existed, and a perfect devil, is far more intellectual than Ellen, obtained the control by trickery. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 177 Afterward, Miss Allen, to carry out a certain scheme, permitted Mr. Y and the Duke to write. It appears, then, that a change of some kind was first effected by Ellen, and afterward a still further change by Miss Allen ; but the nature of this change I cannot understand. It is nothing that affects my health, for this is as good now as it ever was. Nor can I fully understand why Miss Allen had more power than Ellen, when during the writing I thought of Mr. B , as is stated by Julia, nor how my think- ing of my father as being present, assisted Miss Allen in "killing" the power of Ellen. It appears, however, that my thinking of the individual brings him or her more closely en rapport with me, and the fact that Miss Allen is more nearly on the intellectual plane of Mr. B and my father than Ellen, is the only explana- tion I can at present give of the matter. I presume that my thinking, or forming in my mind an image of an entire stranger, merely from a descrip- tion given me of the appearance, would have little effect, although to a considerable extent the countenance is an indicator of character; but I received from inter- course with Ellen, Miss Allen, and Julia, as I would from intercourse with persons of our world, to a certain extent, a knowledge of the peculiarities of each, which were associated in my mind with them when thinking of either. It appears that Miss Allen made certain discoveries relative to the effect of my thinking, and other matters, which she at least did not before understand ; whether fully understood previously by any of the other world or not I do not know. 178 THE INVISIBLES. At all events, I am informed that with my assistance, that is, by communicating with the individual through me — a medium could now be developed with whom the higher and better class of the other world could hold intercourse. One object in communicating through me would be, as stated, to prevent any one of the lower class getting control. But no one can communicate freely through me, at least at present, while Miss Allen and Julia oppose ; and it does not seem to me probable that either of these would assist in any very laudable undertaking. I shall, therefore, not lend my aid to such an under- taking unless one of my friends, or some one in whom I have confidence, shall become able to communicate more unrestrictedly with me, and satisfy me that good will result from the accomplishment of the purpose; and also, that the party (especially as I am told it must be a female), will not be subjected to the annoyances which I have experienced. And I can confidently state to any who may think of making the experiment, that without such directions from the other world, there is scarcely a possibility that any other than one of the low lying creatures would get the control. I will now proceed to explain more minutely the several phenomena ; first noticing that class performed by changing material of the other world, as described ; and afterward a class of a different character. I omitted to state in the proper place, that the material to be changed, is first chemically prepared. Happing. Material of the other world, which has EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 179 been chemically prepared, is changed by means of the nervous fluid of the medium, — but usually not so that it becomes visible to us — and the sound is caused by striking with it on a table or other sonorous body. Many, if not most, Spiritualists believe that the raps are caused by discharges of electricity. But a discharge of electricity sufficiently violent to cause the loud sounds sometimes heard, and the vibration of the table felt, would shatter the latter, and probably affect more or less every one seated around it. Beings of the other world cannot lift or hold material of our world in their hands, and if that of theirs became by the change precisely like ours, they could no more hold it. Besides, it appears probable that if the material became in its nature in every respect like that of our world, it would remain so. It is therefore evident that although the material becomes in the prop- erties sensible to us like that of our world, there remains a difference which we cannot understand. A circle of individuals is not essential with some mediums, especially where only rapping or tipping is to be done; but by creating a current of electricity, it increases the quantity which can be made to pass through the brain of. the medium. Individuals have occasionally become mediums of this class without sitting for the purpose; but a circle aids in the matter; and besides, the act of sitting and thinking that beings of the other world are present, seems to have an effect. Hence the number of me- diums, since the rise of modern Spiritualism, has vastly increased. The questions propounded for answers through me- 180 THE INVISIBLES. diumSj are understood from reading the inquirer's mind, and the answers given are of course frequently obtained in the same way. Those of the other world are not able to read ordinary writing of ours, and the act of writing has no other effect than to fix the question more distinctly in the inquirer's mind. Visitors to mediums are frequently directed to write the names of several deceased persons of their acquaint- ance, and then to ask which of the individuals is present. But it is very evident that if either of them was present, he could announce himself as well without this process as with it. This operation is merely to give those of the other world present, an opportunity of ascertaining who the visitor wishes to hear from, as in writing the name, this feeling is usually manifested. All mediums of this class are surrounded by many of the other world, but one alone has control of the brain, the others obtaining the questions, and one of them rapping out the answers. It will be perceived, therefore, that if any friend of the visitor, or any one of the other world who wished to give the truth and expose the deceptions was present, and attempted to do so, the one in control of the medium — who is always a devil — has power to prevent this by stopping the unusual flow of electricity. There are occasional interruptions in circles, which Spiritualists believe are caused, sometimes by a "bad spirit," at other times by the harmony of the circle being disturbed by some one individual present ; and it is not unfrequently intimated by the "spirits" that a particular individual must leave the circle. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 181 There may be various causes for this. Sometimes the interruption, or interference, may be by a "spirit" as bad as those communicating ; at others, by a good " spirit" wishing to prevent the deceptions, and deter- mined that at all events, a friend present shall not be deceived; and at other times the "spirits" may perceive that the individual required to leave is altogether too skeptical. I would not wish to be understood as intimating that no one of our world has ever received a communication from a friend in the other. But the latter could only communicate what the one in control of the medium allowed him to, and therefore, for the reason given by Julia, such communications have been very rare. Suppose that one of the better class of the other world should, through a medium, communicate with a friend in our world, and fully satisfy — as of course he could — that friend of his identity; — then throughout the re- mainder of this individual's life in our world, he would be liable to all manner of deceptions by the lying crea- tures of the other, which the friend would be unable to prevent. Tipping and lifting tables, and other bodies of our world. As the whole body of a being of the other world would pass through a table, or other material of ours, of course their hands would do so. The table would offer no resistance to the passage of their hands, and therefore would not be moved. To lift the table, therefore, their hands are covered with material of their own world, prepared and changed as before described. 16 182 THE INVISIBLES. Here again, it is evident that if the material became precisely like that of our world, it would offer no more resistance to the movements of their hands than the table, and therefore would not enable them to lift the latter. Any rapping medium can be used as a tipping, or lifting medium, but all of the latter class cannot be used as rapping mediums. The nervous fluid of an in- dividual may so far change the material of the other world that it will avail to tip, or even lift entirely a table; and yet not have power to change it far enough to be used for rapping. It does not become, as we would term it, hard enough to produce a distinct sound when struck against a body of our world. Hence, communi- cations through such mediums are given by tipping a table or some article of furniture. The remarks made in reference to rapping mediums, apply also to this class and all others, and need not be repeated. Noises of various kinds are made by these two modes, namely, by direct percussion with the changed material of their world, or by moving by means of it bodies of our world. Those of the other world have no other means of making noises sensible to us. But these dis- turbances may be produced in a different room from that in which the medium is, by means of a conductor of electricity leading from the medium to the material. This conductor being differently prepared from the ma- terial to be changed, is not affected so as to become sen- sible to us, and the partition wall does not interfere with the operation. Disturbances cannot, however, be made at any great distance from the medium. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 183 Artificial hands, called " spirit hands." A covering for the hands is made of the prepared material, which, when exhibited, is changed as described. In this case the material is so far changed as to become visible to us, and sensible to our touch, which can only be done with the fluid of comparatively few mediums. Sometimes a considerable portion of the arm is cov- ered ; and these exhibitions present the singular specta- cle of a hand, or a hand and portion of the arm, ap- parently supported by nothing. Sometimes the hand is covered as by a sack, and no fingers or thumb are visible ; at other times it is cov- ered as by a glove, and a very perfect-looking hand is exhibited. These hands have been seen by thousands, probably by hundreds of thousands. I have both seen and felt them. Artificial Apparitions. Spiritualists believe that the "spirits" have power to change their bodies, so that they become visible to our natural sight ; and most of them, I think, also believe that some persons have, what they call, an " interior perception," or " spiritual sight," by which they perceive the spirits in their material state, and also the "spirit world." The individuals supposed to possess this faculty are called "seers," and "seeresses." The inhabitants of the other world have no more power to change their bodies than we have to change ours ; and no one of our world ever has, or ever can, see them. Most apparitions are merely of an impressional char- 184 THE INVISIBLES. acter, in other words, they are mere hallucinations. I will describe these hereafter. What I will call artificial apparitions, are formed in the same way as the artificial hands. The dress is made of material of the other world, of the form and color to be exhibited, a mask for the face prepared in the same way, the hair, when any is exhibited, being formed of material resembling flax or silk of our world ; then the whole is passed through a chemical process, and when the figure is to be exhibited, it is connected with the medium by conductors of electricity, and changed by the action of the nervous fluid. A number of the other world are always required in these exhibitions, and much preparation is necessary ; besides there are comparatively few mediums who will serve for this purpose. Hence this class of apparitions are very rare. I have never myself seen one, and they have been seen by very few. Still, having seen and felt the artificial hands, I have no difficulty in believing that the whole figure ,may be produced in the same way. These masks, however carefully prepared, will not, of course, bear close examination by any one at all skepti- cal, and therefore they are never exhibited in a well lighted apartment. As a mask, and not the real face, is seen, the appa- rition is no evidence that the individual whose likeness is exhibited is present ; but it is evident that all con- nected with the exhibition are liars, for they make those seeing the figure, believe that they see the real face. Frequently communications to this effect are given. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 185 Artificial flowers, are formed in the same way, and other things of similar character. Writing and drawing, without using the hand of a me- dium, playing on certain kinds of musical instruments, etc., are performed by first forming the artificial hand; which may or may not be visible to us. The blowing and speaking through horns, sometimes practiced by mediums, is a deception. As these things are practiced in a darkened room, and the hands of the medium are tied, some of the audience are induced to believe that the "spirits" blow and speak through the horns. But all that the " spirits" can do is to raise the horn to the lips of the medium, and the blowing and speaking is done by the latter. Forming letters and loords on the arm or person of a medium. These exhibitions are generally limited to a single word, usually either the first, or surname of a former acquaintance of the visitor. The letters are irregular, slightly raised, or convex, and of a purplish color. Material is prepared of a drawing nature — somewhat similar to some plasters used by us — or which will be so when changed. In this material — prepared in the form of a plate or plaster — the name is written with a pointed instrument, the letters being concave. The plate or plaster is then applied to the arm or person of the medium, and the change in the' material being effected, by suction the skin is drawn into the concave letters with sufficient violence to produce the convex letters on the skin, and the purplish color is owing to 16* 186 THE INVISIBLES. the same cause that produces it when a bruise of any kind is experienced. The operation is usually, if not always, performed when the arm or spot is covered, but the dress does not interfere with the material until the latter undergoes the change, and this is not effected until it is placed upon the skin ; and when it is to be removed, the current of electricity is withdrawn, and it returns to its natural state. As I understand the matter, these letters could be produced without the material being so changed as to be visible to us; but I am not aware that the opera- tion is ever performed without the spot being covered. The medium whom I visited went through the cere- mony of taking hold of my hand during the operation. Probably the spirits had told him to do so, but it has nothing whatever to do with the operation. Electric lights, are produced by preparing material of their world so that the passage of electricity through it will cause the lights. Tying and untying ropes. Those of the other world have power, not only to change material of their world so that it becomes sensible to us, but also to change that of ours so that it can be handled by them. The ropes having been prepared by those of the other world by a chemical process, are changed by means of the nervous fluid of the medium, and then tied and untied in the same way that we would do it. The ropes used by mediums who exhibit this pheno- nenon, are carried with them from place to place. If EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 187 they were bound with new ropes, not selected until the time for the trial, there would at least be considerable delay in unbinding them, and the probability is that it would not be undertaken.* Why most of these things are performed in partial dark- ness, or under a table. Spiritualists believe that light, and the human eye, have an effect to prevent, or hinder, the phenomena. JBut this is all nonsense. The only reason for performing in darkness, or under a table, is . the fear of detection. They have feared that if any portion of the pheno- mena became fully understood, this might lead to a solution of the whole, and ultimately to the understand- ing that we could not receive communications from our friends through mediums. Then, of course, their occu- pation, which they dearly love, would be gone. I will now explain phenomena of a different character. Writing by using the hand of a medium. In this case also, the individual of the other world must become intimately en rapport with the medium, so that when the latter allows his will to remain passive, it is con- * If the mediums were loosely bound, they might be unbound by means of the artificial hands; for a medium whose fluid will serve to change material of our world, can be used to change that of the other. But when the ropes are tightly tied, as they usually are in such expe- riments, they cannot be untied with the artificial hands, for these are somewhat stiff and unmanageable. ' I have described writing and drawing — when the hand of a medium is not used — as being done by forming an artificial hand. This is the usual mode; but sometimes the material of our world used maybe temporarily changed, as the above ropes are, when it can be handled in the same way. \ 188 THE INVISIBLES. trolled by that of the former. Then the one of the other world, placing his hand on, or in (one word is about as correct as the other), that of the medium, and making the required motions, the hand of the latter moves with that of the former. The hand is so placed merely to enable the one of the other world to properly exercise his own will, which he cannot do without making the motions with his own hand. It will be understood, that he has no direct control of the medium's hand, he controls it only through the will, or brain, of the medium, the action of which is governed by his own. The remarks made in reference to the former class of phenomena, to the effect that no very intellectual person could be a medium for the purpose, do not apply to this class, as the nervous fluid is not used in the same way. But the statement that only the lowest class of the other world have hitherto been able to gain control, applies to all classes of mediums. Impressional ajiparitions. Most of what are called apparitions are merely hallucinations, or illusions, pro- duced either by a diseased state of the organs of vision, or the brain, or by beings of the other M r orld. It is the latter class only that I. have to explain. They are produced in the same way by which the vision of the tea-pot, described in my narrative, was produced in my mind. The one of the other world en rapport with an individual of ours, forms the image in his own mind, and by impression it is re-produced in the mind of the other. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 189 In the same way visions of scenery and other objects can be produced; and these hallucinations, produced either in this way or by disease, are the visions of seers and seeresses. It will be perceived that here also, as in the case of an artificial apparition, the mere apparition, without any corroborating circumstances, is no evidence that the person supposed to be seen was really present; not even when the apparition was produced by an inhabitant of the other world; for the latter could form in his mind the image of another person, as readily as his own likeness. But as these apparitions are easily produced — the con- trol of the brain being required only partially and momentarily — those of the other world do sometimes thus manifest their presence to their friends in this. It is not essential for this purpose, that the individual should be, what is called, a medium; the apparition may be produced once, when his mind happens to be in an unusually receptive state, and never again in the course of his life. I have, during the greater portion of my life, been subject at times to hallucinations, caused, as I formerly supposed and do still, by a diseased state of the nervous system ; sometimes the visions were of men and women, sometimes of scenery; and I can perceive very little difference between those now produced by beings of the other world, and the former. I don't know that I could discriminate at all, did I not know that these beings are with me, and feel a slight magnetic influence when the apparition is produced. But I never, in either case, supposed that I really saw 190 THE INVISIBLES. the objects, and although the apparitions may possibly be more life-like, or apparently real, with some persons than with myself, yet I doubt whether any person of ordinary intelligence and powers of discrimination, need be so deceived as to imagine that he really sees the object. There is a difference — at least so far as my experience goes — between these hallucinations, and the perception of objects by the natural sight, which I can- not explain. In my own case there is this difference between the ordinary hallucinations, and those produced by beings of the other world; the former I never experienced except in the night when lying in bed, my wakefulness probably being caused by nervousness; while now, those of the other world can produce them in the day- time. This distinction, however, would not apply to every one. It will be understood from this description how it is that those of the other world, when they do thus really manifest their presence to their friends in this, generally appear, in reference to age, dress, etc., the same as they did when in our world. They form in their minds, not the precise likeness of themselves as they now are, but the likeness familiar to their friends. Talking with an individual of our world. This is a very rare phenomenon, and can only occur with an indi- vidual of a peculiar nervous organization. Ideas can be communicated to a great many, but it is generally impossible, even for the individual, to deter- mine whether the idea originated with himself, or was communicated. EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 191 Again, words can be communicated to a considerable number — called impressible mediums — who have no sensation of hearing the words spoken. Having been communicated with in both these modes, I am able to distinguish the difference between them and the phenomenon of which I am treating. In the two former cases, no words are spoken by the one of the other world. The ideas or words are formed in his mind, and impressed upon the mind of the other, in substantially the same way that apparitions are pro- duced; and the only difference in these two cases is, that in the second the two individuals are more inti- mately en rapport. But these impressible mediums are all liable to be self-deceived, and to imagine they are receiving a com- munication from the other world, when such is not the fact. In what I have called talking, the individual of the other world does actually speak to the one of ours, precisely as we speak to each other; and the individual spoken to has precisely the same sensation of hearing as if spoken to by one of our world; and the liability to imagine that we hear when we are not spoken to, is much less than the liability to imagine that an impres- sion from some foreign source is received by an indivi- dual who believes such a thing possible. When my faculty of hearing those of the other World had become most developed, I could no more mistake, in this matter, than I could as to being spoken to by one of this world. Sometimes, when one would endeavor to prevent another from speaking to me, the latter would enunci- 192 THE INVISIBLES. ate each word slowly, and as distinctly as possi ble, appa- rently straining the voice to the utmost. While as to visions, I was always able to discriminate between hallucinations and perceptions by natural sight, in this matter of hearing my senses entirely deceived me; and it is impossible for me even now, to realize when they speak to me (which to the extent of a few words is occasionally effected), that I do not hear in the ordinary way. But, as now explained to me, no vibration of our atmosphere is produced, and therefore no sound reaches my brain through the organs of hearing. I have stated in reference to writing by using the hand of a medium, that it was necessary for the one of the other world to make the movements with his own hand. So in this phenomenon, it seems to be necessary that the one of the other world should actually speak, and when interfered with speak with the utmost energy in order that the individual of our world may have the sensation of hearing. But what causes this sensation? This is a question that cannot be fully and clearly answered, until we understand how perception reaches the mind through the organs of hearing; or, in other words, the connection between mind and matter. It can now be understood how — as stated in my narrative — Miss Allen and Julia, before they could communicate by speaking, could do so by merely moving my hand in imitation of writing. They had become almost able to convey the words by impression, and by moving my hand in imitation of writing, they thinking of the words as being written, the impression that they EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 193 were written was made upon my mind. They had become en rapport with me through writing; had become able to write very rapidly — at length it was not essential that the writing should be very legible — and finally not necessary that actual writing should be performed at all. The process was a gradual one. I suppose that if they had become en rapport in some other manner, the imitation of writing would not have assisted them in communicating. And it can now also be understood, how my friends are prevented from communicating with me, either by writing with my hand, talking, or distinctly impressing the words upon my mind. Answering letters without opening them. How a medium could answer a letter sent him from a distance of several hundred miles, without opening it, was formerly about as much of a mystery to me as any part of the phenomena. But the explanation is very simple. The operation is the same as if the writer was present ; the contents of the letter are obtained from his mind at the time he writes it. If an individual who had never at all investigated the subject termed spiritualism, or thought about it, should happen to see an advertisement of one of these mediums, and on the impulse of the moment should write and enclose him a letter, the probability is that it would not be answered; for none of these mediums answer all letters sent them, or even pretend that they can do so. But very few, if any, of the letters are thus written. In almost every instance the writer has been for some 17 194 THE INVISIBLES. time previous more or less interested in the subject. He has probably visited "circles," or mediums, or meetings of spiritualists, and has thus attracted to himself one or more beings of the other world who endeavor to increase his interest. When therefore he sits down to w T rite the letter, one of the other world is with him, and obtains from his mind a knowledge of what is written. This being, having a mode of identifying the envelope, (not from the hand-writing, however), goes and communicates the con- tents of the letter, with such information as he has been able to obtain from the writer's mind for reply, to the one in control of the medium. The distance is compar- atively nothing to them, and these public mediums are better known to this class of the other world than to us. Many spiritualists seem to have an idea that mediums for answering sealed letters are a peculiar class. But this is not the fact, it can be done through any well- known medium; but a rapping or tipping medium could not well serve for answering lengthy letters, as the pro- cess is too tedious. The operation of answering questions written on several pieces of paper, each rolled into a ball, and the whole so mingled that the writer does not know what is written on the particular piece presented for an answer, is the same as the foregoing, whether the papers were prepared in the presence of the medium, or before visit- ing him. If these statements are correct, some idea can be formed of the vast number of these miserable creatures of the other world, spending most of their time about EXPLANATIONS OF PHENOMENA. 195 ours; and also, of the interest they take in continuing this intercourse. Clairvoyance, spiritual-sight, second-sight, and every- thing of that character, designated by various names, are delusions: these visions are either caused by disease, or by impressions from the mind either of an individual of our world or the other. I have described and explained all the most prominent phenomena. If the reader has witnessed any other of a genuine character, he can, I think, understand how they are performed, from the foregoing explanations. It must be borne in mind, however, that all claiming to be me- diums are not really such, and from what I have heard, I think it possible that some real mediums do occasion- ally perform tricks when the phenomena are not other- wise satisfactory. I refer to the class who make a livelihood by this means ; some of whom I know, profess to " tell fortunes," or rather, that the "spirits" do so through them. This is a deception, either by the "spirits," or the mediums, or both. I am aware that the power of changing material, which I have stated those of the other world possess, is something unknown to us. It is owing, as I under- stand, to the greater power of their chemicals. As we can by the same process effect a somewhat analogous change, the statement, it appears to me, is not incredible, although to most of those who have never witnessed the phenomena described, it will perhaps appear so. To those familiar with the phenomena, the statement can be no more astounding than what they have actually wit- nessed ; and I can conceive of no other explanation so 196 THE INVISIBLES. much in harmony with operations constantly taking place in our world. The question may occur to some, " If these beings are so very ignorant and unintellectual as you state, how is it that they understand and can execute this wonderful process?" The discovery was made by educated persons, and sometimes individuals more intelligent than those able to control the medium, assist in the deceptions. But when an individual is once shown how to make mortar, for example, it requires but little intellect to make it again, and the same is true of most other chemical operations. CHAPTER V. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. Foe the purpose of, in some measure, testing the theories I have given, I will notice a variety of narra- tives bearing upon the subject, contained in other works. The best authenticated collection of narratives that I have seen is contained in a work of Hon. Robert Dale Owen, entitled, " Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World."* I have read a larger and more pretentious work by William Howitt,f of England, but it is mainly filled with the beliefs of ancient nations in supernaturalism, and with statements not well authenticated; in short, facts are so mingled with fables in the work, that it is not suitable for my purpose. I will therefore confine myself mainly to the former work ; but as Mr. Owen says very little about "seers" or " seer esses," I will give a few extracts from Mr. Howitt's work relative to this class of individuals. First, however, I will give Mr. Howitt's idea of the supernatural, as stated in his preface. " The author of this work intends by the super- * " Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World," by Robert Dale Owen, Philadelphia; J. B. Lippincott and Co., 1865. f "History of the Supernatural," by Wm. Howitt, Philadelphia; J. B. Lippincott and Co., 1863. 17 * 197 198 THE INVISIBLES. natural the operation of those higher and more recon- dite laws of God, with which, being yet but most im- perfectly acquainted, we either denominate their eifects miraculous, or, shutting our eyes firmly, deny their ex- istence altogether. So far from holding that what are called miracles are interruptions or violations of the course of nature, he regards them only as the results of spiritual laws, which in their occasional action subdue, suspend or neutralize the less powerful physical laws, just as a stronger chemical affinity subdues a weaker one, producing new combinations, but combinations strictly in accordance with the collective laws of the universe, whether understood, or not yet understood by us." This is very far from being the true meaning of the word supernatural. Webster's definition is, " Being above or beyond the laws of nature" and this is the sense in which the word is generally used. My own belief on this point is about the same as that of Mr. Howitt, but instead of giving a new definition to the word su- pernatural, it appears to me more proper to say that I do not believe in the supernatural at all. But as to Mr. Howitt's idea that the laws governing the intercourse between the other world and ours, — for this is the subject of his work, and therefore what I sup- pose he alludes to — are higher and more recondite than those with which we are familiar, if I have given a cor- rect explanation of the phenomena, there are here no laws higher or more recondite than those, the operation of which we witness every day. In fact so far as re- gards the phenomena which we witness, the laws appear to be the same as those with which we are familiar. REVIEW OP OTHER NARRATIVES. 199 I will now notice very briefly what Mr. Howitt says about seers and seeresses, in whose marvelous faculties he has the most implicit confidence. He reviews Dr. Kerner's life of the " Seeress of Pre- vorst," or Madame Hauffe', a German lady who died in 1829. I have read the work of Dr. Kerner, and conclude Madame Hauffe' was what is now called a medium and nothing more ; and that she was deceived as other me- diums are. One of these deceptions was, that the "spir- its" came to her to be prayed for. "They came, it is stated, often very black or gray, for moral purity or impurity is no metaphysical quality, but a real one, and as conspicuous in spirits as a dirty or clear complexion in human beings. She granted their requests, prayed with them, sang hymns with them, and growing clearer, whiter and brighter, they eventually took their leave, with thanks, for a higher sphere." It is the belief of many spiritualists at the present day that spirits visit them, and visit circles for the pur- pose of being prayed for, and that they are benefitted by such prayers. Why they could not be as much benefitted by the prayers of people of their own world I have never heard explained. The truth is, this class of beings — those who com- municate with mediums — have no religious sentiment whatever, nor the slightest desire to become better. When in our world most, or at least many of them, had probably at times, more or less of what passes with most people for religious feeling, that is, they were fearful of future physical punishment. But on entering the other 200 THE INVISIBLES. world and finding they are not physically punished, and seeing no more evidence of there being a God than they did while here, any desires they may have here felt to live a better life, have entirely left them, and their soliciting prayers, or giving religious advice, is jnerely in mockery or for amusement, or to carry out their deceptions. I copy further relative to the seeress. "Other extraordinary developments in her, were her Sonnenkreise and Lebenskreise, sun-circles and life- circles. After a time of great suffering in October, 1827, she said that she felt a ring encircling her, and fastened to her left side. That it was no imaginary, but a real ring, lying heavy upon her, and it lay upon the nerves, and consisted of nerve spirit. Under this ring she felt six other rings. Within this larger ring she perceived an inner ring of three circles. This inner ring she called her life-circle, the soul residing in the center, and looking forth into the large outer circle, which she called her sun-circle. "There is some little confusion in her description, for the six lesser circles under the large circle, and which eventually became seven, she also calls sun-circles. The meaning seems to be that the inner or life-circle is the sphere of the spiritual life, the outer circle with its lesser circles is the circle of the outer life, the lesser circles so many years. These represented her outer experiences since she fell into the magnetic state, and the last was cut in two in a particular direction, rendering a certain number of months quite blank. During this time she had no consciousness of what passed outwardly. This period was a blank in her memory. The outer or sun- REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 201 circle was divided into twelve sections — months; the inner one into thirteen and a half. These circles, she said, were always in motion, and every seven years the seven sun-circles fell away and seven more appeared. Every person, she said, had two numbers connected with their lives. Her numbers were seven and ten, and within these numbers events came round in cycles. "But the most remarkable thing connected with these circles is, that the balance of every day's good and evil is summed up and expressed in a cypher, and carried into the next day ; the weeks, the months, and the years the same. At the end of every day, week, month, and year, this cypher, expressing the exact balance for or against the individual, stands self-registered ; and so, at the end of his life there stands a cypher expressing the exact moral account of the individual. Therefore the moment the soul steps out of the body, it carries with it, written on its breast, the exact sum of the good or evil of its whole existence." And Mr. Howitt adds, "This is a startling idea. That we have in our own souls a self-registering prin- ciple, going on in its operations independent of our con- trol, and presenting our exact spiritual condition at the moment of our entrance into the spirit-world." Rather startling, and a very wonderful machine. But as only the balance of the account is expressed by the cypher, in case the 'debit and credit columns footed up the same at the individual's death he would enter the spirit world with no spiritual condition at all. In that case what sphere would he go to? "Swedenborg, of whom the seeress knew nothing whatever, alludes to exactly such circles. 'The base 202 THE INVISIBLES. and false have their seat in the natural mind, whence it comes that this mind is a world in small or in form; and the spiritual mind a heaven in small or in form, and into the heaven nothing evil can come. Both minds are bowed out into circles.' The seeress, know- ing nothing of Swedenborg, asserted the same doctrine as the Swedish seer, that there is a spiritual sun as well as a natural sun — the spiritual sun she termed the sun of grace. '"There is a higher sun than that visible to us,' says Swedenborg. 'Above the angel-heaven is a sun, pure love. It shines as fervently as the sun of the world. The warmth of this sun gives will and love to angels and to men. Light, wisdom, understanding, flowing from it, are called spiritual.'" This is, if possible, more silly than the seeress' account of the wonderful machine. I will next notice what Mr. Howitt says about two American " Seers," — Andrew Jackson Davis and Thomas L. Harris. Of Mr. Davis he says, — "His clairvoyance was ad- vanced into clairscience. He beheld all the essential natures of things: saw the interior of men and animals as perfectly as their exterior, and described them in language so correct that the most able technologists could not surpass him. He pointed out the proper remedies for all the complaints, and the shops where they were to be obtained. The life of all nature appeared laid before him; and he saw the metals in the earth like living flames, and lights and flames emanating from every portion of the living structure of men and animals. The most distant regions and their various productions REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 203 were present before him. Everything appeared to him, as to all clairvoyants, clothed with its peculiar atmos- phere; not only living forms, but every grain of salt or sand, the minutest bones and tendrils, mineral and earthy substances, had this colored atmosphere. As George Fox and Swedenborg before him, he declared that the whole of creation was opened to him; that he saw the names of all things in their natures, as Adam saw them. He saw how every animal represented some one or more qualities of men and their vices and virtues, just as Fox and Swedeijborg had asserted ; and he gave even Greek and Latin names to things, whilst in his ordinary state he could not even write or speak decent English." Here is a phenomenon which, although common, is about as unaccountable as any connected with this subject, namely, that intelligent and in other respects apparently sensible persons, should believe that an individual possesses such a faculty, simply upon his own unsupported assertion. It should be evident to every one of common sense that if Mr. Davis possesses this power he could prove the fact beyond all question. Neither Mr. Davis nor any other "seer" or "clairvoyant" can see through a single sheet of opaque paper, nor can they see any further than others of good natural eyesight. This matter has been tested time and again, but when tested some paltry excuse is given, such as that the "conditions" are not right, or something of the kind. " One of the characteristics of Mr. Davis's spiritual- ism is, that it is not Christian but simply theistic. This no doubt belongs to his place in the progressive order of development. He is in the hands of pagan or 204 THE INVISIBLES. rather pantheistic spirits, and represents the ancient philosophic paganism." If Mr. Davis is deceived in this respect, as I infer, it must be that paganism does not affect the color, for otherwise as he can see " spirits," he would see that he is in bad hands. But I can't understand how these ancient pagans can have been in a situation to learn the modern English language, and not have learned as to the truth of Christianity. At all events, I should sup- pose that so situated they were in a better position for learning the truth about it than we are. As Davis is in the pagan sphere, out of his sphere, Mr. Howitt says, " was developed Harris, who step by step has ascended into the highest region of Christian spiritualism." li We find that Mr. Harris, wonderfully attracted by the 'Divine Revelations of Nature' of Davis, became one of his most enthusiastic disciples. But that was not the place where he was to stay. The Christian must develop out of the pagan cycle. In his earlier spiritual inspirations Harris became a poetic medium and dictated whole epics, under the supposed influence of Byron, Shelley, Keats, Pollok, etc. Whoever were the poetic spirits who infused those poems, they are specimens of poetry of the highest order. Speaking of the ' Lyric of the Golden Age,' Mr. Brittan, the pub- lisher, says, and not more eulogistically than justly, 'This lyric has scarcely less than Miltonic grandeur. The descriptive parts are wonderful as illustrations of the compass of our language. It would severely tax the capabilities of the most gifted mind to coin its phraseology alone, which however is neither strained REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 205 nor far-fetched, but natural, flowing and melodious as a valley brook.' " Why this poetry has been so poorly appreciated by literary critics and the reading community, Mr. Howitt does not attempt to explain. It can't be claimed that it is because the poetry is not believed to be true, or a poetic narrative of facts, for Milton's Paradise Lost is not thus believed. "But the progress of Harris into an inspirational oratory is still more surprising. He claims, by opening up his interior being, to receive influx of divine intuition in such abundance and power as to throw off under its influence the most astonishing strains of eloquence. This receptive and communicative power he attributes to an internal spiritual breathing, corresponding to the outer natural breathing. As the bodily lungs imbibe and respire air, so he contends, the spiritual lungs imbibe and respire the divine aura, refluent with the highest thought and purest sentiment, and that without any labor or trial of brain. Swedenborg teaches the same mystery, and catholics also of devotional temperament." If Swedenborg teaches this it is not surprising that Harris should, for the latter is a close imitator of the former. The idea of spiritual lungs imbibing and respiring "the divine aura refluent with the highest thought and purest sentiment," is about on a par with that of the "sun pure love" from which flows love, wisdom, understanding, etc. "That the preacher was also the prophet was most clearly proclaimed by his suddenly hastening home,* declaring that it was revealed to him that 'the nether- * He was at this time in England. 18 206 THE INVISIBLES. most hells were let loose in America.' This was before the public breach betwixt North and South had taken place ; but it soon followed, only too deeply to demon- strate the truth of the spiritual intimation." If Mr. Harris intended to predict civil war, it would have been as easy to say so, as to say that "the nether- most hells were let loose." But in using the former language he might have made a false prediction, in using the latter he was perfectly safe from conviction in any event. But at the time this prediction is said to have been made, many persons in this country, and I presume in England, predicted — not in ambiguous, but in clear and precise language — that there would be war between North and South, yet these individuals now make no claim to being prophets. What nonsense it is then for Mr. Howitt to assert that Harris "was most clearly pro- claimed" by this event to be a prophet. In my brief notice of seers and seeresses, I have con- fined myself to the work of Mr. Howitt, instead of ex- tracting from the works of the former, because I have at present none of these before me, and also, because it may be presumed that Mr. Howitt would present their • claims in what he considers the strongest light. My main object was to show what nonsense is believed by spiritualists. Mr. Howitt gives a narrative in support of the theory of vision by abnormal means, which I will copy. It is taken from a work of Townshend on Mes- merism. "A doctor of Antwerp was allowed at a sSance to impose his own tests; the object of the seance being to REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 207 demonstrate vision by abnormal means. He said be- forehand, 'If the somnambulist tells me what is in my pocket, I will believe.' The patient having entered into somnambulism, was asked by him the question, 'What is in my pocket?' She immediately replied, 'A case of lancets.' 'It is true,' said the doctor, somewhat startled ; ' but the young lady may know that I am one of the medical profession, and that I am likely to carry lancets, and this may be a guess ; but if she will tell me the number of the lancets in the case I will believe.' The number of lancets was told. The skeptic still said, 'I cannot yet believe; but if the form of the case is accurately described, I must yield to conviction.' The form of the case was accurately described. 'This certainly is very singular,' said the doctor, 'very indeed; but still I cannot believe; but if the young lady can tell me the color of the velvet that lines the case that contains the lancets, I really must believe.' The ques- tion being put, the young lady directly said, 'The color is dark blue.' The doctor allowed that she was right; yet he went away repeating, 'Very curious, yet still I cannot believe.' " Mr. Howitt says, " Nor could the doctor have believed had he received an amount of evidence as large as the Cathedral of Antwerp." The doctor must have had several pockets in his clothes, and probably there was something in each one. At all events it is not reasonable to suppose that the case of lancets was all they contained. But instead of indicating any particular pocket, he simply asked "What is in my pocket?" and when the young lady replied, "A case of lancets," he received that as a precise answer to 208 THE INVISIBLES. his question. Is it not very evident that when he asked the question he had the case of lancets in his mind ? Again, if the young lady could really see what was in his pockets, and could not read his mind, when asked such a question, she would either have inquired which pocket he meant, or have indicated herself the particular pocket, or have told what was in all. It is evident then that she could at least read the doctor's mind so far as to know which pocket he was thinking of, and if she could do that, is it not also very evident that she could perceive he was thinking of a case of lancets, also the number of lancets he thought the case contained, etc.? It will be noticed that the doctor did not have to examine the case to see if the answers were correct. He had the answers in his mind when he asked the questions. If he had thought of his pocket-book when he asked the first question the young lady would have named that, and would have described the contents so far, and so far only, as the doctor knew the same. I will now pass to the work of Mr. Owen. The nar- ratives in this work are classified under the following heads : — " Dreams," " Disturbances popularly termed haunt- ings," " Apparitions of the living," " Apparitions of the dead," " Retribution," and " Guardianship." First, then, in reference to dreams. In certain stages of sleep the mind is in a more receptive or impressible condition than when the individual is fully awake, and his mind or thinking faculties in active exercise. Hence inhabitants of the other world, who are unable at any other time to do so, are sometimes able to communicate REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 209 impressions to those of our world when the latter are asleep, or partially so. Sometimes, when unable to convey ideas, or the im- pression of words being spoken, it is possible to produce an impressional apparition ; and the latter is occasionally done to convey the intelligence of the decease of a rela- tive or friend of a person receiving the impression ; it being of course as well known in the other world as in ours, that most individuals of the latter, when they see an apparition, conclude that the person supposed to be seen is an inhabitant of the other world. These impressional apparitions, conveying intelligence of deaths, I will here state, though the remark does not solely apply to the subject of dreams ; are occasionally produced in individuals who never before or afterward experienced anything of the kind. So frequently do these apparitions occur immediately upon the death of the individual whose appearance is seen, and before the person seeing the apparition had otherwise learned of the death, that it is believed by some that individuals or spirits, can appear to us imme- diately after their death, but not at any considerable time afterward. I have myself heard this opinion expressed ; and Mr. Owen states that a society was formed in the year 1851, by members of Cambridge University, England, "for the purpose of instituting, as their printed circular* ex- presses it, ' a serious and earnest inquiry into the nature of the phenomena which are vaguely called supernatu- ral.' " And in a note, Mr. Owen states that the son of a British peer, who was one of the leading members of * Which is published in an Appendix to Mr. Owen's work. 18* 210 THE INVISIBLES. the society, informed him, " that the researches of the society had resulted in a conviction, shared he believed, by all its members, that there is sufficient testimony for the appearance, about the time of death or after it, of the apparitions of deceased persons ; while in regard to other classes of apparitions the evidence, so far as ob- tained, was deemed too slight to prove their reality." Yet, frequent as these apparitions are, compared with the number of deaths they are very rare, and for several reasons, first, it is only occasionally that a friend in the other world, of the person dying, is able to produce the apparition to a friend in our world, second, the death of the individual is not always known at the time to his friends in the other world, and third, there is not usually any good reason for attempting to convey intelligence of the death in this way, as the fact would soon be learned through ordinary sources. It must be borne in mind, in reference to dreams and impressional apparitions, that the thoughts and images in the mind of one person, may under favorable circum- stances, be impressed upon the mind of another, where both individuals are inhabitants of our world; as in the case of the doctor and somnambulist, copied from Mr. Howitt's work. If it is doubted whether this is the correct explanation of that case, there can be no reason- able doubt as to the fact stated, and I believe there is none in the minds of those who have investigated the subject. Another fact very well demonstrated is, that this impression can be produced at a distance, that is, where the two individuals are not in contact. At how great a distance this impression can be produced, can only, in my opinion, be determined by cases like those REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 211 narrated in the work of Mr. Owen ; for the most favor- able condition possible of the two minds rarely occurs, and only, as it may be termed, accidentally. It is there- fore not always easy to decide whether the dream or apparition was caused by the mind of a person in the other world, or of one in our own. The first narrative that I shall notice is of this ambiguous class. Signor Romano, being at Patu, in the kingdom of Naples, dreamed one night that the wife of the Cava- liere Libetta, his friend and legal adviser, and who at the time had in charge for him a lawsuit of importance, was dead. The Cavaliere Libetta was then in the city of Naples, from which Patu is two hundred and eighty miles distant. Signor Romano had not heard of the Signora Libetta being ill, but the dream was so vivid that it produced a great impression upon him, and in the morning he repeated it to his family. Several days afterward he received a letter from the Cavaliere Li- betta, informing him that he had lost his wife by death on a certain night, the date of which was the same as that of the dream. This fact was communicated to Mr. Oweu, in 1858,* by a son of Signor Romano, who stated that he heard his father relate the dream the morning after it occurred. If the mind of one person can produce an impression upon that of another at the distance named, which I think possible, then it is impossible to decide from the narrative whether the dream was caused by a being of the other world, or by the Cavaliere Libetta, who was probably by the bed-side of his dying wife, and may have been thinking at the time of his friend. If we * Mr. Owen was at the time American Minister to Naples. 212 THE INVISIBLES. were informed as to the latter fact, it would assist in forming an opinion upon the point. The following narrative, in my opinion, admits of but one interpretation, namely, that the dream was caused by an inhabitant of the other world, probably by the dreamers mother. " Mrs. S related to me* that, residing in Rome in June, 1856, she dreamed on the 30th of that month, that her mother, who had been several years dead, ap- peared to her, gave her a lock of hair, and said, ' Be especially careful of this lock of hair, my child, for it is your father's ; and the angels will call him away from you to-morrow.' " Mrs. S learned that her father, who was in Eng- land, died the next morning at nine o'clock, and that, " two days before his death he had caused to be cut off a lock of his hair, and handed it to one of his daugh- ters, who was attending on him, telling her it was for her sister in Rome." It is, to say the least, very improbable that this dream, the fulfillment as to the death, and the fact that a lock of hair was cut off for Mrs. S , were accidental co- incidences, especially as it is stated that, although the father had been ill, the last advices Mrs. S had re- ceived of his health had been favorable. And it is difficult to perceive how the dream could have been caused by the father of Mrs. S , or any of her relatives in England, for the lock of hair was cut oif two days previous. It is true, her father or relatives might have the lock of hair in their mind when think- ing of Mrs. S , but they could hardly have thought * Mr. Owen. EEVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 213 of her mother presenting it to her, neither would they be likely to have the idea definitely fixed in their mind that the father would die " to-morrow." As I know that beings of the other world can and do cause dreams, as well as influence the waking thoughts of many in our world, what appears to me the most reasonable solution of this dream is, that it was caused by the mother of Mrs. S , who had been watching over her dying husband, had witnessed the cutting on the lock of hair, and could read the mind either of her husband or the daughter with him well enough to per- ceive that it was intended for Mrs. S , and who per- ceived that the death would occur next day. It may be asked, if the dream was caused by Mrs. S 's mother, why was it not accurate ? Why did she dream that her mother presented her the lock of hair ? The mother could probably only produce certain im- pressions upon the mind of Mrs. S , which caused the dream. The points which the mother would be likely to wish to impress upon the daughter's mind are, her own presence and the approaching death of the fa- ther, and as the latter desired that Mrs. 8 should receive a lock of his hair, which he had caused to be cut off for that purpose, this &ct it may be presumed would be in the mother's mind, and would therefore be im- pressed upon that of the daughter. With the know- ledge we have of the nature of dreams when caused by impressions, however received, it appears to me that these impressions, namely, the mother's presence, the approaching death of the father, and an indefinite one 214 THE INVISIBLES. relative to the lock of hair, being received by Mrs. S , the dream was a very natural one. For the explanation of the following dream, it seems to me not necessary to suppose that there was any for- eign influence, either of this world or the other. The account is taken from Abercrombie's "Intellectual Powers." " The gentleman was at the time connected with one of the principal banks in Glasgow, and was at his place at the teller's table where money is paid, when a person entered, demanding payment of a sum of six pounds. " There were several persons waiting, who were in turn entitled to be served before him; but he was ex- tremely impatient and rather noisy, and, being besides a remarkable stammerer, he became so annoying that another gentleman requested my friend to pay him his money and get rid of him. He did so accordingly, but with an expression of impatience at being obliged to attend to him before his turn ; and he thought no more of the transaction. At the end of the year, which was eight or nine months after, the books of the bank could not be made to balance, the deficiency being exactly six pounds. Several days and nights had been spent in eiir deavoring to* discover the error, but without success ; when at last my friend returned home much fatigued, and went to bed. He dreamed of being at his place in the bank, and the whole transaction with the stammerer as now detailed, passed before him, in all its particulars. He awoke under a full impression that the dream was to lead him to the discovery of what he was so anxiously in search of; and on investigation he soon discovered that the sum paid to this person, in the manner now REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 215 mentioned, had been neglected to be inserted in the book of interests, and that it exactly accounted for the error in the balance." Mr. Owen copies the following comments of Aber- crombie uj)on the case. "The fact upon which the importance of the case rested was not his having paid the money, but having neglected to insert the payment. Now, of this there was no impression made upon his mind at tue time, and we can scarcely conceive upon what principle it could be recalled. The deficiency being six pounds, we may indeed suppose the gentleman endeavoring to recollect whether there could have been a payment of this sum made in any irregular manner, that might have led to an omission or an error; but in the transactions of an extensive bank, in a great commercial city, a payment of six pounds, at a distance of eight or nine months, could have made but a very faint impression. And, upon the whole, the case presents perhaps, one of the most remarkable mental phenomena connected with this curious subject." Mr. Owen evidently thinks the dream was a spiritual suggestion. He says, "The difficulty in the above case is, not that something was recalled which, in the waking state, had passed from the memory; for this, as in the example already cited from Brodie, is a phenomenon known to show itself occasionally in dreams; the true difficulty is that the fact of which the teller was in search, namely, the omission to enter a sum of six pounds, was not recalled by the dream at all. "The dream, indeed, did recall and present again to his memory, in all its details, a certain forgotten circum- 216 THE INVISIBLES. stance, namely, that he had made a payment eight or nine months before, in a somewhat irregular manner, to a certain troublesome stammerer; and the impression was produced on his mind 'that the dream was to lead him to the discovery of what he was so anxiously in search of;' nothing more. It was only a hint given; a mere suggestion, as if some one had said, 'See if that affair of the stammerer be not in some way connected with the error that has so long escaped you.' And we are expressly told that it was only on investigation the teller discovered that the payment to the annoying cus- tomer was the one actually omitted. If this be not an example of a suggestion made from some foreign source, instead of being a mere instance of old associations revived, it has at least very much the appearance of it." Supposing Abercrombie's understanding of the case to be correct, namely, that the teller had made a pay- ment of six pounds which he had neglected to enter, and that he had been endeavoring to recollect the payments of that precise sum which he had made, I can see nothing wonderful or uncommon in the fact that he should dream of the payment to the noisy stammerer — which must have made a decided impression upon his mind at the time — nor, that on awaking after such a dream, he should think that that was the payment omitted to be entered. But any one familiar with the banking business will, I think, perceive that Abercrombie misunderstood the teller. Bank tellers balance their cash account every day. This is the universal rule in this country, and I presume they are equally particular in Glasgow. An error of the kind supposed would therefore have been discovered on REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 217 the same day. In fact it is evident from the narrative that the difficulty was not that the teller's cash account would not balance, but that the books of the bank would not, and the error appears to have consisted in not posting, or entering the sum in the interest account. The dream therefore could not recall the omission to enter the sum at the time of payment, because there was no such omission; and instead of there being anything wonderful about this dream, it appears to me one of the most natural of which I ever heard. It is unnecessary to notice any further, dreams of either of the three classes embraced in the foregoing narratives. I will notice several which Mr. Owen seems to think indicate prevision ; and, that it may not be thought by those who have not seen the work of Mr. Owen — if I should have any such readers — that I select generally such narratives as favor the theories advanced by me, I will here state that I design taking the oppo- site course, namely, to confine myself mainly to reviewing those which appear to conflict with these theories; in fact I shall notice every narrative in the work which I think decidedly conflicts with either of the theories I have given in explanation of the phenomena, and which Mr. Owen considers well authenticated. As regards dreams, however, I consider it unnecessary to notice any of a class which are frequent, and the cause of which is evident, such as, for example, that a ship in which a friend has embarked, or is about to embark, is lost, or that a boat, in which the dreamer or his friends intend sailing, is upset. Such dreams, caused by natu- ral apprehension, occurring frequently, it is not strange that occasionally one is fulfilled. 18 218 THE INVISIBLES If I understand Mr. Owen, he does not think that such instances prove the faculty of prevision. The following narrative is taken from Macnish's " Philosophy of Sleep" and the dream occurred to Mac- nish himself. "I was then in Caithness, when I dreamed that a near relative of my own, residing three hundred miles off, had suddenly died; and immediately thereafter awoke in a state of inconceivable terror, similar to that pro- duced by a paroxysm of nightmare. The same day, happening to be writing home, I mentioned the circum- stance in a half-jesting, half-earnest way. To tell the truth, I was afraid to be serious, lest I should be laughed at for putting any faith in dreams. However in the interval between writing and receiving an answer I remained in a state of most unpleasant suspense. I felt a presentiment that something dreadful had happened or would happen; and, though I could not help blaming myself for a childish weakness in so feeling, I was unable to get rid of the painful idea which had taken such rooted possession of my mind. Three days after sending away the letter, what was my astonishment when I received one written the day subsequent to mine, and stating that the relative of whom I had dreamed had been struck with a fatal shock of palsy the day before, — that is, the very day on the morning of which I had beheld the appearance in my dream ! I may state that my relative was in perfect health before the fatal event took place. It came upon him like a thunderbolt, at a period when no one could have the slightest anticipation of danger." REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 219 I infer from the following note by Mr. Owen, that Macnish considered the coincidence accidental. "Speaking of the hypothesis that dreams may at times give us an insight into futurity, Macnish says, 'This opinion is so singularly un philosophical that I would not have noticed it, were it not advocated by persons of good sense and education.'" In reply to which Mr. Owen says, "But after all it avails nothing to allege that an opinion is unphilosophi- cal if it should happen that facts attest its truth." The dream, it will be noticed, occurred several hours before the shock, and as the individual is represented as having been in perfect health up to the moment of the stroke, Mr. Owen thinks this an instance of prevision. But no one in perfect health is ever suddenly stricken down with palsy, or any other disease. A change must have been- going on in this person's nervous system for some time previous to what is called the fatal shock; and a change of this kind — affecting the nervous system — • could be perceived by those of the other world. If then this dream was caused by a being of the other world, and the coincidence of the dream and death was not accidental, there was no prevision, any more than there is when a physician of our world, from facts within his knowledge forms the opinion that a patient will not live beyond a certain period. "The Visit foretold." This narrative is taken from a work on Sleep by Mr. Macario. I will give the substance. Madame Macario and daughter went to the Bourbon baths. A cousin of Madame Macario, residing at Mou- lins — which it appears was the point at which they left 220 THE INVISIBLES. the rail-road, and took the diligence for the baths — dreamed on the night before they started, that he saw them take the rail-road cars for the baths, and in the morning told his wife to prepare to receive them, as they would pay them a visit. As it was raining when Madame Macario and daugh- ter arrived at Moulins, they did not visit the cousin, who lived in a distant quarter of the town, but stopped at the house of a friend near the rail-road station. The dream and impression of the cousin were accurate as to what Madame Macario intended, but not as to what actually occurred. Madame Macario in the night, either asleep or awake, probably thought of the journey, and of a visit to her cousin, and this produced an impression on the mind of the latter, who, it is stated, "habitually dreams of anything extraordinary that is to happen to him," in other words, he was very impressible. If the cousin was really gifted with the "prophetic instinct," he should have known that the party would not visit him; and if we suppose — which seems to me unnecessary — that the dream was caused by an inhabitant of the other world, who might have got Madame Maca- rio's intention from her mind, even this would be no instance of prevision, any more than if one of our world, having learned of the intended visit, had informed him. "The Indian mutiny" In this dream, Mr. Owen says, "A highly improbable event was foreshadowed with distinctness, a year before it occurred. I had the narra- tive in writing from a lady, whose name, if it were proper for me to give it, would be to the public an all- sufficient voucher for the truth of the story." REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 221 "Mrs. Torrens, the widow of General Torrens, now residing at Southsea, near Portsmouth, about a year pre- vious to the Indian mutiny, dreamed that she saw her daughter, Mrs. Hayes, and that daughter's husband, Captain Hayes, attacked by sepoys; and a frightful murderous struggle ensued, in which Captain Hayes was killed." Captain Hayes and his wife were at Lucknow during the siege of that place, where the former was captured by the sepoys and killed. It does not appear that his wife was attacked or molested in any way, except that she shared in the privations of the siege. This is called a clear foreshadowing of the great Indian mutiny. If the narrative was not headed, "The Indian mutiny," I venture to say most readers would see no intimation of that event in the dream. The lady's dream was confined to her daughter and son-in- law, and is of the same class as where one dreams that a vessel in which a friend has sailed, is lost; both dreams being caused by natural apprehension. I have no doubt that such dreams occur frequently to persons in England who have relatives in India. But I think most persons will agree with me in the opinion, that if one or a dozen individuals in England, had, before the event, dreamed of a mutiny in India, the fact would be no proof of prophetic instinct, or pre- vision; because more or less apprehension upon the subject was felt; the matter had been discussed, and I venture to say the occurrence predicted. "The Negro Servant." "A lady dreamed that an aged female relative had been murdered by a black servant; 19* 222 THE INVISIBLES. and the dream occurred more than once. She was then so much impressed by it that she went to the house of the lady to whom it related, and prevailed upon a gentleman to watch in an adjoining room during the following night. About three o'clock in the morning, the gentleman hear- ing footsteps on the stairs, left his place of concealment, and met the servant carrying up a quantity of coals. Being questioned as to where he was going, he replied, in a confused and hurried manner, that he was going to mend his mistress's fire; which at three o'clock in the morning, in the middle of summer, was evidently im- possible; and on further investigation, a strong knife was found concealed beneath the coals." This narrative is taken from Abercrombie's Intellec- tual Powers, and its accuracy is vouched for by him. Mr. Owen, while in Edinburgh in 1858, obtained an additional voucher, with the names of the parties, — which he gives — and the following additional facts, namely, that the dreamer did not know until she went to her relative's house after the dream, that the latter had a black servant, he having been recently engaged; and that the servant was afterward hung for murder, and confessed before his execution that he had intended to assassinate the lady. I can account for this dream upon no other hypothesis than that it was caused by an inhabitant of the other world. The difference between Mr. Owen and myself upon this point is, that he evidently believes spirits possess the power of seeing into futurity, in other words, have what is called the faculty of prevision. I am well satisfied that they have not the power of seeing into futurity, in any different sense from our- REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 223 selves; and I think this narrative does not at all support Mr. Owen's theory. The servant had probably thought of murdering his mistress for some time previous to the night when he was discovered going to her room; and Mr. Owen believes that spirits can read our thoughts. If then a friend of the lady from the other world, was with her, he (or she) could discover that this servant was a very bad character, and by watching closely his thoughts, could discover his intention to commit the murder. This is not prevision. The dreamer was either a daughter, or step-daughter, (I infer the latter), of the aged lady, and generally resided with her, but at that time was absent from home. She was probably the most impressible of any of the family. Such occurrences are rare for several reasons; our friends of the other world are not generally with us, there is not often the same opportunity, even if they were with us, for discovering such an intention, and if discovered, only certain individuals can receive such an impression even when asleep. Mr. Owen says, " It is true that, with that inexpli- cable dimness of vision which seems so often to charac- terize similar phenomena, the coming event is indicated only, not distinctly foretold. The daughter's dream was that her mother had been murdered; and this had not taken place." I see nothing inexplicable in the matter. The promi- nent idea in the mind of the one causing the dream would be the murder of the lady by the negro servant. This impression would naturally cause such a dream 224 THE INVISIBLES. as the young lady had. But suppose a person should be told that a certain individual intended to kill a cer- tain other individual, and on going to bed should dream of the matter; nine times out of ten, the dream would be that the murder was committed. So far as I have observed or read upon the subject, we but rarely dream that an event is to take place. The following anecdote is the only one in the chapter on dreams, which appears to me to indicate prevision. It is taken from Dr. Binns' " Anatomy of Sleep," the communication being addressed to the above author. "Bell and Stephenson. In the year 1768, my father, Matthew Talbot, of Castle Talbot, County Wexford, was much surprised at the recurrence of a dream three several times during the same night, which caused him to repeat the whole circumstance to his lady the next morning. He dreamed that he had arisen as usual, and descended to his library, the morning being hazy. He then seated himself at his secretaire to write, when, hap- pening to look up a long avenue of trees opposite the window, he perceived a man in a blue jacket, mounted on a white horse, coming toward the house. My father arose and opened the window; the man advancing, pre- sented him with a roll of papers, and told him they were invoices of a vessel that had been wrecked and had drifted in during the night on his son-in-law's (Lord Mount Morriss') estate, hard by, and signed ' Bell and Stephenson.' " My father's attention was called to the dream only from its frequent recurrence ; but when he found him- self seated at his desk on the misty morning, and be- REVIEW OP OTHER NARRATIVES. 225 held the identical person whom he had seen in his dream in the blue coat, riding on a gray horse, he felt surprised, and opening the window waited the man's approach. He immediately rode up, and drawing from his pocket a packet of papers, gave them to my father, stating that they were invoices belonging to an American vessel which had been wrecked and drifted upon his lordship's estate; that there was no person on board to lay claim to the wreck ; but that the invoices were signed ' Stephenson and Bell.'' " I assure you, my dear sir, that the above actually occurred, and is most faithfully given ; but it is not more extraordinary than other examples of the pro- phetic powers of the mind or soul during sleep, which I have frequently heard related. " Yours, most faithfully, " William Talbot." "Alton Towers, October 23, 1842." I do not doubt that Mr. Talbot has stated what he believed to be strictly correct ; nor do I doubt his state- ment that he has frequently heard as extraordinary ex- amples of prophetic power related; but his opinion as to the authenticity of the accounts is of very little weight, since he does not seem to understand the com- mon rules for receiving testimony, and would therefore be about as likely to believe one story as another. The first questions, when a person is called on to tes- tify relative to any occurrence, are, " What do you know?" and " Hoiv do you know?" Mr. Talbot has stated, as he believed, what he knew, but not how he knew. The occurrence took place seventy-four years previous 226 THE INVISIBLES. to the date of his communication ; whether before or after his birth is not stated, and is not material, as in. the latter case (unless a very old man when he gave the narrative), he must have been a child at the time. If, as seems probable, Mr. Talbot merely stated his recollections of what he had heard when a boy, this cer- tainly cannot be considered sufficient authority for so extraordinary a narrative, unsupported by any other in the volume,* or by any well authenticated narrative that I have seen. It will be noticed the narrative states that in the dream the invoices were signed " Bell and Stephenson," while the man who brought them said they were signed "Stephenson and Bell." This Mr. Owen considers an- other instance of inaccuracy in the dream. But I think Mr. Talbot was a careless writer, and that the inaccuracy was with him. In the dream it appears that the vessel had drifted upon the estate of Matthew Talbot's son-in- law ; but the man who brought the invoices stated, as I understand the sentence, that it had drifted upon the estate of the person to whom he handed the package. If this is not the meaning, then no particular estate is designated, for Lord Mount Morris is not named in this part of the narrative. I will next notice a class of dreams which Mr. Owen thinks examples of "farsight or natural clairvoyance." The following narrative is taken from Abercrombie's * Since writing the above, I find in a subsequent chapter, an account of a dream occurring to a Mrs. Higgins, a relative of the Fox family, indicating this " power." Mr. Owen does not state how he obtained the narrative, and as he has not placed it in the chapter on dreams, I don't know whether he considers it authentic or not. To me it appears a very silly story. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 227 " Intellectual Powers." "A lady in Edinburgh had sent her watch to be repaired. A long time elapsed without her being able to recover it; and after many excuses, she began to suspect that something was wrong. She now dreamed that the watch-maker's boy, by whom the watch was sent, had dropped it in the street, and had injured it in such a manner that it could not be repaired. She went to the master, and, without any allusion to her dream, put the question to him directly, when he con- fessed that it was true." Mr. Owen remarks, " In this case, nothing can be more ridiculous than to imagine that there was miracu- lous intervention for the purpose of informing a lady why her watch was detained at the maker's; yet how extreme the improbability, also, that among the ten thousand possible causes of that detention, chance should indicate to her, in dream, the very one, though apparently among the most far-fetched and unlikely, that was found exactly to coincide with the fact as it occurred ! "The attempt is futile to explain away even such a simple narrative as the foregoing, unless we impeach the good faith of the narrator; imagining, let us suppose that he has willfully concealed some essential attendant circumstance, as, for instance, that the lady whose watch was injured had reason, from information obtained, to surmise that the boy might have dropped it. But, when Abercrombie vouches for the narrative as authentic, his voucher excludes of course, suppositions which would deprive the anecdote of all value whatever in the con- nection in which he publishes it." Mr. Owen seems to admit that if the lady had reason to surmise that the boy might have dropped the watch, 228 THE INVISIBLES. then the dream may have occurred from natural causes, and does not substantiate the faculty of farsight or clair- voyance. But it is evident that if the lady surmised the same without any reason, the dream would be equally probable. The question then is, as to the probability of the lady having felt any apprehension that the boy had dropped the watch. In the first place, under the circumstances as stated, is this accident the most "far-fetched and unlikely" cause of the detention, among "ten thousand possible" ones? I can conceive of but three probable reasons for the detention, — First, that the watch-maker was irresponsible and dishonest, and had sold — or designed selling the watch — Second, that he was so crowded with business that he neglected it — and Third, that the watch had been so injured — either by himself or some one in his employ, that it could not speedily be repaired. Possibly on reflection I might think of one or two other reasons, but these are all that occur to me at this moment as being at all probable, and I feel confident they are the causes that would be most readily surmised by any one. In the present case, however, the inquiry as to what causes would probably occur to the lady, is much nar- rowed from the 'fact that it is stated, "She began to suspect that something was wrong." What would she be likely to suspect this "something" was? It appears to me the suspicion would be one of the three named, namely, either that the watch-maker was dishonest — that the watch had been lost — or that it had been injured. We may I think assume that in this case the firpt-named suspicion was not likely to occur. EEVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 229 Now, that the boy would drop the watch, was, I admit, when he took it, an improbable event ; that he had dropped it, was at the time the lady's suspicions were excited, much less improbable. But this is not the question for consideration ; the question is as to the probability of the lady being apprehensive that he had dropped it. * I venture to say, that nine out of ten ladies sending their watches by a boy, would feel a little — in some cases perhaps almost unconscious — apprehension that he might drop it. I am frequently conscious of this feeling in myself, when even handing a watch, or any delicate instrument to a gentleman for examination. It appears to me therefore, that there is nothing im- probable in the supposition that this dream occurred from natural apprehension. If the reader thinks this attempt at explanation is futile, he should consider the possibility of the lady seeing, by "farsight or natural clairvoyance," the boy drop the watch, not at the time of the occurrence but a long time afterward. I can imagine that there might be such a faculty as clairvoyance, but I cannot even imagine a faculty by which we could see an occurrence not taking place at the time. I have said nothing as to the possibility of the lady's mind having been influenced by that of the boy or of the watch-maker, because I think the dream explainable otherwise; but I should consider this supposition far more probable than the theory of Mr. Owen. I shall not review any more narratives of this class, which I think can be explained upon other theories than 20 230 THE INVISIBLES. that of clairvoyance, but will next notice those which I think cannot. There are two such in the chapter, both given by sailors ; very doubtful authority in such mat- ters. I will give the substance of the one which Mr. Owen received direct. It is entitled, " The two field- mice." "On the night of the 17th of February, 1836, Cap- tain Clarke, then on board the schooner referred to,* had a dream of so vivid a character that it produced a great impression upon him. He dreamed that, being at Lyme-Regis, he saw pass before him the funeral of his grandmother. He took note of the chief persons who composed the procession, observed who were the pall- bearers, who were the mourners, and in what order they walked, and distinguished who was the officiating pas- tor. He joined the procession as it approached the church-yard gate, and proceeded with it to the grave. He thought (in his dream) that the weather was stormy, and the ground wet, as after a heavy rain ; and he no- ticed that the wind being high, blew the pall partly off^ the coffin. The grave-yard which they entered, the old Protestant one, in the center of the town, was the same in which, as Captain Clarke knew, their family burying- place was. He perfectly remembered its situation ; but, to his surprise, the funeral procession did not proceed thither, but to another part of the church-yard, at some distance. There (still in his dream) he saw the open grave, partially filled with water, as from the rain ; and looking into it, he particularly noticed floating in the * A schooner frozen up in the Bay of Fundy. It is stated that Cap- tain Clarke had not heard of his grandmother's illness, who resided at Lyme-Regis, England. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 231 water two drowned field-mice. Afterward, as he thought, he conversed with his mother; and she told him that the morning had been so tempestuous that the funeral, originally appointed for ten o'clock, had been deferred till four. He remarked, in reply, that it was a fortunate circumstance; for, as he had just arrived in time to join the procession, had the funeral taken place in the forenoon he could not have attended it at all. " This dream made so deep an impression on Captain Clarke, that in the morning he noted the date of it. " Some time afterward there came the news of his grandmother's death, with the additional particulars that she was buried on the same day on which he, being in North America, had dreamed of her funeral. " When, four years afterwards, Captain Clarke vis- ited Lyme-Hegis, he found that every particular of his dream minutely corresponded with the reality. The pastor, the pall-bearers, the mourners, were the same persons he had seen. Yet this, we may suppose, he might naturally have anticipated. But the funeral had been appointed for ten o'clock in the morning, and in consequence of the tempestuous weather and the heavy rain that was falling, it had been delayed until four in the afternoon. His mother, who attended the funeral, distinctly recollected that the high wind blew the pall partially off the coffin. In consequence of a wish ex- pressed by the old lady shortly before her death, she was buried, not in the burying-place of the family, but at another spot, selected by herself; and to this spot Cap- tain Clarke, without any indication from the family or otherwise, proceeded at once, as directly as if he had been present at the burial. Finally, on comparing notes 232 THE INVISIBLES. with the old sexton, it appeared that the heavy rain of the morning had partially filled the grave, and that there were actually found in it two field-mice, drowned. " This last incident, even if there were no other, might suffice to preclude all idea of accidental coin- cidence." This narrative was communicated to Mr. Owen by Captain Clarke, in July, 1859. I at once admit my inability to explain the dream. It could not have occurred from natural causes, neither could it have been produced by the mind of any other person either of our world or the other, for no one per- son would have noticed so many particulars, and if they had, it is doubtful if so minutely accurate a dream, em- bracing so many particulars could be produced in this way. I can only say then, that I do not believe the narra- tive, and as I shall have occasion hereafter to notice a still more wonderful narrative by this Captain Clarke, I think most readers will become convinced that he is entirely unworthy of credit. The other narrative indicating clairvoyance, which as stated, I am unable to explain, is entitled " The murder near Wadebridge." It is taken from a work entitled, " Early Years and Late Reflections" written by a Dr. Carlyon. The dream, as stated, occurred to a Captain Norway, on board his vessel, and was about as minutely accurate as that of Captain Clarke. Mr. Owen states that the account " is an extract taken verbatim from the ship's log." There is nothing in the narrative as he gives it, showing this fact, but if this assertion is made in the work of Dr. Carlyon, unless he saw the log himself, the statement is sufficient to dis- REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 233 credit the narrative, for it cannot be the custom to enter dreams, especially when they have no reference to the ship or voyage, in the ship's log. Mr. Owen's belief seems to be about the same as that of spiritualists generally in reference to the ability of the spiritual body, — or as he describes it in one place, "the counterpart of a living person" — to "show itself at a greater or less distance from where that person actually is." There are two or three narratives in the chapter on dreams, which he appears to think confirms this theory. The following is taken from Abercrombie's Intellec- tual Poivers. The dream occurred to Joseph Wilkins, at the time usher of a school in Devonshire, England, afterward dissenting clergyman at Weymouth; and the narrative was written by himself. The Mother and Son. "One night, soon after I was in bed, I fell asleep, and dreamed I was going to Lon- don. I thought it would not be much out of my way to go through Gloucestershire and call upon my friends there. Accordingly I set out, but remembered nothing that happened by the way till I came to my father's house; when I went to the front door and tried to open it, but found it fast. Then I went to the back door, which I opened and went in; but finding all the family were in bed, I crossed the rooms only, went up-stairs, and entered the chamber where my father and mother were in bed. As I went by the side of the bed on which my father lay, I found him asleep, or thought he was so; then I went to the other side, and having just turned the foot of the bed, I found my mother awake, 20* 234 THE INVISIBLES. to whom I said these words; — 'Mother, I am going a long journey, and am come to bid you good-bye.' Upon which she answered, in a fright, 'Oh, dear son, thou art dead.'' With this I awoke, and took no notice of it more than a common dream, except that it appeared to me very perfect. In a few days after, as soon as a letter could reach me, I received one by post from my father; upon the receipt of which I was a little sur- prised, and concluded something extraordinary must have happened, as it was but a short time before I had a letter from my friends, and all were well. Upon opening it I was more surprised still; for my father addressed me as though I was dead, desiring me, if alive, or whoever's hands the letter might fall into, to write immediately; but if the letter should find me living they concluded I should not live long, and gave this as the reason of their fears: — That on a certain night, naming it, after they were in bed, my father asleep and my mother awake, she heard somebody try to open the front door; but finding it fast, he went to the back door, which he opened, came in, and came directly through the rooms up stairs, and she perfectly knew it to be my step; but I came to her bed-side and spoke to her these words: — 'Mother, I am going a long journey, and have come to bid you good-bye.' Upon which she answered me, in a fright, 'Oh, dear son, thou art dead !' — which were the circumstances and words of my dream. But she heard nothing more, and saw nothing more; neither did I in my dream. Upon this she awoke and told my father what had passed; but he endeavored to appease her, persuading her it was only a dream. She insisted it was no dream, for that REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 285 she was as perfectly awake as ever she was, and had not the least inclination to sleep since she was in bed. From these circumstances I am apt to think it was at the very same instant when my dream happened, though the distance between us was about one hundred miles; but of this I cannot speak positively. This occurred while I was at the academy at Ottery, Devon, in the year 1754; and at this moment every circumstance is fresh upon my mind. I have since had frequent oppor- tunities of talking over the affair with my mother, and the whole was as fresh upon her mind as it was upon mine. I have often thought that her sensations, as to this matter, were stronger than mine. What may appear strange is, that I cannot remember anything remarkable happening hereupon. This is only a plain, simple narrative of a matter of fact." Whether the mother was asleep or awake, is not material; she was lying in bed, her mind in a receptive condition, and my belief is that the mind of the son impressed its thoughts upon the mind of the mother. It is hardly necessary to say that Abercrombie was not a spiritualist; but he does not give any distinct theory as to these, or other dreams, the accounts of which are taken from his work. It appears however that Mr. Owen has seen, in a work entitled, "Philosophy of Mysterious Agents" Human and Mundane, by E. C. Rogers — which I have not seen — a theory relative to this very narrative, similar to that I have given. Mr. Owen notices his theory as follows. "The ingenious author of the 'Philosophy of Mysteri- ous Agents,' who eschews everything like spiritualism, in dealing with the Wilkins narrative, of which he admits 236 THE INVISIBLES. the authenticity, says, 'It certainly shows a strange and hitherto unknown physical agent in or by which the brain may act even at a great distance, and produce physical results perfectly representing the cerebral action when the mind's controlling power is suspended.' "If this, as may happen, should seem to the reader somewhat obscure, let him, to aid his conceptions, take another paragraph. After copying the story itself, Mr. Rogers subjoins, 'This is easily accounted for by the method we are considering this class of phenomena; and we can see no other in which there are not insuperable difficulties. In this case we have again the condition required for the play of mundane powers in reference to the brain; and that in which the brain, as a point, being irritated, may act, and by the mundane agency represent its action (as in this case) fifty miles or more distant.' "It does not strike me that by this method of Mr. Rogers' the strange phenomenon we have been consider- ing is, as he thinks, easily accounted for. How does he account for it? The doctrine of chance, he sees, is quite untenable. The doctrine of Spiritualism he repudiates. To avoid both he suggests that the brain of the son, in Devonshire, being in activity during the suspended volition incident to sleep, represented its action on the brain of the mother, a hundred miles off, in Gloucester- shire; and that this represented action was due to a mundane agency strange and unknown. "To say that the two minds were, in some mode or other, placed in relation, is only an admission that the coincidence of sensations and ideas in both was not for- tuitous. If as we may freely further admit, the agency be, as Mr. Rogers alleges, strange and unknown, why REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 237 assume it to be physical? And by such assumption do we account for the phenomenon, — not to say easily, but at all ? Have we done more than employ vague words, — and words, vague as they are, which we do not seem justified in employing? What do we know about a brain, irritated, acting physically at a hundred miles distance? What do we mean by such a brain represent- ing its action, at that distance on another? What sort of mundane agency can we imagine as the instrument of such action? And if we are to esteem a mere physi- cal agent capable of thus connecting, without regard to distance, mind with mind, what need of any hypothetical soul or spirit to account for the entire wondrous range of mental phenomena? " Here again it behooves us to ask whither, in an attempt to escape the hypothesis of spiritual agency, our steps are invited ? To the confines, it would seem, of materialism." I see no force in the last paragraph, or in the sugges- tion that Mr. Rogers' theory does away with the necessity for a " hypothetical soul or spirit," unless Mr. Owen means by the expression, a spirit such as he believes in. At the same time, it does not appear to me that Mr. Rogers has made the subject any clearer by his attempt at explanation, and until we have a clear conception of the action of our own mind upon our own brain, or of the brain upon the mind, it seems to me idle to attempt to explain the action of either upon the mind or brain of another person. At all events, I do not consider myself competent for such an undertaking, and shall merely notice the probabilities or consistencies of the two theories. 288 THE INVISIBLES. The phenomenon does not show "a strange and hith- erto unknown physical agent/' as Mr. Rogers asserts, for it is a fact well known that the mind of one person can, under certain conditions not fully understood, pro- duce an impression upon the mind of another, and the phenomenon is the same, and governed by the same laws, when the effect is produced at a distance of one hundred miles, as where the distance is only one inch. The only difference is, that in the former case the conditions must be more favorable than is necessary in the latter. Now look at the absurdity and inconsistency of the spiritual hypothesis as applied to this case. The spiritual body of the son, according to this the- ory, could leave the outer or "natural" body, and the room and house in which it lay, without difficulty, and could travel a hundred miles in a few minutes, or at farthest in a very brief space of time; but when it came to the residence of the parents, it could not enter with- out opening the door, and finding the front door fastened, was obliged to go to the back door. On entering, it walked precisely as the "natural body" would have done, (it could scarcely have traveled the hundred miles in that way), and the tread was so firm that the mother, up-stairs, heard and recognized it; and finally, it entered her room and spoke to her in an audible voice. It appears to have got out of the house however without opening any door, and without its footsteps being heard. Now, unless the mother did hear the "spirit," try first to open the front door, then open the back door and walk through the rooms, if all this was an illusion then the whole was an illusion. Again, why should such a being as this — one that REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 239 opens doors, walks and speaks like an ordinary inhabi- tant of our world — leave so suddenly when the mother spoke ? Why not converse further with her, at least so far as to assure her that he was not dead ? The reply of Mr. Owen would be, I presume, that the spiritual body can only leave the natural body when the latter is asleep or in a trance ; (I am not sure that this is the belief of all spiritualists, but it seems to be that of Mr. Owen), and that the waking of the natural body of the son recalled the spiritual body. Then, even according to this theory, there was some kind of an influence extending from the natural body of the son, one hundred miles, to the residence of the parents. It strikes me that it is just as difficult to un- derstand this, as to understand how the mind of the mother could be impressed at that distance. It may be thought by some that the fact of the mother being, according to her statement, awake, has some weight in favor of the spiritual hypothesis. I will give the substance of a similar narrative, where both parties, several hundred* miles apart, state that they were asleep, and dreamed of the occurrences. It was communicated to Mr. Owen, he says, "in March, 1859, by Miss A. M. H , the talented daugh- ter of a gentleman well known in the literary circles of Great Britain." I reverse the order in which Mr. Owen gives the narrative, because I think the impres- sion was produced on the mind of the lady by that of the gentleman. " One dream the counterpart of another." Mr. S , a friend of Miss A. M. H , dreamed as follows : — * The precise distance is not stated. 240 THE INVISIBLES. " I seemed to myself on the point of death, and was taking final leave of my brother. ' Is there anything,' he said, ' I can do for you before you die ?' ' Yes,' I replied, in my dream ; ' two things. Send for my friend A. M. H , I must see her before I depart.' ' Im- possible !' said my brother ; ' it would be an unheard of thing ; she would never come.' ' She would,' I insisted, in my dream, and added, ' I would also hear my favor- ite sonata by Beethoven, ere I die.' ' But these are trifles/ exclaimed my brother, almost sternly. ' Have you no desires more earnest at so solemn an hour?' ' No, to see my friend A. M. and to hear that sonata, that is all I wish.' And, even as I spoke, in my dream I saw you* enter. You walked up to the bed with a cheerful air; and, while the music I had longed for filled the room, you spoke to me encouragingly, saying I should not die.' " On the same night, as we are led to infer, though this is not distinctly stated, the following dream occurred to Miss A. M. H , as related by her. " One night, when there was no special cause for my mind reverting to our friend or to his state of health, f I dreamed that I had to go to the town where he re- sided. In my dream I seemed to arrive at a particular house,J ^ n ^° which I entered, and went straight up-stairs into a darkened chamber. There, on his bed, I saw S , lying as if about to die. I walked up to him ; and, not mournfully, but as if filled with hopeful assur- ance, I took his hand, and said, ' No, you are not go- ing to die. Be comforted ; you will live.' Even as I * He was giving the account to Miss A. M. H . I Which was delicate. J The lady did not know his residence. REVIEW OF OTHER- NARRATIVES. 241 spoke, I seemed to hear an exquisite strain of music sounding through the room." It is, I think, very evident that in this case, if the spiritual body of Miss H visited Mr. S , the desire of the latter for the visit was first impressed upon her mind, and this was the cause of the visit. But I am unable to perceive why, if his mind could impress hers to that extent, a dream may not have occurred to her from the same influence. As Mr. Owen believes that individuals can see. and converse with spirits in their sleep, he of course would have no difficulty on that point. But are we to assume that the spiritual body of Mr. S 's brother was also present? If that was an illusion, though not perhaps positive, it is at least partial evidence, that the whole was an illusion. Then as to the music — what produced that? Mr. S had wished that Miss H would come, and that he might thus hear his favorite sonata ; but, with the incoherence common in dreams, although he heard the music when she came, it was not executed by her. Miss H 's dream was on this point the same ; she did not dream that she performed, but simply that she heard the music. If he had dreamt that she executed the music, she would probably have dreamt the same. I presume that examples of these synchronous dreams are much more numerous than is generally supposed. People rarely tell their dreams, and even when one is mentioned, it is far from a certainty that the individual who had the corresponding dream will hear of the other. In the case of Mr. S and Miss H , so vivid 21 242 THE INVISIBLES. were the impressions on the mind of the latter, that the next day she related the dream to her mother, and wrote to Mr. S , inquiring after his health; but she said nothing in the letter about her dream, and it was three years after the occurrence before either party heard of the other's dream. The next chapter of Mr. Owen's work is on "Disturb- ances -popularly termed liamxtmgsP If a portion of the inhabitants of the other world are such as I have described, we can readily imagine that some of these would haunt the places where they formerly lived, or where some event in Avhich they were greatly interested had transpired. It is not true, however, that there are now, or ever were, houses in which disturbances of the kind alluded to could be made, without the presence of what are now called mediums, — that is, without the presence of one of our world, by means of whose electricity the material of the other world can be so changed that the inhab- itants of the latter can use it to create the disturbances. The following narrative conveys more nearly than any other in the chapter the popular idea of a haunted house, as the building appears to have been uninhabited previous to the visit of the parties named in the narra- tive. "The Castle of SlawensiJc." In the month of November, 1806, Councilor Hahn, attached to the court of the then reigning Prince of Hohenlohe, Neuenstein-Ingelfingen, received orders from the prince to proceed to the above castle, situated in Upper Silesia, and there await his REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 243 ordei's. Halm was accompanied by Cornet Charles Kern. — They both occupied the same room in the castle, which was a corner room on the first floor, having no opening without except the windows. The only resi- dents of the castle at the time were Hahn, Kern, Halm's servant, and two of the prince's coachmen. "On the third evening after their arrival in the castle, the two friends were sitting reading at a table in the middle of the room. About nine o'clock their occupation was interrupted by the frequent falling of small bits of lime over the room. They examined the ceiling, but could perceive no signs of their having fallen thence. As they were conversing of this, still larger pieces of lime fell around them. This lime was cold to the touch, as if detached from an outside wall. "They finally set it down to the account of the old walls of the castle, and went to bed and to sleep. The next morning they were astonished at the quantity of lime that covered the floor, the more so as they could not perceive on walls or ceiling the slightest appearance of injury. By evening, however, the incident was for- gotten, until not only the same phenomenon recurred, but bits of lime were thrown about the room, several of which struck Halm. At the same time loud knockings, like the report of distant artillery, were heard, some- times as if on the floor, sometimes as if on the ceiling. Again the friends went to bed; but the loudness of the knoeks prevented their sleeping. Kern accused Halm of causing the knockings by striking on the boards that formed the under portion of his bedstead, and was not convinced of the contrary till he had taken the light and examined for himself. Then Hahn conceived a 244 THE INVISIBLES. similar suspicion of Kern. The dispute was settled by both rising and standing close together, during which time the knockings continued as before. Next evening, besides the throwing of lime and the knockings, they heard another sound, resembling the distant beating of a drum. " Thereupon they requested of a lady who had charge of the castle, Madame Knittel, the keys of the rooms above and below them; which she immediately sent them by her son. Hahn remained in the chamber below, while Kern and young Knittel went to examine the apartments in question. Above they found an empty room, below a kitchen. They knocked; but the sounds were entirely different from those that they had heard, and which Hahn at that very time continued to hear, in the room below. When they returned from their search, Hahn said, jestingly, ' The place is haunted.' They again went to bed, leaving the candles burning; but things became still more serious, for they distinctly heard a sound as if some one with loose slippers on were walking across the room; and this was accompanied also with a noise as of a walking-stick on which some one was leaning, striking the floor step by step; the person seeming, as far as one could judge by the sound, to be walking up and down the room. Hahn jested at this, Kern laughed, and both went to sleep, still not seriously disposed to ascribe these strange phenomena to any supernatural source. "Next evening, however, it seemed impossible to ascribe the occurrences to any natural cause. The agency, whatever it was, began to throw various articles about the room; knives, forks, brushes, caps, slippers, REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 245 padlocks, a funnel, snuffers, soap, in short, whatever was loose about the apartment. Even candlesticks flew about, first from one corner, then from another. If the things had been left lying as they fell, the whole room would have been strewed in utter confusion. At the same time there fell at intervals more lime; but the knockings were discontinued. Then the friends called up the two coachmen and Hahii's servant, besides young Knittel, the watchman of the castle, and others; all of whom were witnesses of these disturbances." It is not necessary for my purpose to copy the whole narrative, which occupies eight or nine pages of Mr. Owen's work. After the disturbances had continued about three weeks, Hahn and Kern removed into the room immedi- ately above the one they were occupying; but the same disturbances followed thern to their new apartmeut. The story of the disturbances spread over the neighbor- hood, and others visited the castle and witnessed them. Finally the two friends moved into another room — the third occupied — when the disturbances appear to have ceased. The narrative is taken by Mr. Owen from Dr. Kerner's life of the Seeress of Prevorst, it having been communicated to the Dr. by Hahn; and is attested by the latter as follows : — "I saw and heard everything, exactly as here set down; observing the whole carefully and quietly. I experienced no fear whatever; yet I am wholly unable to account for the occurrences narrated. "Written this 19th of November, 1808. "Councilor Hahn." 21* 24G THE INVISIBLES. Two subsequent letters from Hahn to Dr. Kerner, upon the subject are published, the latest dated May, 1831. It is also stated that a gentleman of the utmost respectability, residing in Stuttgart, visited Slawensik in the year 1830, for the purpose of verifying the narra- tive; and that, while some ridiculed it, the only two men he met with, survivors of those who had witnessed the events, confirmed the accuracy of the narrative in every particular. " This gentleman further ascertained that the castle of Slawensik had been since destroyed, and that in clearing away the ruins, there was found a male skeleton walled in and without coffin, with the skull split open. By the side of this skeleton lay a sword." This last story is not very well authenticated. There may have been some tragedy enacted in the castle which was the cause of its being haunted by beings of the other world, but it is equally probable that the cause was, the latter having lived there a life of pleasure. The disturbances were never, — so far as appears from the narrative of Hahn, and the statement of the gentle- man who subsequently visited the place — witnessed before or since the visit of Hahn and Kern ; and it is evident on reading the whole narrative, that Hahn was the medium. In the portion I have copied it is stated that when Kern and young Knittel went into the room above, Hahn continued to hear the knockings, but the two former heard nothing; and it does not appear that any disturbances were witnessed when Hahn was not present, REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 247 while it is stated that Hahn witnessed them, when entirely alone in the castle. "Hahn resolved that he would investigate them seri- ously. He accordingly, one evening, sat down -at his writing-table, with two lighted candles before him; being so placed that he could observe the whole room, and especially all the windows and doors. He was left, for a time, entirely alone in the castle, the coachmen being in the stables, and Kern having gone out. Yet the very same occurrences took place as before; nay, the snuffers, under his very eyes, were raised and whirled about." The disturbances in the residence of the Fox family, at Hydesville, N. Y., also commenced soon after the family had moved into the house. They — or certain members of the family — were probably the first occu- pants, through whom the beings of the other world visiting the house, could cause the disturbances, as Hahn was the first at the castle. The great difference in the two cases is, that a member of the Fox family dis- covered a mode of communicating with the "spirits," and therefore she, and one or two of her sisters, became known as mediums, and were followed wherever they went by the " spirits." Had Hahn made the same dis- covery, he undoubtedly would also have been followed from the castle. This explains the fact, that before the rise of modern spiritualism, stories of haunted houses — that is, of houses in which any visitor was liable to be visited by a "ghost" — were more frequent than at present. An individual visiting the house, would see an appa- rition, or hear strange noises, or see articles moved by 248 THE INVISIBLES. invisible agency ; possibly out of a considerable number visiting the house, two or three would have similar experience, others would imagine they saw a " ghost," or heard strange noises, and thus the house got the reputa- tion of being haunted. The popular belief was probably correct on the main point, the error being in supposing that one person was as likely as another to witness the occurrences. Since a mode of communication has been discovered, and "mediums" have become common, the class of beings of the other world who haunt ours, mostly gather around the mediums: and their desire for communication with our world is so great, that, when this desire is gratified, they will generally cease their annoyances. It may be thought by some, that if Councilor Hahn was a medium through whom such disturbances could be produced, the fact goes to disprove the theory that mediums of this class are never very intellectual. I presume the title "councilor" indicates that he was a member of the prince's council, and nothing more. This is no evidence that he either was, or was not, an intellectual man. The council of a petty German prince could have no large amount of intellectual labor to perform in its official capacity. The princes themselves are not, even at the present time, remarkable for intellectuality. There is in this narrative an account of an apparition, which, .1 think, supports my statement that they are mostly impressional, or hallucinations. One evening, when the disturbances were going on, " Kern, half undressed, paced the room in deep thought. Suddenly he stopped before a mirror, into which he chanced to look. After gazing upon it for some ten REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 249 minutes, he began to tremble, turned deadly pale, and moved away. Hahn, thinking that he had been sud- denly taken ill from the cold, hastened to him and threw a cloak over his shoulders. Then Kern, naturally a fearless man, took courage, and related to his friend, though still with quivering lips, that he had seen in the mirror the appearance of a female figure, in white, look- ing at him, and apparently before him, for he could see the reflection of himself behind it. It was some time before he could persuade himself that he really saw this figure; and for that reason he remained so Jong before the glass. Willingly would he have' believed that it was a mere trick of his imagination ; but as the figure looked at him full in the face, and he could perceive its eyes move, a shudder passed over him, and he turned away. Hahn instantly went to the mirror and called upon the image to show itself to him ; but, though he remained a quarter of an hour before it, and often re- peated his invocation, he saw nothing." As I have frequently heard of appai*itions being seen in mirrors, and of persons " divining" by looking into crystals, I am inclined to believe that the act of gazing steadily into these will sometimes produce hallucinations. But, whether produced in this way, or by one of the beings of the other world, the vision of Kern was evidently an instance of hallucination. He saw the reflection of himself behind the other reflection, therefore the object reflected, if there was any, must have been between him and the mirror. Now a plane mirror does not increase the distinctness of an object; on the con- trary, the reflection is less distinct than the object itself. Therefore if there had been any object between him and 250 THE INVISIBLES. the mirror capable of being reflected, he would have seen the object, and not merely the reflection. The narratives in this chapter are so much alike, and the phenomena described, so similar to what has been witnessed by thousands since the rise of modern spiritu- alism, that I will only notice the several narratives so far as they appear to confirm or negative the theory I have given. " Tlie Glanvil Narrative" is an account given by the Rev. Joseph Glanvil, chaplain-in-ordinary to Charles II. of disturbances in the house of Mr. Mompesson, at Ted worth, England, continuing from April, 1661, until April, 1663. From the first part of the narrative it would be impossible to decide who was the medium ; no particular member of the family is indicated. But on reading the whole, it appears pretty evident that a daughter, about ten years of age, was a medium, and I should infer, the only one in the house ; but upon this point it is some- what difficult to decide. " The Wesley Narrative" gives an account of similar disturbances in the parsonage of Rev. Samuel Wesley, father of the celebrated John Wesley. It is impossible to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion as to the medium, or mediums, in this case. It would appear from this narrative, as well as from a portion of the Glanvil narrative, that the occurrences could not have been owing to the presence of any one, two, or three individuals in the house. But all observations of the phenomena by persons not familiar with the same, REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 251 are usually at first equally inaccurate. The first portion of the Glanvil narrative was derived by that gentleman from Mr. Mompesson and others. Mr. Glanvil states that when he visited the house, the "demon or spirit" haunted two children — girls between seven and eleven years of age ; and he witnessed no disturbances except in the presence of these children. The following narrative shows more clearly inaccu- racy in the first observations. It is taken from a work by Mackay, on " Popular Delusions/' he considering it an example of the kind. " The Farm-Souse of Baldarroch, Scotland. On the 5th of December, 1838, the inmates of the farm-house of Baldarroch, in the district of Banchory, Aberdeen- shire, were alarmed by observing a great number of sticks, pebble-stones, and clods of earth flying about their yard and premises. They endeavored, but in vain, to discover who was the delinquent, and the shower of stones continuing for five days in succession, they came at last to the conclusion that the devil and his imps were alone the cause of it. The rumor soon spread all over that part of the country, and hundreds of persons came from far and near to witness the antics of the dev- ils of Baldarroch. After the fifth day, the showers of clods and stones ceased on the outside of the premises, and the scene shifted to the interior. Spoons, knives, plates, mustard-pots, rolling-pins, and flat-irons appeared suddenly endued with the power of self-motion, and were whirled from room to room, and rattled down the chimneys, in a manner nobody could account for. The lid of a mustard-pot was put into a cupboard by a ser- 252 THE INVISIBLES. vant girl, in the presence of scores of people, and in a few minutes afterward came bouncing down the chim- ney, to the consternation of everybody. There was also a tremendous knocking at the doors and on the roof, and pieces of stick and pebble-stones rattled against the windows and broke them. The whole neighborhood was a scene of alarm ; and not only the vulgar, but per- sons of education, respectable farmers within a circle of twenty miles, expressed their belief in the super- natural character of these events." If the narrative terminated here, it would be impos- sible to account for the disturbances consistently with the theory I have given ; far more difficult than to ac- count for those described in the Glanvil and Wesley narratives. But Mackay's narrative closes as follows : — "After a fortnight's continuance of the noises, the whole trick was discovered. The two servant-lasses were strictly examined, and then committed to prison. It appeared that they alone were at the bottom of the whole affair, and that the extraordinary alarm and cre- dulity of their master and mistress in the first instance, and of the neighbors and country-people afterwards, made their task comparatively easy. A little common dexterity was all they had used; and, being themselves unsuspected, they swelled the alarm by the wonderful stories they invented. It was they who loosened the bricks in the chimneys and placed the dishes in such a manner on the shelves that they fell on the slightest motion." Mr. Owen adds, " The proof that the girls were the authors of all the mischief appears to have rested on the fact that ' no sooner were they secured in the county REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 253 gaol, than the noises ceased ;' and thus, says Mackay, 'most people were convinced that human agency alone had worked all the wonder.' Others, however, he ad- mits, still held out in their first belief, and were entirely dissatisfied with the explanation, as indeed they very well might be, if we are to trust to the details given by Mackay himself of these disturbances." It appears then, that it was finally observed that the disturbances occurred only in the presence of the two servant-girls ; (a closer observation would possibly have showed that they occurred only in the presence of one), and when they were removed the disturbances ceased. The account then, especially the description of the showers of sticks, stones and clods of earth, flying about the yard and premises, must be an exaggeration. The other narratives in this chapter, with a single ex- ception, clearly indicate that the disturbances occurred only in the presence of certain individuals. Mr. Owen seems to have noticed this fact. In reference to the Mackay narrative he says : — " One can understand that a court of justice should admit, as presumptive proof against the girls, the fact that from the time they were lodged in jail, the disturb- ances ceased. With the lights before them, the pre- sumption was not unreasonable. But I have already adduced some proof, and shall hereafter add more, that such disturbances appear to attach to individuals, (or, in other words, to occur in certain localities in their pre- sence) without any agency — at least any conscious agency — on the part of those persons themselves." But the next narrative he gives is the one I have re- 22 254 THE INVISIBLES. ferred to, as being the only one in the chapter confuting this theory. I will give a pretty full synopsis. " The Cemetery of Ahrensburg. In the immediate vicinity of Ahrensburg, the only town in the Island of Oesel,* is the public cemetery. Tastefully laid out and carefully kept, planted with trees and partly surrounded by a grove dotted with evergreens, it is a favorite prom- enade of the inhabitants. Besides its tombs, — in every variety, from the humblest to the most elaborate, — it contains several private chapels, each the burying-place of some family of distinction. Underneath each of these is a vault, paved with wood, to which the descent is by a stairway from inside the chapel and closed by a door. The coffins of the members of the family more recently deceased usually remain for a time in the chapel. They are afterward transferred to the vaults, and there placed side by side, elevated on iron bars. These coffins it is the custom to make of massive oak, very heavy and strongly put together. " The public highway passes in front of the cemetery and at a short distance therefrom. Conspicuous, and to be seen by the traveler as he rides by, are three chapels, facing the highway. Of these the most spacious, adorned with pillars in front, is that belonging to the family of Buxhoewden, of patrician descent, and origi- nally from the city of Bremen. It has been their place of interment for several generations." It was in this chapel, which for some eight or ten years previous to the incidents narrated, had the reputa- tion of being haunted, that the disturbances took place. * In the Baltic. REVIEW OP OTHER NARRATIVES. 255 It was the habit of the country people visiting the cemetery, to fasten their horses immediately in front of, and close to this chapel. On the second day of Pentecost, Monday, the 22d of June, in the year 1844, a woman visited the cemetery, and fastened her horse, as usual, in front of the chapel. While kneeling in prayer by the grave of her mother, situated behind the chapel, the woman had an indistinct perception, as she afterward remembered, that she heard noises in the direction of the chapel. On completing her prayers, and returning to her horse, she found it covered with sweat and foam, its limbs trembling, and appearing to be in mortal terror. It was scarcely able to walk, and she was obliged to call a veterinary surgeon, who said the horse must have been excessively terrified from some cause or other. He bled it, administered a remedy, and the animal recovered. The following Sunday several persons who had fas- tened their horses in front of the chapel, reported that they found them in a somewhat similar condition; and some of them stated that they heard, seeming to proceed from the vaults of the chapel, rumbling sounds which occasionally assumed the character of groans. "And this was but the prelude to further disturbances, gradually increasing in frequency. One day in the course of the next month (July) it happened that eleven horses were fastened close to the columns of the chapel. Some persons, passing near by, and hearing, as they alleged, loud voices, as if issuing from beneath the building, raised the alarm; and when the owners reached the spot they found the poor animals in a pitiable con- dition. Several of them, in their frantic efforts to 256 THE INVISIBLES. escape, had thrown themselves on the ground, and lay struggling there; others were scarcely able to walk or stand; and all were violently affected, so that it became necessary immediately to resort to bleeding and other means of relief. In the case of three or four of them these means proved unavailing. They died within a day or two. "This was serious. And it was the cause of a formal complaint being made by some of the sufferers to the consistory, — a court holding its sitting at Ahrensburg and having charge of ecclesiastical affairs. "About the same time a member of the Buxhoewden family died. At his funeral, during the reading in the chapel of the service for the dead, what seemed groans and other strange noises were heard from beneath, to the great terror of some of the assistants, the servants especially. The horses attached to the hearse and to the mourning coaches were sensibly affected, but not so violently as some of the others had been. After the interment three or four of those who had been present, bolder than their neighbors, descended to the vault. While there they heard nothing; but they found, to their infinite surprise, that, of the numerous coffins which had been deposited there in due order side by side, almost all had been displaced and lay in a confused pile. They sought in vain for any cause that might account for this. The doors were always kept carefully fastened, and the locks showed no signs of having been tampered with. The coffins were replaced in due order." The excitement increasing, and renewed complaints reaching the consistory, an inquiry was proposed, which the family at first objected to, treating the matter as a REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 257 trick or scandal set- on foot by their enemies. But the Baron de Guldeustubbe', president of the consistory, having visited the vault privately in company with two members of the family, and found the coffins again in the same disorder, — which were again replaced — an official investigation was assented to. " The persons charged with this investigation were the Baron de Gruldenstubbe as president, and the bishop of the province, as vice-president of the consistory; two other members of the same body; a physician named Luce; and, on the part of the magistracy of the town, the burgomeister, named Schmidt, one of the syndics, and a secretary. "They proceeded, in a body, to institute a careful examination of the vault. All the coffins there deposi- ted, with the exception of three, were found this time, as before, displaced. Of the three coffins forming the exception, one contained the remains of a grandmother of the then representative of the family, who had died about five years previous; and the two others were of young children. The grandmother had been, in life, revered almost as a saint, for her great piety and constant- deeds of charity and benevolence." The commission found, on examination, that nothing had been carried off; the ornaments of the coffins were found untouched, and the articles of jewelry, which had been buried with the corpses, remained in the coffins. They had the pavement of the vault taken up, and the foundations of the chapel carefully examined, to ascertain if there was any subterranean entrance, but found none. " Nothing remained but to replace everything in due order, taking exact note of the position of the coffins, 22 * 258 THE INVISIBLES. and to adopt especial precautions for the detection of any future intrusion. This, accordingly, was done. Both doors, the inner and the outer, after being carefully locked, were doubly sealed ; first with the official seal of the consistory, then with that bearing the arms of the city. Fine wood-ashes were strewed all over the wooden pavement of the vault, the stairs leading down to it from the chapel, and the floor of the chapel itself. Finally, guards, selected from the garrison of the town and re- lieved at short intervals, were set for three days and nights to watch the building and prevent any one from approaching it.* " At the end of that time the commission of inquiry returned to ascertain the result. Both doors were found securely locked and the seals inviolate. They entered. The coating of ashes still presented a smooth unbroken surface. Neither in the chapel nor on the stairway leading to the vault was there the trace of a footstep of man or animal. The vault was sufficiently lighted from the chapel to make every object distinctly visible. They descended. With beating hearts, they gazed on the spectacle before them. Not only was every coffin, with the same three exceptions as before, displaced, and the whole scattered in confusion over the place, but many of them, weighty as they were, had been set on end, so that the head of the corpse was downward. Nor was even this all. The lid of one coffin had been partially forced open, and there projected the shriveled right arm of the corpse it contained, showing beyond the elbow; the lower arm being turned up toward the ceiling of the vault!" * It does not appear that the guard heard noises of any kind. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 259 No trace of footstep was discovered in the vault, and this time, as before, the commission found that nothing had been carried off. "They approached, with some trepidation, the coffin from one side of which the arm projected; and, with a shudder, they recognized it as that in which had been placed the remains of a member of the Buxhoewden family who had committed suicide. The matter had been hushed up at the time, through the influence of the family, and the self-destroyer had been buried with the usual ceremonies; but the fact transpired, and was known all over the island, that he was found with his throat cut and the bloody razor still grasped in his right hand,* — the same hand that was now thrust forth to human view from under the coffin-lid ; a ghastly memorial, it seemed, of the rash deed which had ushered the unhappy man, uncalled, into another world!" The commission, it is stated, made an official report, which is to be found in the archives of the consistory. Mr. Owen however has not seen it. "It remains to be stated that, as the disturbances con- tinued for several months after this investigation, the family, in order to get rid of the annoyance, resolved to try the effect of burying the coffins. This they did, covering them up, to a considerable depth, with earth. The expedient succeeded. From that time forth no noises were heard to proceed from the chapel; horses could be fastened with impunity before it; and the in- habitants, recovering from their alarm, frequented with their children, as usual, their favorite resort." This narrative was given Mr. Owen, by Mademoiselle * The first instance of the kind I have read of, so far as I can recollect. 260 THE INVISIBLES. de Guldenstubbe*, daughter of the baron referred to. It is impossible to account for the disturbances consistently with the theory I have given, for they appear to have occurred when no one of our world was in or near the chapel. The question then is, as to the authenticity of the narrative. In the copy of Mr. Owen's work which I have, I find on page 345, the following, " Note to tenth thousand" " In the first editions of this work, another narrative, bearing upon the habitual appearance of a living per- son, was here given. It is now replaced by that of the ' Two Sisters,' for the following reasons. A friend of one of the parties concerned, having made inquiries re- garding the story, kindly furnished me with the result ; and the evidence thus adduced tended to invalidate es- sential portions of it. A recent visit to Europe enabled me to make further inquiries into the matter ; and though, in some respects, these were confirmatory, yet I learned that a considerable portion of the narrative in question, ivhich had been represented to me as directly at- tested, was in reality sustained only by second-hand evi- dence. This circumstance, taken in connection with the conflicting statements above referred to, places the story outside the rule of authentication to which in these pages I have endeavored scrupulously to conform ; and I therefore omit it altogether." On examination of a copy of the first edition, I find that the narrative since omitted, is entitled, " Why a Livonian School- Teacher lost her situation ;" and that it was given Mr. Owen, by Mademoiselle de Guldens- tubbe'. It is about as" wonderful a story as that of the chapel. I infer that some friend of the school-teacher, REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 261 having read Mr. Owen's work, took the trouble to ex- amine into the matter, and the result was as stated by Mr. Owen. In this case Mademoiselle de Guldens- tubbe* was, as she stated, a pupil at the school, and she professed to describe what had taken place under her own observation. That narrative therefore was far more likely to be accurate than the one relative to the chapel, in which she only professed to state what she had heard through various sources. It appears to me, that under such circumstances, Mr. Owen should have omitted the latter narrative also. It is true, Mr. Owen says, the brother of the lady confirmed the story. But confirming a story in a gen- eral sort of way, and giving the particulars of the same, are very different things. I presume the brother would have confirmed the story relative to the school-teacher, for he must have heard something about the matter. It appears from Mr. Owen's note, which I have copied, that the narrative relative to the school-teacher was not wholly fictitious ; I presume that relative to the chapel was not; and we can easily conceive that an imaginative and credulous lady, who was quite young at the time of the occurrences, stated in each case what she believed to be the facts ; but the attempt to explain either narrative would be idle. In reference to the disturbances having ceased when the coffins were buried, Mr. Owen says : — " Finally, if these disturbances are to be ascribed to trickery, why should the tricksters have discontinued their persecution as soon as the coffins were put under ground? " This last difficulty, however, exists equally in case we adopt the spiritual hypothesis. If to interference 262 THE INVISIBLES. from another world these phenomena were due, why should that interference have ceased from the moment the coffins were buried ?" It would be very difficult to account for this, suppos- ing the narrative to be strictly accurate; for even if burying the coffins prevented their being disturbed — and I see no reason why it should, upon any other theory than that I have given — yet this would not prevent the groans, and other terrible noises, which frightened the horses to death. But supposing the coffins were moved by beings of the other world, when some particular individual of ours was in, or very near the chapel, in the way I have stated such things are done; evidently they could not be thus moved when buried several feet deep in the earth ; and if the only noises heard, were caused by moving the coffins, these would also cease. In reference to the point I have endeavored to estab- lish, namely, that these occurrences only take place in the presence of certain individuals, called mediums, the fact that within the past few years they have been wit- nessed in the presence of such individuals, by thousands who never witnessed them elsewhere, is very strong, if not conclusive proof of the truth of the position. The next two chapters are on, "Apparitions of the Living" and "Apparitions of the Dead." It will be perceived from the following extract from the latter chapter, that Mr. Owen, in common with most — if not all — spiritualists, considers the phenomena in each case to be of the same character. "If, as St. Paul teaches and Swedenborgians believe, there go to make up the personality of man a natural REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 263 body and a spiritual body; if these co-exist, while earthly life endures, in each one of us; if, as the apostle further intimates and the preceding chapter seems to prove,* the spiritual body — a counterpart, it would seem, to human sight, of the natural body — may, during life, occasionally detach itself, to some extent or other, and for a time, from the material flesh and blood which for a few years it pervades in intimate association ; and if death be but the issuing forth of the spiritual body from its temporary associate; then, at the moment of its exit, it is that spiritual body which through life may have been occasionally and partially detached from the natural body, and which at last is thus entirely and for- ever divorced from it, that passes into another state of existence. "But if that spiritual body, while still connected with its earthly associate, could under certain circumstances, appear distinct and distant from the natural body, and perceptible to human vision, if not to human touch, what strong presumption is there against the suppo- sition that after its final emancipation the same spiritual body may still at times show itself to man?" Admitting the premises to be correct, the supposition is a natural one. The question then is as to whether a spiritual body is ever seen by persons of our world. I will next notice Mr. Owen's remarks about hallu- cinations. He makes the following distinction between hallucinations and illusions. By the former he under- * The reader will understand that the chapter from which this is taken, follows that on Apparitions of the Living. I give the extract here, to show that he considers apparitions of the living and the dead to be alike. 264 THE INVISIBLES. stands, "a false perception of that which has no exis- tence whatever;" by the latter, "an incorrect perception of something which actually exists." "An illusion, unlike a hallucination, has a foundation in reality. We actually see or hear something, which we mistake for something else." * * * "There are collective illusions; for it is evident that the same false appearance which deceives the senses of one man is not unlikely to deceive those of others also." "But I know of no well-authenticated instance of collective hallucinations. No two patients that I ever heard of imagined the presence of the same cat or dog at the same moment. None of Nicolai's* friends per- ceived the figures which showed themselves to him. When Brutus's evil genius appeared to the Roman leader, no one but himself saw the colossal presence or heard the warning words, 'We shall meet again at Philippi.' It was Nero's eyes alone that were haunted with the specter of his murdered mother. "This is a distinction of much practical importance. If two persons perceive at the same time the same phenomenon, we may conclude that that phenomenon is an objective reality, — has, in some phase or other, actual existence." Instances of collective hallucinations are probably not as common as those of collective illusions, for the reason that the former can only occur by the mind of one person, who first experiences the hallucination, acting on that of others. This could not be expected to * An individual who imagined that his room was full of human figures, moving about. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 265 happen very often. But, as Mr. Owen has been inves- tigating this subject, if he has met with no well-authen- ticated instances of collective hallucinations, he has, I think, been singularly unfortunate. I am quite confi- dent that I have occasionally heard of such instances, but cannot now recollect them, or the authority for the same. But as Mr. Owen cites Catharine Crowe's "Night Side of Nature" I will copy one or two narratives from that work, which appear to be as authentic as any in the volume. It is a peculiarity of this authoress that she seldom gives the authority for the narrative. As Mr. Owen says that he never heard of two patients who, at the same moment, imagined the pre- sence of the same cat or dog — meaning, I suppose, animals of any kind, — I will first copy an instance of that nature. " During the seven years' war in Germany, a drover lost his life in a drunken squabble on the high road. "For some time there w r as a sort of rude tombstone, with a cross on it, to mark the spot where his body was interred; but this has long fallen, and a mile-stone now fills its place. Nevertheless, it continues commonly asserted by the country people, and also by various travelers, that they have been deluded in that spot by seeing, as they imagine, herds of beasts, which on investigation prove to be merely visionary. Of course, many people look upon this as a superstition; but a very singular confirmation of the story occurred in the year 1826, when two gentlemen and two ladies were passing the spot in a post carriage. One of these was a clergyman, and none of them had ever heard of the phenomenon said to be attached to the place. They 23 266 THE INVISIBLES. had been discussing the prospects of the minister, who was on his way to a vicarage, to which he had just been appointed, when they saw a large flock of sheep, which streched quite across the road, and was accompanied by a shepherd and a long haired black dog. As to meet cattle on that road was nothing uncommon, and indeed they had met several droves in the course of the day, no remark was made at the moment, till suddenly each looked at the other and said, 'What is become of the sheep?' Quite perplexed at their sudden disappearance, they called to the postillion to stop, and all got out, in order to mount a little elevation and look around, but still unable to discover them, they now bethought them- selves of asking the postillion where they were; when, to their infinite surprise, they learnt that he had not seen them. Upon this, they bade him quicken his pace, that they might overtake a carriage that had passed them shortly before, and inquire if that party had seen the sheep; but they had not. " Four years later, a postmaster named J , was on the same road, driving a carriage in which were a cler- gyman and his wife, when he saw a large flock of sheep near the same spot. Seeing they were very fine wethers, and supposing them to have been bought at a sheep-fair that was then taking place a few miles off, J drew up his reins and stopped his horses, turning at the same time to the clergyman to say, that he wanted to inquire the price of the sheep, as he intended going next day to the fair himself. Whilst the minister was asking him what sheep he meant, J got down and found him- self in the midst of the animals, the size and beauty of which astonished him. They passed him at an unusual REVIEW OP OTHER NARRATIVES. 267 rate, whilst he made his way through them to find the shepherd, when, on getting to the end of the flock, they suddenly disappeared. He then first learnt that his fel- low-travelers had not seen them at all." In the first case, if we are to credit the narrative — and it bears the mark of probability — four persons saw at the same moment, the same black dog and a flock of sheep. Whether these four were connections by blood or marriage, we are not informed ; but we may assume that they were at least acquaintances, and they had been riding for some time in the same carriage, engaged in conversation, thus having become to some extent en rap- port, so that the mind of one experiencing a hallucina- tion would affect that of another. The postillion, who was not in a position to become en rapport with the party, did not experience the hallucination. In the second case, we have no reason to suppose that the mind of Mr. J , the driver, would have any effect upon the two persons in the carriage, and the lat- ter did not experience the hallucination. If neither of the parties experiencing the hallucina- tion, had previously heard of the phenomenon as being connected with the locality, I can imagine but two causes which might produce it. Owiag to the experience I have had, it is not in my view so improbable a supposition as it will doubtless appear to the reader, that a being of the other world — the drover or the one who killed him — may have haunted, or occasionally visited the locality, and caused the hallucinations. The other idea is, that there may have been some pe- culiar formation of ground, or other objects at the lo- 268 THE INVISIBLES. cality, tending, in connection with the fact that the party- had met flocks of sheep, to produce, what Mr. Owen calls an illusion, and an illusion will frequently cause a hallucination. That the phenomenon cannot be accounted for by call- ing it an "illusion" is very evident. It would be very strange, if, while it was a very rare circumstance that any one passing the spot experienced anything of the kind, all four in the carriage should, the mind of each uninfluenced by that of another, experience precisely the same illusion, which disappeared in all at the same in- stant. Besides, a very slight change of position on the part of the spectator will dispel an illusion, but Mr. J continued to see the sheep, thinking himself in the midst of the flock, after he had got down from the carriage. The following narrative is from the same work : — " About the year 1750, a visionary army of the same description* was seen in the neighborhood of Inverness by a respectable farmer of Glenary, and his son. The number of troops was very great, and they had not the slightest doubt that they were otherwise than substantial forms of flesh and blood. They counted at least sixteen pairs of columns, and had abundance of time to ob- serve every particular. The front ranks marched seven abreast, and were accompanied by a good many women and children, who were carrying tin cans and other im- plements of cookery. The men were clothed in red, and their arms shone brightly in the sun. In the midst of them was an animal, a deer, or a horse, they could not distinguish which, that they were driving furiously * Referring to a preceding narrative. REVIEW OP OTHER NARRATIVES. 269 forward with their bayonets. The younger of the two men observed to the other, that every now and then, the rear ranks were obliged to run to overtake the van ; and the elder one, who had been a soldier, remarked that that was always the case, and recommended him, if he ever served, to try and march in the front. There was only one mounted officer ; he rode a gray dragoon horse, and wore a gold-laced hat, and blue Hussar cloak, with wide open sleeves lined with red. The two spectators observed him so particularly, that they said afterwards they should reognize him anywhere. They were, how- ever, afraid of being ill-treated, or forced to go along with the troops, whom they concluded had come from Ireland, and landed at Kyntyre ; and whilst they were climbing over a dyke to get out of their way, the whole thing vanished." Here, whatever caused the hallucination, there was probably formed in the mind of the father, who had been a soldier, a likeness of what he had actually seen, and his mind impressed the image on that of the son. As to Mr. Owen's remark that none with Nicolai and others, saw the figures that those persons imagined they did, I cannot perceive how this fact proves that there are no collective hallucinations. I presume he would not deny that one person may be the subject of an illu- sion, while others present, who saw the same object, were not ; and if this does not prove that there can be no col- lective illusions, how does a similar instance of halluci- nation, prove that there can be no collective halluci- nations ? In reference to his position that there are none such, Mr. Owen says, " The results of what have been usually 23* 270 THE INVISIBLES. called electro-biological experiments cannot with any propriety be adduced in confutation of this position. The biologized patient knowingly and voluntarily sub- jects himself to an artificial influence, of which the temporary effect is to produce false sensations; just as the eater of hasheesh, or the chewer of opium, conjures up the phantasmagoria of a partial insanity, or the con- firmed drunkard exposes himself to the terrible delu- sions of delirium-tremens. But all these sufferers know, when the fit has passed, that there was nothing of real- ity in the imaginations that overcame them." The biologized patient is not given anything to eat or drink ; he simply remains, as far as possible, passive, and the effect is wholly produced by the mind, or will of the operator. It is true there is something different, or rather something more in his case, than in that of one who is merely the subject of a hallucination; for in the former case, the patient's will seems to be subject to that of the operator. The experiments simply prove that the mind of one person can, under certain condi- tions, produce hallucinations in those of several other persons, at the same moment. Of course the patients know, when the experiments are over, that there was nothing of reality in what they imagined they saw, because they are told in the first place the nature of the experiments. But suppose this was never explained to them ; and let us further sup- pose them to have heard of spiritualism ; now, if the operator told them that he could open their "spiritual vision," or " interior perception," so that they could perceive objects invisible to them in their normal state, can any one doubt that some of them would continue to REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 271 believe that they had really perceived the object? Cer- tainly, if they were made to think they saw human figures, there can be no doubt that many would after- ward believe they had seen "spirits." Mr. Owen maintains, that while the fact that two or more persons perceive at the same time, the same object, is evidence that it is not a case of hallucination, it does not follow that if only one person among many per- ceives 'an object, it is a case of hallucination. " There is nothing, then, absurd or illogical in the supposition that some persons may have true perceptions of which we are unconscious. We may not be able to comprehend how they receive these ; but our ignorance of the mode of action does not disprove the reality of the effect. I knew an English gentleman who, if a cat had been secreted in a room where he was, invariably and infallibly detected her presence. Hoiv he perceived this, except by a general feeling of uneasiness, he could never explain ; yet the fact was certain." I doubt the ability of the gentleman to detect the pre- sence of a cat, unless some person present knew it was in the room. But suppose the case as stated. Then the gen- tleman did not think he saw the cat. But most persons who believe that they have when awake, perceived " spirits," state that they saw them with their eyes, in the usual way. Now if they do not see them in the natural way, but have some other mode of perception, how is it that they are liable to this deception ? We are not thus deceived by our other senses : we do not ima- gine that we see sound, or hear color, or smell form. But the first narrative I shall copy contradicts, I think, Mr. Owen's theory. He says, in reference to it, 272 THE INVISIBLES. "In the next case, if it be one of hallucination, two senses were deceived." He must either mean, our natural senses of seeing and hearing, or that the observer had two senses of this nature, in addition to those of most persons. "Sight and Sound. During the winter of 1839-40, Dr. J E was residing, with his aunt, Mrs. L , in a house on Fourteenth Street, near New York Avenue, in the city of Washington. "Ascending one day from the basement of the house to the parlor, he saw his aunt descending the stairs. He stepped back to let her pass, which she did, close to him, but without speaking. He instantly ascended the stairs and entered the parlor, where he found his aunt sitting quietly by the side of the fire. "The distance from where he first saw the figure to the spot where his aunt was actually sitting was between thirty and forty feet. The figure seemed dressed exactly as his aunt was; and he distinctly heard the rustle of her dress as she passed." The narrative was related to Mr. Owen by Dr. E himself in 1859. That the hallucination of sight should cause the hal- lucination of hearing, is not at all strange; but is it credible that Dr. E could not only see, but hear the rustle of a dress, which other persons could not perceive at all ? "The figure seemed dressed exactly as his aunt was;" and this is universally the case, — the dress of the spirit- ual body exactly corresponds with that worn by the natural body. If not a hallucination, why is this? REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 273 And what is the dress made of? And how does the spiritual body so speedily procure one, precisely resem- bling that worn by the natural body; and so substantial that the rustling of it can be heard? Questions as to the dress, spiritualists always evade, and Mr. Owen makes no attempt to explain the matter. Some narratives of apparitions would be very absurd, viewed in any other light than as being an instance of hallucination. The following is one of the kind. "Apparition in Ireland. In the summer of the year 1802, a clergyman of the Established Church, living in Ireland, was invited by the bishop to dinner. Return- ing from the bishop's about ten o'clock, the clergyman approached his own residence through the garden at- tached to it. His wife had been left at home, being unwell. "It was bright moonlight. On issuing from a small bed of shrubbery into a garden walk, he perceived, as he thought, in another walk, parallel to that in which he was, and not more than ten or twelve feet from him, the figure of his wife, in her usual dress. Exceedingly astonished, he crossed over and confronted her. It was his wife. At least, he distinguished her features, in the clear moonlight, as plainly as he had ever done in his life. 'What are you doing here?' he asked. She did not reply, but receded from him, turning to the right, toward a kitchen-garden that lay on one side of the house. In it there were several rows of peas, staked and well grown, so as to shelter any person passing behind them. The figure passed round one end of these. Mr. followed quickly, in increased asto- 274 THE INVISIBLES. nishment, mingled with alarm; but when he reached the open space beyond the peas the figure was nowhere to be seen. As there was no spot where, in so short a time, it could have sought concealment, the husband concluded that it was an apparition, and not his wife, that he had seen. He returned to the front door, and, instead of availing himself of his pass-key as usual, he rang the bell. While on the steps, before the bell was answered, looking round, he saw the same figure at the corner of the house." This was communicated to Mr. Owen by a son of the clergyman, in the year 1859. Can any one believe that the spiritual body of the wife — who was living; at the time — was dodging: around the peas, and the corner of the house? Supposing the existence of a spiritual body, what possible motive could there be for such conduct? I think an unusual quan- tity of wine, drank by the clergyman at the bishop's, may account for this apparition. This idea is confirmed by the fact, that he did not avail himself, as usual, of his pass-key, which, I infer, he had with him. The following narrative Mr. Owen considers very conclusive in favor of the spiritual theory, as the apparition was perceived at the same time by two persons. "Apparition of the living, seen by mother and daughter. In the month of May and in the year 1840, Dr. D , a noted physician of Washington, was residing with his wife and his daughter Sarah (now Mrs. B ) at their country seat, near Piney Point, in Virginia, a fashionable pleasure resort during the summer months. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 275 "One afternoon, about five o'clock, the two ladies were walking out in a copse-wood not far from their residence; when, at a distance on the road, coming toward them, they saw a gentleman. 'Sally,' said Mrs. D , 'there comes your father to meet us.' 'I think not,' the daughter replied; 'that cannot be papa; it is not so tall as he.' "As he neared them, the daughter's opinion was con- firmed. They perceived that it was not Dr. D , but a Mr. Thompson, a gentleman with whom they were well acquainted, and who was at that time, though they then knew it not, a patient of Dr. D 's. They observed also as he came nearer, that he was dressed in a blue frock coat, black satin waistcoat, and black panta- loons and hat. Also, on comparing notes afterward, both ladies, it appeared, had noticed that his linen w T as particularly fine, and that his whole apparel seemed to have been very carefully adjusted. "He came up so close that they were on the very point of addressing him; but at that moment he stepped aside, as if to let them pass; and then, even while the eyes of both the ladies were upon him, he suddenly and entirely disappeared." The ladies learned from Dr. D- that Mr. Thomp- son had been confined to his room during the entire day. The narrative was communicated to Mr. Owen by Mrs. D in the year 1859. "How strong in this case," Mr. Owen remarks, "is the presumptive evidence against hallucination ! Even setting aside the received doctrine of the books,* that * " The received doctrine of the books," is a common, but very 276 THE INVISIBLES. there is no collective hallucination, how can we imagine that there should be produced, at the very same moment, without suggestion, or expectation, or unusual excite- ment of any kind, on the brain of two different per- sons, a perception of the self-same image, minutely detailed, without any external object tto produce it? Was that image imprinted on the retina in the case both of mother and daughter? How could this be if there was nothing existing in the outside world to imprint it? or was there no image on the retina? Was it a purely subjective impression? that is, a false impression due to disease? But among the millions of impressions which may be produced, if imagination only is the creative agent, how infinite the probability against the contin- gency that, out of these millions, this one especial object should present itself in two independent cases! — not only a particular person, dressed in a particular manner, but that person advancing along a road, ap- proaching within a few steps of the observers, and then disappearing! Yet even this is not the limit of the adverse chances. There is not only identity of object, but exact coincidence of time. The two perceive the very same thing at the very same moment; and this coincidence continues throughout several minutes. "What is the natural and necessary conclusion? That there was an image produced on the retina, and that there was an objective reality there to produce it. "It may seem marvelous, it may appear hard to believe, that the appearance of a human being, in his usual dress, should present itself where that human indefinite term; there is scarcely any doctrine, of a speculative nature, about which scientific men do not differ. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 277 being is not. It would be a thing a thousand times more marvelous, ten thousand times harder to believe, that the fortuitous action of disease, freely ranging throughout the infinite variety of contingent possibili- ties, should produce, by mere chance, a mass of coinci- dences such as make up, in this case, the concurrent and cotemporaneous sensations of mother and daughter." To make Mr. Owen's idea of hallucinations more clearly understood, I will here give another extract from the chapter introductory to the subject. "De Boismont reminds us that considerable assem- blages of men (des reunions considerables) have been the dupes of the same illusions. 'A cry,' he says, 'suffices to affright a multitude. An individual who thinks he sees something supernatural soon causes others, as little enlightened as he, to share his conviction.' As to illu- sions, both optical and oral, this is undoubtedly true; more especially when these present themselves in times of excitement, — as during a battle or a plague, — or when they are generated in twilight gloom or midnight darkness. But that the contagion of example, or the belief of one individual under the actual influence of hallucination, suffices to produce in others around, disease of the retina or of the optic or auditory nerve, or, in short, any abnormal condition of the senses, is a supposition which, so far as my reading extends, is unsupported by any reliable proof whatever. "The hypothesis of hallucination, then, is, in a gen- eral way, untenable in cases where two or more inde- pendent observers perceive the same or a similar appear- ance." I consider Mr. Owen's ideas upon this subject entirely 24 278 THE INVISIBLES. erroneous. He seems to think that hallucination of sight or hearing can only be caused by disease of the organs. Of course hallucinations are frequently caused in that way, but that is an entirely different branch of the subject from the one we are considering. Whether in all cases of hallucination of sight or hearing, the optic or auditory nerves are affected at all, or not, I do not know; but if so, in the class of hallucinations we are now considering, the nerves are affected by the brain ; the hallucination is not produced by the nerves convey- ing a false sensation to the brain. In other words, the hallucination originates in the mind or brain, and not in the retina, or optic or auditory nerves. In dreams we imagine that we see and hear distinctly, but I have never heard the theory advanced, that in all, or even in most such cases, the optic or auditory nerve became first disordered, and caused the impression. Again, hallucinations of sight are often produced, as for example, in electro-biological experiments, by one individual speaking to the subject; telling him that a certain object is before him : to suppose that in such a case the retina or optic nerve of the subject is first af- fected, and afterward the imagination, would appear to me very absurd. We cannot think of an individual, even if we never saw him, without forming more or less distinctly in the mind an image of the person, and when we think of a particular acquaintance, the image is quite distinct. The question in the present case is not, whether "the fortuitous action of disease, freely ranging throughout the infinite variety of contingent possibilities, should produce by mere chance, a mass of coincidences such as REVIEW OP OTHER NARRATIVES. 279 make up in this case, the concurrent and cotempora- neous sensations of mother and daughter ;" nor is it whether the mind of one of the ladies could aifect the retina or optic nerve of the other. The question is, whether the mind of one could aifect the mind of the other. The case does not differ from those of synchro- nous dreams, which I have noticed, except, that where both persons are awake, the phenomenon is probably less likely to occur. Mr. Owen seems to believe that such an impression can be produced on the mind of a person of our world, by a "spirit." The dream narrated under the head- ing of ''The Negro servant" was caused, as he evidently believes, by a being of the other world. It is stated that the lady who dreamed " was astonished, on entering her mother's house, to meet the very black servant whom she had seen in her dream, as he had been engaged during her absence." Now, if the dream was produced as supposed, there is but one mode by which the lady could be made to see the servant; namely, by the "spirit" first forming the image in his, or her, own mind, and reproducing the same in the mind of the lady. And Mr. Owen has no grounds for assuming that the power of one individual of our world to produce an im- pression on the mind of another, is not of the same kind as that of beings of the other world. It is true that in one case the person receiving the impression was asleep, while in the other both ladies were awake. But it seems to me not unreasonable to suppose, that if such an impression can be produced in the mind of an individual asleep, it may sometimes, 280 THE INVISIBLES. where the two persons are en rapport, and the mind in a tranquil and impressible state, be produced in an in- dividual awake. The phenomenon under consideration may, I think, be accounted for as follows : — The two ladies were walk- ing in a copse-wood, when an illusion occurred to the mother. Such illusions are very common under such circumstances with individuals not accustomed to walk- ing in woods. The body of a tree, a stump, or some other object, is mistaken for a human figure. The mother then thought she saw indistinctly, a hu- man figure, which she also thought resembled her hus- band ; and said to her daughter, " Sally, there comes your father to meet us." The two being en rapport, the mind of the mother, under illusion, produced a corre- sponding image, which would be hallucination, in the mind of the daughter. If the image of the father had been clear and distinct in the mind of the mother, the daughter would, probably, have also thought that she perceived the father. But the image in the mind of the mother being indistinct, that in the mind of the daugh- ter was so also, and the latter, from some cause which we do not know, thought it was not her father, but some other person. The probability is, that the first thought of the daughter, on receiving an impression from the mother, was of the acquaintance, Mr. Thomp- son, and that she named him to the mother. At all events, as the daughter's was a case of hallucination, we may assume that the image and belief was clearer and stronger in her mind than in the mother's, consequently the mind of the former reacted on that of the latter, REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 281 producing a hallucination in the mother, when the image became quite distinct in the minds of both. That this was an unusual phenomenon I admit, but that fact is as strong evidence against the spiritual theory, as it is against the theory I have advanced. Mr. Owen insists, "That there was an image produced on the retina, and that there was an objective reality there to produce it." Then the theory of the observers having a different faculty, or mode of perception, from that of most per- sons, is all nonsense. If an image is produced on- the retina by an objective reality, in such, cases, it is merely a question as to natural eye-sight. An apparition can- not be seen by one person which could not be seen by another present, having equally good natural eye-sight. Then why is it that "spirits" are not seen at the same time by a greater number of persons? Why are they never seen in Broadway, New York, or in the crowded streets of London or Paris ? Again, if we adopt the spiritual hypothesis in this case, we must believe that there were for the time being two distinct Thompsons; one in his room, the other clothed in real garments, resembling those worn by the " natural body" — taking a walk in the copse-wood. In this case we are not informed whether the "■ nat- ural body " was asleep or awake ; but in some of the nar- ratives it appears that it was awake. In the narrative en- titled, "Sight and Sound" which I have copied, we are led to infer that the lady whose appearance was seen, was awake. So that there are in such cases, according to the spiritual hypothesis, actimlly two beings, distinct both 24* 282 THE INVISIBLES. in body and mind, who, for a while have separated, and afterward (for what object I cannot perceive) reunite. Suppose that during the separation, the " natural" be- ing should commit some crime, would the " spiritual" being who is to live after the death of the former, be responsible for the act? Whether I have given a correct explanation of the phenomenon or not, may be a question ; but to me, the idea that the " spiritual body " of Mr. Thompson, " dressed in a blue frock-coat, black satin waistcoat, and black pantaloons and hat," was actually seen by the ladies, appears very absurd. " The dying mother and her babe," is a narrative some- what similar to that of Mr. Wilkins' dream ; but in this case the individual producing the impression was awake, the one receiving it being asleep, or in a state resem- bling sleep. A lady residing in Cambridgeshire, England, being ill, went to London for medical advice, leaving a child at home. The mother became worse, and was unable to return. In the mean time the child died. A young lady, staying in the house, who it is stated, had from in- fancy been accustomed to the occasional sight of appari- tions, went alone into the room where the body of the infant lay in its coffin, and saw there, reclining on a sofa near the coffin, the figure of the mother. On account of her critical condition, the mother had not been advised of the death of the child, but reviving as from a swoon, about the time of the appearance to the young lady, as was afterwards ascertained, she asked her husband why she had not been informed of the REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 283 death, and said, " It is useless to deny it, Samuel ; for I have just been home, and have seen her in her little coffin/' This occurred in the year 1843, and was related to Mr. Owen by the lady who saw the apparition in 1859. In this case; I presume, the young lady who was sub- ject to hallucinations, having experienced the one de- scribed, produced a corresponding impression in the mind of the mother. The scene or picture, in the mind of the young lady, representing the mother viewing the infant in its coffin, was reproduced in the mind of the mother. It is probable, that if the mother had been questioned on the subject, she would have stated that she reclined on the sofa ; though it appears in some cases only the more prominent, or strongest impressions are reproduced. There is in this chapter ("Apparitions of the living,") a narrative of a dream. Why it is placed here, instead of in the chapter of dreams, is not apparent. But as Mr. Owen, in commenting upon it, expresses his views rela- tive to apparitions of the living, I will give the sub- stance of the narrative. " The Visionary excursion" In June of the year 1857, a lady designated as Mrs. A , was residing with her husband and their infant child, on Woolwich Common, near London. " One night in the early part of that month, suddenly awaking to consciousness, she felt herself as if standing by the bed-side and looking upon her own body, which lay there by the side of her sleeping husband. "Her first impression was that she had died suddenly ; 284 THE INVISIBLES. and the idea was confirmed by the pale and lifeless look of the body, the face void of expression, and the whole appearance showing no signs of vitality. She gazed at it with curiosity for some time, comparing its dead look with that of the fresh countenances of her husband and of her slumbering infant in a cradle hard by. For a moment she experienced a feeling of relief that she had escaped the pangs of death ; but the next she reflected what a grief her death would be to the survivors, and then came a wish that she could have broken the news to them gradually. While engaged in these thoughts, she felt herself carried to the wall of the room, with a feeling that it must arrest her farther progress. But no; she seemed to pass through it into the open air." The lady was thus carried along, without any action or volition on her part, past familiar objects, until she found herself in the bed-chamber of an intimate friend, Miss L M , at Greenwich; with whom she entered into conversation, the purport of which she did not afterward recollect. The above occurred during a Wednesday night, and the next Friday Miss L M visited Mrs. A , when the two ladies began conversing about bonnets, and Mrs. A said, "My last was trimmed with > violet; and I like the color so much I think I shall select it again." "Yes," her friend replied, "I know that is your color." "How so?" Mrs. A asked. "Because when you came to me the other night — let me see; when was it? — ah, I remember, the night before last — it was robed in violet that you appeared to me." "I appeared to you the other night?" "Yes, about REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 285 three o'clock; and we had quite a conversation together. Have you no recollection of it?" It is stated that Miss L— — M had from her childhood habitually seen apparitions; the occurrence therefore as it appears, did not surprise her. The narrative was given Mr. Owen in the year 1859, by one of the ladies — the visitor — and confirmed by the other. Mr. Owen says, "Resembling in its general character the Wilkins dream, the above differs from it chiefly in this, that the narrator appears to have observed more minutely the succession of her sensations ; thus suggest- ing to us the idea that the apparently lifeless body which seemed to her to remain behind might, for the time, have parted with what we may call a spiritual portion of itself; which portion, moving off without the usual means of locomotion, might make itself percepti- ble, at a certain distance, to another person. "Let him who may pronounce this a fantastical hypothesis, absurd on its face, suggest some other suffi- cient to explain the phenomenon we are here exam- ining." Whether any satisfactory explanation can be given or not, the above hypothesis does not explain the pheno- menon at all, for the principal portion of the figure that Miss L M saw was a violet dress. The only spiritual portion of the body of Mrs. A that she could have seen, were the head and hands — a very small portion of the figure. And in this case, the dress could not have been a spiritual portion of the dress wdiich Mrs. A was wearing, for she was in bed, and would not be likely to 286 THE INVISIBLES. have on a violet robe. The hypothesis of Mr. Owen, therefore, does not meet the case at all. It is very strange that spiritualists will persistently ignore the dress of the spirits. Mr. Owen's work contains about five hundred duodecimo pages, and I cannot find in it the slightest attempt to explain the matter of dress. It is not stated that Mrs. A thought she was robed in violet, but that appears to have been a favorite color of hers, and she had probably before the dream occurred, designed having a new bonnet trimmed with that color; we may therefore assume that when she thought herself conversing with her friend — the same friend to whom she soon after mentioned her preference for violet — she would have that color in her mind. It is stated that the visit of Miss L M on Friday, was expected before the dream occurred, and it is not improbable that Mrs. A had thought of telling her that she liked violet; if so, it increases the probability that she would think of the color on her imaginary visit. And observe the apparently precise coincidence of impressions upon one point, which would not be likely to occur if the visit was a real one. Mrs. A thought she entered into conversation with her friend, but could not recollect the purport; Miss L M also thought they had a conversa- tion, and we are left to infer that she could not recollect its purport; if she could, she would have stated what the conversation was about. There is in the chapter on "Apparitions of the living," one narrative which cannot be explained otherwise than upon the spiritual hypothesis. It was given Mr. Owen REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 287 by the Captain Clarke who also gave him the account of a wonderful dream, the narrative of which is entitled, " The two field-mice." The following is the substance of the second narrative. "The Rescue." "Mr. Robert Bruce, originally de- scended from some branch of the Scottish family of that name, was born, in humble circumstances, abont the close of the last century, at Torbay, in the south of England, and there bred up to a seafaring life. " When about thirty years of age, to wit, in the year 1828, he was first mate of a bark trading between Liverpool and St. John's, New Brunswick." On a voyage of the bark, bound westward, the cap- tain and mate, having taken an observation at noon, descended to make their calculations — the captain to the cabin, and the mate to his state-room, from which he could see into the cabin. The mate, having completed his calculations, spoke without looking at the captain, telling him what he made their latitude and longitude, and inquiring as to the captain's calculations. Receiving no answer, he repeated his question, glancing over his shoulder, and perceiving, as he thought, the captain busy writing on his slate. As he received no reply to his second ques- tion, the mate rose, when the figure he had mistaken for the captain raised its head and disclosed to the astonished mate the features of an entire stranger. "Bruce was no coward; but, as he met that fixed gaze looking directly at him in grave silence, and became assured that it was no one whom he had ever seen before, it was too much for him; and, instead of stop- 288 THE INVISIBLES. ping to question the seeming intruder, he rushed upon deck in such evident alarm that it instantly attracted the captain's attention." On telling the captain what he had seen, Bruce was ordered to go down again, and see who the individual was; but this he refused to do unless the captain would accompany him. The captain therefore went down, and the mate followed him, but they found no one either in the cabin or state-rooms. On examining the slate, they found written on it the following words: — "Steer to the Nor' west." Every one on board the vessel, who could write at all, was requested to write the same words, but the hand- writing of none of them corresponded with that on the slate. The vessel was then searched, but no stranger found. Finally the captain decided to change his course to the north-west. After steering in that direc- tion several hours, they discovered a vessel, with pas- sengers on board, which had become entangled in a field of ice, and wrecked. When the passengers were brought on board the bark, Bruce recognized one of them as being the person he had seen writing on the captain's slate. This individual was asked to write on the opposite side of the slate from that on which the mysterious writing was, the same words, namely, "Steer to the Nor' west," which he did; and the hand-writing so precisely resembled the other, — the mysterious writing — that when he was shown the latter, he supposed it was what he had just written. On being told what the mate had witnessed, the captain of the wrecked vessel stated, that about noon the passenger fell into a heavy sleep, and on awaking REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 289 said that they would be relieved that day, giving as his reason for the prediction, that he had dreamed of being on board a bark which was coming to their rescue, and he described the appearance of the bark, which descrip- tion corresponded exactly with the bark that rescued them. The passenger said that he had no recollection of dreaming that he wrote on the slate, but that every- thing on board the bark seemed familiar to him. The hallucination hypothesis will not answer here, as it is stated there was actual writing on the slate. The question then is, as to the authenticity of the narrative. Mr. Owen says it was communicated to him by Capt. J. S. Clarke, of the schooner Julia Hallock,^then lying at the foot of Rutgers Slip, Xew York — in July, 1859. The narrative of the dream was given him at the same date. How Mr. Owen happened to learn that Captain Clarke was, or pretended to be, in possession of these facts, he does not inform us; nor does it appear that he made any inquiry as to the character for veracity of the captain. If Mr. Owen had continued his inquiries along the New York docks, he could, I have no doubt, have obtained, of equally wonderful narratives, enough to fill another volume. This narrative — one of the most wonderful in the volume — could be, if true, easily verified; for a large number of persons — the owners of the two vessels, those on board of them, their friends, and others — must have known of the occurrence, which was one not likely to be forgotten. But Captain Clarke has not given the slightest clew by which the matter might be investigated. He stated 25 290 THE INVISIBLES. that he was in the same ship with Bruce for seventeen months, and that they were as intimate as brothers; he told all about Bruce's birth and descent, where the bark was from, and where bound to; but gave the name of neither vessel, nor of either captain; and said he did not know what had become of Bruce. If Captain Clarke sailed seventeen months with Bruce, and was as intimate with him as stated, he un- doubtedly heard the name of every vessel in which Bruce had sailed. At all events, it is vefy improbable that Clarke was told so marvelous a story, and did not learn the names of the vessels. The story in my opinion, is not entitled to the slight- est credit ; and this being the case, we may assume that the story of the dream was a fiction also. As "apparitions of the living," are of the same char- acter as " apparitions of the dead," I will only notice, in the chapter on the latter subject, two well authen- ticated instances of apparitions, which were produced as I think, by beings of the other world ; and also such narratives as I am unable to explain. " The stains of blood." In the year 185 — , a gentle- man visited, remaining one night at, a residence where his sister was then staying. As I infer, the gentleman had never before been in the house, having but recently made the acquaintance of the occupants. Awaking in the night, the gentleman noticed there was a light in the room. He next perceived a female figure, but the features were not perceptible. He now observed that the light by which he saw the figure em- REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 291 anated from itself. After moving a little distance, the figure suddenly disappeared. In the morning the gentleman told his sister what had occurred ; and the sister then informed him that a lady had been murdered some years previous in the house, but not in the room in which he slept. The gentleman left without having any further con- versation upon the subject; but shortly afterward he received a letter from his sister, in which she informed him that since he left, she had ascertained that the mur- der was committed in the room in which he had slept. She added, that she purposed visiting him the next day, and requested him to write out an account of what he had seen, and draw a plan of the room, marking on the plan the place of the appearance, and disappearance of the figure. This the gentleman did ; and when his sister arrived — before seeing his account or plan — she informed him, that she had had the carpet taken up in the room he had occupied, and that marks of blood were plainly visible on a particular part of the floor. The sister then drew a plan of the room, marking on it the spots which still bore traces of blood, and on com- paring the two plans, the places marked on one, as ex- hibiting traces of blood, coincided exactly with those marked on the other, as being the spots where the figure had appeared and disappeared. This was communicated to Mr. Owen, in the year 1859, by a clergyman of the Church of England, who was a brother of the gentleman that saw the figure, and who received the account from the latter. If the narrative gives all the facts bearing upon the 292 THE INVISIBLES. case, this could not have been an accidental hallucina- tion, nor could the apparition have been caused by the mind of any one of our world. It was, I conclude, what I have called an impressional apparition, produced either by the murdered lady, or some one of the other world cognizant of the murder. The light was a hallucination like the rest. I have seen something similar myself. I recollect seeing, I think some time in the fall or winter of 1863, while lying in bed, what appeared to be a marble statue of a female, draped as statues usually are. It was standing a few feet distant from the foot of the bed, and at first was somewhat indistinct; but while I was looking at it, it became suddenly brilliantly illuminated, and as sud- denly disappeared altogether. The features, when illu- minated, were distinctly visible, but I did not recognize them as being the likeness of any individual, or of any statue that I had ever seen. Although fully awake, my eyes were closed, (if I had opened them, the appearance would have vanished), and therefore, whether a natural hallucination, or one caused by a being of the other wcrld, the light could not have been real. The following narrative appears to be authenticated beyond all question. I recollect reading not long after the date of the occurrences, an article upon the subject, written by an Englishman, in which it appeared that there was no question as to the main facts, but the po- sition was taken that the coincidences might have been accidental, and that the facts were not sufficient to prove that there w T as any spiritual agency in the matter. At least such is my recollection as to the substance of the article. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 293 " The fourteenth of November. In the month of September, 1857, Captain G W , of the Sixth (Inniskilling) Dragoons, went out to India, to join his regiment. " His wife remained in England, residing at Cam- bridge. On the night between the 14th and 15th of November, 1857, toward morning, she dreamed that she saw her husband looking anxious and ill, upon which she immediately awoke, much agitated. It was bright moonlight; and looking up, she perceived the same figure standing by her bed-side. He appeared in his uni- form, the hands pressed across the breast, the hair dis- heveled, the face very pale. After remaining visible about a minute, the figure disappeared. " Next morning she related all this to her mother, expressing her conviction, though she had noticed no marks of blood on his dress, that Captain W was either killed or grievously wounded. So fully impressed was she with the reality "of that apparition, that she thenceforth refused all invitations. A young friend urged her soon afterward, to go with her to a fashionable concert, reminding her that she had received from Malta, sent by her husband, a Jiandsome dress-cloak, which she had never yet worn. But she positively de- clined, declaring that, uncertain as she was whether she was not already a widow, she would never enter a place of amusement until she had letters from her husband, (if indeed, he still lived) of later date than the 14th of November." Some time in the succeeding month (December) a telegram was published in London to the effect that Captain W was killed before Lucknow, on the 15th 25 * 294 THE INVISIBLES. of November, and official intelligence was afterward re- ceived at the War Office, to the same effect. Mr. Wilkinson, a London solicitor, who had in charge Captain W *s affairs, seeing the telegram, called on Mrs. W , and was then informed by her of the ap- parition, and that it appeared during the night be- teen the 14th and 15th of November. Mr. Wilkinson was afterward visiting a friend, called Mr. N , " whose lady has all her life had perception of apparitions, while her husband is what is usually called an impressible medium." " Mr. Wilkinson related to them, as a wonderful cir- cumstance ; the vision of the Captain's widow in con- nection with his death, and described the figure as it had appeared to her. Mrs. N , turning to her husband, instantly said, ' That must be the very person I saw, the evening we were talking of India, and you drew an elephant with a howdah on his back. Mr. Wilkinson has described his exact position and appearance; the uniform of a British officer, his hands pressed across his breast, his form bent forward as if in pain. The figure, she added, to Mr. W , appeared just behind my hus- band, and seemed looking over his left shoulder.' "'Did you attempt to obtain any communication from him ?' Mr. Wilkinson asked. " • Yes : we procured one through the medium of my husband.' " ' Do you remember its purport ?' " ' It was to the effect that he had been killed in In- dia that afternoon, by a wound in the breast ; and add- ing, as I distinctly remember, " That thing I used to REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 295 go about in is not buried yet." I particularly marked the expression.' " This occurred, as was found by looking at a bill which had been paid the same evening, on the 14th of November. In the month of March, 1858, the family of Captain W received a letter from India, informing them that Captain W had been killed in the afternoon of the 14th of November; having been struck in the breast by a fragment of shell. The War Office, more than a year after the event oc- curred, made the correction as to the date of the death, altering it from the 15th to the 14th of November. " This extraordinary narrative," Mr. Owen says, "was obtained by me directly from the parties them- selves. The widow of Captain W kindly consented to examine and correct the manuscript, and allowed me to inspect a copy of Captain C 's letter, giving the particulars of her husband's death. To Mr. Wilkinson also, the manuscript was submitted, and he assented to its accuracy so far as he is concerned. That portion which relates to Mrs. N , I had from that lady her- self. I have neglected no precaution, therefore, to obtain for it the warrant of authenticity." Although the inhabitants of our world are not so. constantly attended by their friends of the other as some persons seem to imagine, still they are sometimes thus accompanied ; and more often, we may suppose, when dangerously exposed, than when they are not. I presume then, that some friend of Captain W , of the other world, was with him when he was killed, and conveyed the intimation of his death to Mrs. 296 THE INVISIBLES. W , by the only mode in his power. Producing first the impression when she was asleep, he (or she) was able to continue it after she awoke. That portion of the narrative relating to Mr. and Mrs. N , is, in my opinion, of no importance what- ever. The portion of the communication to Mr. N which is given — namely, "That thing I used to go about in is not buried yet," indicates that it was from one of the same low class of beings that communicate through other mediums. Captain W would be no more likely to make use of such an expression after his death than before. Besides, if Captain W had been present, and able to communicate, he would of course have given his name, and would probably have given a message to Mrs. W . All that the appearance and communication to Mr. and Mrs. N can possibly demonstrate is, that the beings en rapport with them, had learned in some way, that a battle had occurred in India that day. If they had learned the name of any English officer killed, they would undoubtedly have given it. This case, and other similar ones, confirm the state- ment, that none but a certain class of the other world have hitherto been able to communicate through medi- ums; and that others are unwilling to entrust messages to this class. If the friend of Captain W could have himself communicated through any medium, or had been will- ing to give any particulars to such as could do so, it is not probable that he would have contented himself with merely producing an apparition ; a message would have been sent to Mrs. W- . REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 297 The following narrative, in the chapter on "appari- tions of the dead," I am unable to explain. " The Nobleman and his servant. The late Lord M , having gone to the Highlands about the end of the last century, left his wife perfectly well in London. The night of his arrival at his Highland home, he was awakened by seeing a bright light in his room. The curtains of his bed opened, and he saw the appearance of Lady M standing there. He rang for his ser- vant, and inquired of him what he saw; upon which the man exclaimed, in terror, 'It's my lady!' Lady M had died suddenly in London that night. The story made a great noise at the time; and George the Third, sending for Lord M and ascertaining from him the truth of it, desired him to write out the circumstances as they happened; and the servant countersigned the statement. "About a year afterward, a child five years old, the youngest, daughter of Lord M , rushed breathlessly into the nursery, exclaiming, 'I have seen mamma standing at the top of the stair and beckoning to me.' That night the child, little Annabella M , was taken ill, and died." The above account Mr. Owen received from a mem- ber of Lord M 's family. I have no doubt that it is mainly correct, but Mr. Owen received it at second hand, and a long time after the occurrences took place. It would not be strange, therefore, if there were some slight inaccuracies. As I understand the narrative, the curtains of the bed were opened without the agency of Lord M . 298 THE INVISIBLES. This could be done by, what T have called, an artificial apparition, but these are not so speedily created. Besides, it does not appear that the servant saw any- thing until asked by Lord M what he saw; nor did he then express any astonishment at the unnatural light in the room. Now, as Lord M was in bed, the first things that the servant would have noticed on entering the room, if the appearances were real, were the light and Lady M ; and he would hardly have been so self-possessed, as to manifest no fright or astonishment, until questioned by Lord M . I conclude it was an impressional apparition, the account of which is not precisely accurate. It is not necessary that I should review the chapter on "Retribution" which is designed to show that beings of the other world sometimes, punish or annoy persons of our world, who have injured them while living here. * As they frequently persecute those who have done them no injury, there is no reason to doubt that they sometimes annoy those who have, and I presume the only reason this is hot oftener done is, the lack of ability. I will therefore pass to the final chapter of narratives, which is on the subject of " 'Guardianship ." In opening the chapter, Mr. Owen says, "A pleas- anter task remains ; to speak, namely, of the indica- tions that reach us of ultramundane aid and spiritual protection." With the idea advanced in the above paragraph my REVIEW OP OTHER NARRATIVES. 299 own belief fully coincides. One of the most remark- able instances of protection in the volume, is given in the narrative which I have copied, entitled "The Negro Servant," in which it is stated that a murder was pre- vented by a dream; and I wonder that Mr. Owen did not place that narrative in this chapter, instead of some which I find here. I do not believe, however, that any desirable guar- dianship is ever exercised by that class of beings of the other world, who are able to rap, move furniture, or make any similar disturbances in our world. I will first notice the narratives embracing this class of pheno- mena, of which there are but two in the chapter. The first is entitled, "Gasper," and was communicated to Mr. Owen by Mr. S. C. Hall, of England. Why this narrative is placed in the chapter on Guardianship, it is difficult for me to perceive. If the chapter was on Deviltry, the narrative would be appropriate. It is too lengthy to copy, but the following is the substance. About the year 1820, an English family were residing in France. One evening the father saw in front of the door, what he called, a ghost, and that night noises and disturbances were commenced in the house, similar to those related in the chapter on Hauntings. After these annoyances had continued for several weeks, the family, as stated, became able to hear the spirit speak; but he refused to give any account of him- self, except that his name was Gasper, or why he had annoyed them, or, in short, why he stayed there. I infer that when he became able to communicate with 300 THE INVISIBLES. the family, the annoyances — as usual in such cases — ceased. He remained with the family for more than three years, continually giving advice, "and always for good." Shortly after the family returned to England, Gasper left them, assigning as a reason for doing so, that harm would come to them if he remained with them in England. While they were in France, "On one occasion my father was extremely desirous to recover some valuable papers which he feared might have been lost. Gasper told him exactly where they were, in our old house in Suffolk; and there, sure enough, in the very place he designated, they were found." That is all there is in the narrative going to show that Gasper was a "guardian spirit." He was always giving good advice, and told the father where he had left certain papers — which fact he unquestionably learned from the father. Gasper commenced and continued his annoyances, as all other "spirits" of his class do, out of pure deviltry, for it appears that he had nothing to communicate when able to converse. What the good advice was, we are not informed; but they* will all give good advice, that is, they will give such advice as they think will be acceptable — anything to continue the intercourse. But what would be thought of a person of our world, who should in- trude himself into a family, commence making noises and disturbances in the house, continue these for several weeks, until the family consented to hold intercourse with him; then refuse to give any account of himself, REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. - 301 or explain his conduct, but simply give good advice? Would he be considered a desirable guardian? As the language used by Gasper was French, and he first met the family in France, the probability is that he was a native of that country, and that a desire to return there, was his motive for leaving the family when they returned to England. It is stated in the narrative that, "Every member of the family, including the servants, had heard the voice." The narrative was given to Mr. Hall by a member of the family — one of the daughters — in the year 1859, — about thirty-nine years after the occurrences took place, and the lady must have been at the time quite young. It is not to be expected, therefore, that the account should be strictly accurate. It appears to me very evi- dent, that if all the family — five in number — and the servants, could hear the "spirit" talk, then any one could hear him; and consequently, any one could hear other "spirits." In another well -authenticated narrative, entitled "The old Kent Manor- House," it is stated that, "every inmate of the house had been more or less disturbed at night — not usually during the day — by knockings and sounds as of footsteps, but more especially by voices which could not be accounted for. These last were usually heard in some unoccupied adjoining room; sometimes as if talking in a loud tone, sometimes as if reading aloud, occasionally as if screaming." Yet it appears that the only person in the house that ever understood anything spoken by the "spirits," was a visitor called Miss S ; who, it is stated, " had been in the habit of seeing appa- ritions, at times, from early childhood." 26 302 THE INVISIBLES. Miss S was probably an impressible medium; the others heard noises which they mistook for voices in an adjoining room. So Gasper was probably able to converse with one or two members of the family, and the others mistook noises resembling voices at a distance, for the voice of Gasper. The other narrative is entitled, " The Rejected Suitor" Mr. and Mrs. W resided in England, not far from London. A short time previous to the date of the following occurrences, an aged, gentleman, who had re- sided with them about four years, died. Mrs. W had been to some extent interested in the subject of spiritualism, and had on one or two oc- casions, held her hand, as writing mediums do, to see if the "spirits" would write with it; and, "a few unintel- ligible figures or unimportant words" written, were the result. She went one morning into the garden, feeling much depressed on account of her aged friend's death ; and had been there but a few minutes, when she felt a strong impulse to return to the house and write. ^ "The impulse to write gradually increased, and at- tended with a nervous and uneasy sensation in the right arm, became so strong that she yielded to it ; and, re- turning to the house and picking up a sheet of note- paper and a small portfolio, she sat down on the steps of the front door, put the portfolio on her knee, with the sheet of note-paper across it, and placed her hand with a pencil, at the upper left-hand corner, as one usu- ally begins to write. After a time the hand was gradu- REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 303 ally drawn to the lower right-hand corner, and began to write backward ; completing the first line near the left- hand edge of the sheet, then commencing a second line, and finally a third, both on the right, and completing the writing near to where she had first put down her pencil. Not only was the last letter in the sentence writ- ten first, and so on until the commencing letter was written last, but each separate letter was written back- ward, or inversely ; the pencil going over the lines which composed each letter from right to left. " Mrs. W stated to me that (as may well be con- ceived) she had not the slightest perception of what her hand was writing; no idea passing through her mind at the time. When her hand stopped, she read the sen- tence as she would have read what any other person had written for her. The hand-writing was cramped and awkward, but, as the fac-simile will show,* legible enough. " The sentence read thus : — ' Ye are sorrowing as one vnihout hope. Cast thy burden upon God, and he ivill help thee.' " Mrs. W much astonished, placed her pencil at the foot of the paper, that the " spirit" might subscribe its name — expecting that the name of her aged friend would be written. "The event, however, wholly belied her expectation. The pencil, again drawn nearly to the right-hand edge of the paper, wrote backward as before, not the expected name, but the initials K,. G. D." These were the initials of a gentleman, who, eighteen * Fac-similes of the above, and a sentence written afterward, are given in Mr. Owen's work. -304 THE INVISIBLES. years before had sought her in marriage, but whom she had rejected • and the gentleman had died about six years previous, a bachelor. " This occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 1, 1859. A* little more than a month afterward, to wit, on Monday, April 4, about four o'clock in the afternoon, while Mrs. W was sitting in her parlor reading, she suddenly heard, apparently coming from a small side-table near her, three distinct raps. She listened ; and again there came the same sounds. Still uncertain whether it might not be some accidental knocking, she said, ' If it be a spirit who announces himself, will he repeat the sound?' Whereupon the sounds were in- stantly and still more distinctly repeated ; and Mrs. W. became assured that they proceeded from the side-table. " She then said, ' If I take pencil and paper, can I be informed who it is ?' Immediately there were three raps, as of assent ; and when she sat down to write, her hand, writing backward, formed the same initials as be- fore — E. G. D. " Then she questioned, ' For what purpose were these sounds?' To which the reply, again written backward, was, ' To show you that we are thinking and working for you.' " Ten days after the last incident, Mrs. W. happening to recollect that R. G. D. had once given her a beau- tiful black Newfoundland dog, thought she would like to have such an animal then, and said to a servant who happened to be near, " I wish I had a fine large New- foundland for a walking companion." The next morning a gentleman from a neighboring town, whom Mrs. W. did not remember to have ever REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. . 305 seen before, brought and presented to her a noble black Newfoundland dog ; giving as his reason for doing so, ,that he did not intend for the future to keep dogs, and because he felt assured that in Mrs. W. the dog would find a kind mistress. Mrs. W. stated, that she had ascertained to an abso- lue certainty, that the girl to whom she had spoken on the matter, had not mentioned to any one her wish to have a dog. The foregoing is all there is of the narrative; which Mr. Owen received from Mrs. W. a few days after the occurrence of the last incident. The result then of the "thinking and working" of the "spirits" for about a month and a half, was the gift of a Newfoundland dog; that is, supposing this presen- tation to have been brought about by them. People of our world can employ their time to better advantage. In reference to the ungrammatical construction of the sentence, " Ye are sorroiving as one" — etc., Mr. Owen says, "If I am asked whence this error in the grammat- ical construction of the sentence, I reply that I can no more account for it than I can for the writing itself. No one could write more correctly or grammatically than does Mrs. W. It was not through her, therefore, as in the case of an illiterate scribe we might have imagined it, that the error occurred. Its occurrence is additional proof that her mind had no agency in the matter; though it would probably be stretching conjecture too far to imagine that it was so intended." It is rather strange that he is unable to account for the error. If he received such a message in writing, purporting to be subscribed by an educated person of 26* 306 THE INVISIBLES. our world, Mr. Owen would at once decide that it was a forgery. If Mrs. W. was well educated, we may reasonably infer that her former suitor had at least a common edu- cation, and that therefore the sentence was not written by him. Mrs. W. had previously been investigating spiritualism, had held her hand for the purpose of letting the "spirits" write with it, and, like all other mediums, had some low being attached to her, who had in some way — probably from her mind — learned the name of her late suitor. Mrs. W. assured Mr. Owen that she could not recollect having thought of the gentleman for several years previous; but it would be very strange if she had not; and a name very familiar is frequently thought of without producing any very decided impression; so that afterward we have no recollection of having thought of it. Although Mr. Owen has doubts as to the cause of the error in the grammatical construction of the sentence, he has none whatever as to the object of the " spirit" in writing backward. He says : — " Whence, again, the writing backward ? In that the will had no agency. As little had expectation. Mrs. W. in her normal state, had not the power so to write. By diligent practice she might, doubtless, have acquired it. But she had no such practice. She had not acquired it. And, not having acquired it, it was as much a physical impossibility for her, of herself, so to write, as for a man, picking up a violin for the first time, to execute thereon, at sight, some elaborate passage from Handel or Bee- thoven. " Again, whence the intention to write after so unex- REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 307 ampled and impracticable a manner? Where there is an intention there must be an intelligence. It was not Mrs. W. who intended ; for the result struck her with awe, — almost with consternation. It was not her intel- ligence, therefore, that acted. What intelligence was it? " Nor can we reasonably doubt what the intention was. Had Mrs. W.'s hand written forward, she would, in all probability, have remained in uncertainty whether, half unconsciously perhaps, the words were not of her own dictation. The expedient of the backward writing precluded any such supposition ; for she could not of herself do unconsciously a thing which she could not do at all. And this expedient seems to have been ingeni- ously devised to cut off any supposition of the kind. Then here we have the invention of an expedient, the display of ingenuity. But who is the inventor ? Who displays the ingenuity ? I confess my inability to an- swer these questions." There was no ingenuity of the kind exercised. The " spirit" wrote backward, or from right to left, simply because it was easier for him to do so, than to write from left to right. It is no unusual thing, especially in the first attempts to use a person's hand, for the writing to be executed backward. My own hand was at first more readily moved from right to left, than in the reverse direction. With Mr. Conklin, whom I have mentioned in my narrative, the writing is always from right to left; but it differs from that of Mrs. W. in that with him, the sentence is commenced at the right, that is, the beginning of the sentence is at the upper right-hand corner of the paper, and the paper must be reversed, and held towards 308 THE INVISIBLES. the light so that the writing will show through, in order to read it readily, or from left to right, as usual.* I have stated that the writing was effected by the will of the individual of the other world influencing our own. But the control thus indirectly acquired of our hands, is slight, compared with the control possessed by our- selves. We have more power to move our right arm towards the left, and our left towards the right, than we have to move them in the opposite directions. In movements requiring so slight an effort of the will as writing, the difference is, to us, not apparent ; but every one has noticed the great difference in striking a blow with the fist, or in any violent effort of the kind. Now this difference in power, which to us in ordinary movements of the arm is not perceptible, is to those of the other world attempting to control it, very material ; hence they sometimes write backward, or from right to left. We have then, given us by Mr. Owen as instances of guardianship, by such of the other world as are able to rap, or make noises of any kind, the narrative of Gas- per, who disturbed a family for some time, and after- ward gave good advice, and of the illiterate creature who is supposed to have brought about the gift to Mrs. W , of a Newfoundland dog. ,, For my part, I would prefer being free from such guardianship. The following narrative I have previously read in a work by the Rev. Dr. Bushnell, entitled, "Nature and * This fact is pretty good evidence that the writing is always done by the same being. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 809 the Supernatural," from which Mr. Owen has taken it, and prefixed to it the title of "Help amid the Snow- drifts:' "As I sat by the fire one stormy November night, in a hotel-parlor, in the Napa Valley of California, there came in a most venerable and benignant-looking person, with his wife, taking their seats in the circle. The stranger, as I afterward learned, was Captain Yount, a man who came over into California, as a trapper, more than forty years ago. Here he has lived, apart from the great world and its questions, acquiring an immense landed estate, and becoming a kind of acknowledged patriarch in the country. His tall, manly person, and his gracious paternal look, as totally unsophisticated in the expression as if he had never heard of a philosophic doubt or question in his life, marked him as the true patriarch. The conversation turned, I know not how, on spiritism and the modern necromancy; and he dis- covered a degree of inclination to believe in the reported mysteries. His wife, a much younger and apparently Christian person, intimated that probably he was predis- posed to this kind of faith by a very peculiar experience of his own, and evidently desired that he might be drawn out by some intelligent discussion of his queries. "At my request, he gave me his story. About six or seven years previous, in a mid-winter's night, he had a dream in which he saw what appeared to be a company of emigrants arrested by the snows of the mountains and perishing rapidly by cold and hunger. He noted the very cast of the scenery, marked by a huge perpen- dicular front of white rock cliff; he saw the men cutting off what appeared to be tree-tops rising out of deep 310 THE INVISIBLES. gulfs of snow; he distinguished the very features of the persons and the look of their particular distress. He woke profoundly impressed with the distinctness and apparent reality of his dream. At length he fell asleep and dreamed exactly the same dream again. In the morning he could not expel it from his mind. Falling in, shortly, with an old hunter comrade, he told him the story, and was only the more deeply impressed by his recognizing without hesitation, the scenery of the dream. This comrade had come over the Sierra by the Carson Valley Pass, and declared that a spot in the pass answered exactly to his description. By this the unso- phisticated patriarch was decided. He immediately collected a company of men with mules and blankets and all necessary provisions. The neighbors were laughing, meantime, at his credulity. 'No matter,' said he, 'I am able to do this, and I will; for I verily believe that the fact is according to my dream.' The men were sent into the mountains, one hundred and fifty miles distant, directly to the Carson Valley Pass. And there they found the company in exactly the condition of the dream, and brought in the remnant alive. " Dr. Bushnell adds, that a gentleman present said to him, 'You need have no doubt of this; for we Califor- nians all know the facts, and the names of the families brought in, who now look upon our venerable friend as a kind of Saviour.' These names he gave, together with the residences of each ; and Dr. Bushnell avers that he found the Californians everywhere ready to second the old man's testimony. 'Nothing could be more natural,' continues the doctor, ' than for the good-hearted patriarch himself to add that the brightest thing in his REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 311 life, and that which gave him the greatest joy, was his simple faith in that dream.'" This dream could not have been caused by the mind of an individual of our world acting on that of the dreamer, for it appears that the party of emigrants were all entire strangers to Captain Yount. Neither is it a rational hypothesis that the dream occurred by chance. It would not be at all strange, nor a coincidence requir- ing any explanation, had Captain Yount simply dreamed, in a winter's night, of people perishing in the snows, and it was afterward learned that some had thus perished during the winter. But that the precise spot where the party were perishing — a locality which he had never seen, and the scenery of which was peculiar — should be minutely and accurately pictured in the dreamer's mind by mere chance, is an incredible hypothesis. Yet the authenticity of this narrative cannot be questioned. The dream in this case then, must have been pro- duced by a being of the other world. How long pre- vious to the dream, one of the party had died, we are not informed. Unless such an event had occurred some time previous, we must suppose the party of emigrants were watched during their journey by friends, or a friend of some one of them of the other world, who, not being of the class able to " rap," or make noises, took the only course he could take to relieve them, and at length, after a considerable time, as I infer, found a per- son of our world, upon whose mind he could produce an impression when asleep. It was such a vision as could be produced by one of the other world, showing nothing more than what he might have in his own mind at any one moment; dif- 312 THE INVISIBLES. fering greatly in this respect from the dreams, or narra- tives of dreams, relative to which I have stated my doubts as to the authenticity. It is a peculiarity of dreams produced by beings of the other world, especially when the motive is urgent, that they are repeated. Captain Yount's occurred twice; in the narrative entitled, " The negro servant," it is stated that the dream of the lady " occurred more than once ;" this is not usual in ordinary dreams. Now the class of " spirits" able to " rap" and " tip" out communications, have been doing so, almost daily, for the past fifteen years, or more, and during all this time they have not done as much good as was effected by this dream. In fact I have been unable to learn that they have ever done any good whatever. Yet, if this dream was produced as I have supposed, it is evident that those able to rap, or to write, might do much good in our world, if so disposed. In the work of Mr. Owen there are about sixty nar- ratives which he considers well authenticated, and which he thinks indicate spiritual agency. Of these I have . specified six as conflicting more or less with the theories I have given. This is not a greater proportion, I think, than we might expect would be somewhat inaccurate. The six thus specified are, a narrative of Mr. Talbot, giving an account of a dream which occurred to his fa- ther seventy-four years previous; two other narratives of dreams, one by a Captain Norway, the other by Cap- tain Clarke; another narrative by the latter individual; one by Mademoiselle de Guldenstubbe', who gave an- other, afterward found to be incorrect ; and a narrative entitled, " The nobleman and his servant," narrating REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 313 very briefly occurrences which took place in the last century, by a person who did not witness them. There is not a narrative in the volume, as well at- tested, for example, as the last one copied, which con- flicts with the explanations of the phenomena which I have given. In Mr. Owen's work there are no instances of artificial apparitions, unless those described in the two narratives entitled, " Louise," and, " Apparition of a Stranger" were of this class. In the former narrative, it is stated that a femme-de- chambre was frightened into convulsions by the appa- rition. It would seem hardly possible that even a female could be thus frightened by a hallucination ; and as noises had been for some time heard in the house — had in fact followed the family from a house previously occupied — indicating that some member of the house- hold was a medium through whom material of the other world could be changed, as described, it is not impossible that an artificial apparition was created ; but the narra- tive given b}^ a lady, is so vague that it is impossible to decide upon this point. The other narrative, " Apparition of a Stranger," was given Mr. Owen by the Baron de Guldeustubbe', a bro- ther of the Mademoiselle de Guldenstubbe" before named. The apparition seen by the Baron, if correctly described, must have been an artificial one. But the story does not strike me as being strictly accurate. He states that " he experienced little or no alarm, being chiefly occupied during the period of its stay in seeking to ascertain whether it was a mere hallucination or an objective re- 27 314 THE INVISIBLES. ality ;" also, that it was accompanied by light sufficiently brilliant to enable him "to distinguish small print, as he ascertained by picking up a Bible that lay on his dressing-table, and reading from it a verse or two." Now, as the Baron observed the phenomenon with such surprising calmness, and was chiefly occupied in seeking to ascertain whether it was an objective reality or not, it is strange — as it is stated that the figure ap- proached quite close to him several times — that he made no attempt to touch it, which would at once have satis- fied him on the above point. Again it is stated that the same apparition had been seen by others in the house before the Baron came there. Of course these might have been hallucinations, and the Baron have seen a real figure; but, upon the whole, I have not sufficient faith in the narrative to cite it as an instance of an artificial apparition. I will therefore take from another work examples of this very rare phenomenon. In the London "Spiritual Magazine" I find the cor- respondence of a gentleman called Mr. L- , who it is stated, is a member of a prominent banking-house in New York,* — giving his observations of such appa- ritions. The correspondence appears to have been carried on for several years. When it commenced, or when Mr. L- commenced his investigations, I do not know, as I have examined but a few numbers of the Magazine. I find it stated in a letter dated, "New York, March, * If the name given me by one of the other world is the right one, — and I have grounds for believing it is — the gentleman is well known in New York, though I am not myself acquainted with him. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 315 17th, 1862," that success in producing the apparition, u only crowned months of patient watching" from which it is evident that the apparition was of a different nature from most of those described in the work of Mr. Owen. I have before me only the volume for the year 1862, -and the number for January, 1866, and must therefore confine my extracts to these. First, to show the charac- ter of these beings, I will give a few extracts from the volume. Most of the articles published, are simply extracts from the diary of Mr. L . The " medium" for communications, as well as for the production of apparitions, was Miss Fox. The following "test" was, as represented, from Dr. Franklin ;— "Sunday Evening, Jan. 19th, 1862,— A Test. The following was written upon a card : ' My son, I see you have a desire to hear about the country. A Battle is in the field and will soon be victorious. — B. F.' The battle of Somerset, or Mill Spring, in Kentucky, result- ing in a decided Union victory and rebel defeat, and in the death of their general Zollikoffer, took place on Sunday, Jan. 19th, ending Monday morning, Jan. 20th. The news by telegram did not reach New York, until Monday, Jan. 20th." If so senseless a message had been given Mr. L by one of our world, he would, I presume, have thought the writer was a fool, or an ignoramus, but because given by a "spirit," he accepts it without question, as coming from Dr. Franklin. " My Dear Wipe : — Please for a test tell me of some little circumstance which happened when we were to- gether in life." 316 THE INVISIBLES. "Answer: — 'There are many things that I could men- tion, and many which I will at some future time. Do you remember how often I have held up my finger to you playfully, rebuking you for being late at dinner? I cannot now recall these sweet little incidents, they are so many, darling. "'Estelle.'" One would suppose that an evasion like this would have excited Mr. L 's suspicions, but it seems to have had no such effect. " When you come in form, is your form which we see, ethereal or real substance?" " Answer: — 'All of earth is past. I come ethereally, spiritually, purified, made holy. I may have an earthly wish. Sometimes I wish to be with you; I wish to talk with you; I Avish to kiss you, to put my arm round your neck. You may call these earthly desires, I call them heavenly. "'ESTELLE.'" The answer is not very pertinent, but neither was the question. What Mr. L 's idea, either as to substance, or as to form, was, it is impossible for me to imagine. The following is an extract from a communication purporting to be also from Estelle,. the wife of Mr. L . "Our choir comprises a large number of kindred spirits. We ascend to a high throne, where the holy hold devotions. We do not see God, but we feel His influence. We are conscious of His invisible presence, REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 317 as you are of ours. We hear His voice and read His wishes. We gather around His throne to pray for our loved ones on earth, and to sing praise to Him, the giver of all good." It will be observed that the above is designed to be understood literally, not figuratively. The "spirit" should have stated at about what height the throne of the Almighty was situated. I will now pass to the number of the Magazine for January, 1866, the correspondence published in which, is dated ISTovember, 1865. As Mr. L had been sitting frequently with Miss Fox for several years, for the purpose of seeing apparitions, it may be presumed that the beings of the other world had, by this time, their arrangements for producing them perfected as far as possible; and however erroneous the conclusions of Mr. L may have been, he is entitled to no little credit for the accuracy of his observations and descrip- tions of the phenomena. In explanation of the following letter, it is stated that Mr. L first met the lady (Estelle), who became his wife, at Baden-Baden, in the year 1851. In the summer of 1865, Mr. L was again at Baden-Baden, and happened to occupy the same room that Estelle occupied when he first met her. When in London, on his way home, Mr. L mentioned the incident to Mr. Coleman, who is either one of the editors of, or a Contributor to, the Spiritual Magazine; and Mr. Cole- man suggested that Mr. L should make the circum- stance a test as to the identity of the apparition which had frequently appeared to him, "with Estelle, who is in the other world. 27* 318 THE INVISIBLES. "New York, November 20th, 1865. " My dear Mr. Coleman : — You will no doubt be interested to learn that my first spiritual manifestation since my return from Europe was in my own house, in the presence of Dr. Gray,* and resulted in the tangible, real, visible presence of my wife in my own room, where *■ there could by no possibility have been any other per- sons than Dr. Gray, the medium and myself. This was on Friday evening, November 10th, 1865. "The atmosphere was moderately electrical, cold and overcast. The medium and Dr. Gray having called to see me, we determined to have a sitting in a room up- stairs, there being no persons in the house but the ser- vants, who were three flights below. The door was carefully locked, and after seating ourselves at the table in the middle of the room, I turned out the gas. In about fifteen minutes a spirit-light rose from the floor on the side of the table opposite to the medium, and after describing a semi-circle over and above the table three times consecutively, it rested upon Dr. Gray's head and disappeared. The medium and myself were then requested to stand up. Upon our doing so, the light again made its appearance between us and the window, pressing us back a little, as though to give it more room. Vigorous rustlings succeeded this movement, and the next instant the figure of my wife stood before us, holding a single flower in her hand, with every fea- ture radiant, and vividly visible. She was dressed in white gossamer, which enveloped her head, a transparent veil falling just before her right eye, but thrown back. The veil was subsequently removed altogether. Her * A well-known physician and spiritualist of New York. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 319 dress, or robe, was carefully plaited around the neck, but with that exception it was loose and flowing. It was of thicker material than that about her head, and seemed to be of the texture of silk and gossamer. As Dr. Gray was seated during this time, (we standing between him and the spirit) he saw only the light and drapery as she came and glided away, which she did five or six times during a period of about three quarters of an hour. For some cause, unknown to me, the spirit could not on this occasion remain visible to me when Dr. Gray approached.* "You will perhaps remember a suggestion you made to me in London, that upon my return I should make certain interesting circumstances which occurred to me on the Continent, the subject of a spiritual test. I am happy to say that it has been done with a most satisfac- tory result. I had mentioned the circumstances to no one on this side of the ocean. At a second seance, two days after that which I have just described, I applied the test as follows: — I wrote two questions without the medium's knowledge. "The questions and answers were as follows: — "'My dear wife: — I desire you this morning to write me a woi'd about your appearance on Friday night last. Also, something in reference to the interesting circumstance now on my mind, which occurred on the Continent during my last visit to Europe.' * I infer that the "spirit" was visible five or six times during three- quarters of an hour, not that she was visible all that time. As the electrical arrangements of the "spirits" did not include Dr. Gray, he probably placed himself in a position which interfered with them. 320 THE INVISIBLES. "Answer, (written on a card by the spirit). "'My dear husband: — I was most happy to come to you in form in our own house. It gave me joy greater than words can express. The next time I wish to wear a different dress. One entirely covered with violets and roses, so that you may perfectly see their color. I was with you at Baden-Baden, and saw your thoughts of me while there. I was very near you — as near as at the time when I there promised to be yours forever. I was near you when this thought came. I heard the echo go forth from your heart, and my spirit was drawn at once to your side. Sacred memories are attached to that place. Do you remember, dear Charles, how happy we both were then? Be happy now, for I am ever near you. "'ESTELLE.'" These are about as absurd "spiritual tests" as I ever heard of. The first question was not even a test as to whether the spirit present Friday night was then pre- sent, much less was it a test as to the spirit being his wife. As to the second question — if the spirit could not read Mr. L 's mind, she could not know what was on his mind, or what he referred to; and if she could read it, the matter was no test at all. Besides the spirit stated that she saw his thoughts at Baden-Baden, and heard the echo of one go forth from his heart. If a spirit could read his thoughts at Baden-Baden, Mr. L had no reason to suppose that one could not in New York. Yet he considered the result of the tests "most satisfactory." Aside from the apparitions, Mr. L ■ seems to have had nothing like the amount of REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 321 evidence for believing in the presence of his wife, which I had for believing in the presence of my friends, when they were personated. The idea of the spirits coming in form — as though at other times they were without form — was, as I under- stand, got by the spirits from spiritualists, as were many other expressions used by the former. "Extracts from Diary. First evening: — Cold and clear. A bright fire was burning in the grate. I turned the gas down partially, but still sufficient to make all objects distinctly visible. I then opened the table about six inches in the middle, placing a large musical box across one side, and the table cover across the other, leaving an opening of about six inches square in the centre. After a few minutes a white fleshy hand rose, pointing its fingers upward through this opening. A snow-white envelope encircled it from the wrist downward. It was natural in shape, size and color. A few moments elapsed, when the hand again made its appearance, but now held a flower, which with its stem, was about three inches in length. I reached out my hand to touch it, and the instant it came in contact with the flower there was a snap, like the discharge of elec- tricity. 13y request I now turned up the gas, making the room fully light. The hand again rose, holding the flower, which it placed upon a sheet of w T hite paper which I had placed next the opening. I lifted the paper and examined the flower, which was to all appear- ance a lovely pink rose-bud, with green leaves. Miss Fox took it in her fingers and held it up for exami- nation. It was damp, cold and glutinous. As expres- 322 THE INVISIBLES. sions of dissatisfaction from the unseen agents of this wonder were here manifested, she replaced the flower upon the paper, when the hand rose, seized and took it away instantly. Various flowers of different sizes, shapes and colors were presented. One was a small white flower, like a daisy. By raps it was said, 'Obey directions; you wither the flowers by your touch.'" The last incident shows how fearful the spirits were that some discovery would be made, that might lead to an understanding of their mode of operations. As the flowers disappeared quickly, whether touched or not, the reason assigned for not wishing them touched, could not have been the true one. "Second Evening. — Foggy and damp. Conditions unfavorable. A very fine light made its appearance, demonstrating, or illustrating the method of making the raps. The light was in the form of a cylinder, with its usual accompaniment of envelope. It was placed in my hand to test its weight. On closing the hand and pressing it, I found that the shell, or surface, gave way, and became indented. I received by visible raps, the following message: — 'It is true that this communion brings to you blessings in your daily life. Value these rare blessings, for there are few whose souls have been breathed upon by us. There is a life within a life; mortal and immortal; perishable and lasting. They walk side by side; the one is made of changes and cares; the other is hallowed by peace and hope; smiles and tears form one; eternal bliss and happiness the other.' " I don't know what Mr. L means by the state- ment that the method of making the raps was demon- REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 323 strated, or by the expression "visible raps," unless the idea is intended to be conveyed that the raps were made by percussion with the cylinder described. If that is what he means, it is the first instance that has come to my knowledge, of a spiritualist having any other idea as to the raps, than that they were caused by discharges of electricity; and it is very possible that this may have been the idea of Mr. L . The communication this evening, was rather better than the average from the spirits; still the expression, "There is a life within a life. They walk side by side," shows an uncultivated intellect. "Third Evening. — Cold and clear. The spirit-light soon rose, divided into two, and discovered before us standing the beautiful spirit-form of my wife, so often described. She was vividly visible, but differently dressed from her usual style, apparently typical of some- thing which I did not understand. A kind of turban was wreathed about the head, of gossamer and gold, sparkling with bright points, like diamonds, her head resting upon her right hand. "After remaining visible for some time, we crossed the room, where she again appeared, similarly dressed. The shining head-dress was entirely new. After she had disappeared the light floated about, as answering ques- tions by rapid circular motions. The light then rose near to the ceiling, describing revolutions the reverse of its previous motions. At times these revolutions de- scribed circles of six to eight feet in diameter. I asked that the light might pass around us, which was imme- diately done with great rapidity. "A large roll of drawing paper was taken up during 324 THE INVISIBLES. these gyrations and carried with the light. The light itself, as well as the envelope, was heard occasionally to strike against the table or ceiling, with considerable force, as it passed about. "Fourth Evening. — Cold and overcast, with threatened storm. Shortly after the gas was turned out heavy rustlings were heard, a brilliant electric light rose, and the well-known countenance of Dr. Franklin beamed upon us. No words can convey an idea of the calm, peaceful serenity, the dignity, the spirituality which shone out from that face. Although I have so often before seen it, yet on this occasion I was more than ever impressed, for his every feature was radiant. The light was very powerful, rendering him distinctly visible. He appeared in four different parts of the room, and each time differently draped, or dressed. My hat, which had been left upon the bureau, was worn by him a por- tion of the time, and then taken from his head in full view, and placed upon mine by the spirit. Immediately afterwards, while my hat was still upon my head, he was seen wearing a three-cornered hat, a ruffled shirt, white neckerchief without a collar, his gray hair behind the ears. He was enveloped in a dark robe, which passed down by the side of his face, partially shielding that side, and was drawn across his breast about six or eight inches below the chin. This mantle I examined both by sight and touch, and found that it resembled in fabric rather coarse dark flannel or worsted stuff. Be- neath this his dress was perfect, the cravat and ruffler were spotless white, and the vest and coat real, for I pulled aside the mantle with my own hand. His face was like the crystallization of expression, the expression REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 325 changing during the intervals of invisibility. The formation being instant and temporary, no doubt lacks the nerves and muscles of the human physical organiza- tion, and hence can of necessity only exhibit one attitude, or phase of expression, for each crystallization (or natu- ralization), during which the features and expression are en permanence. " Sixth Evening* : — Atmosphere clear. A bright coal fire and gas burning, the latter about half turned oif. "Opened the table about the width of six to eight inches. Soon a white female hand rose through the opening; answered my questions by significant move- ments. It touched my own hand, took hold of my fingers, etc. I placed my handkerchief upon a large musical box on the table. The hand rose, grasped it, and carried it away. This hand was at times amorphous, or clumsily shaped. Again it would appear perfect, or more nearly so. At times the fingers were widely spread, seemingly stiff, and moving with difficulty; again flexi- ble and natural. f It was fleshy in color and to the touch, but unnaturally "white. I did not see it beyond the wrist. I had frequently, by the spirit- light, seen that the formation ended at the wrist. There was no envelope, or covering, such as generally accompanies these temporary formations in the spirit-light. ' "Seventh Evening: — Weather clear and cold. At the conclusion of a message, a light rose from the floor, * I hava omitted the fifth, evening, as nothing of much interest then occurred. f Mr. L of course, supposed that he saw each time the same hand — that of his wife — but they were probably the artificial hands of dif- ferent persons, some of which had been prepared with more care than others. 28 326 THE INVISIBLES. discovering to us the spirit of my wife standing before us in all her beauty. My hat was asked for to shield the light. I held it with the opening towards the spirit, the light being shaken quickly inside the hat (by the spirit) threw out brilliant radiations until her face was radiant. A delicate veil of gossamer (white) depended from above her forehead, which we took in our hands for examination. I held it myself before her face, found it transparent, and of such delicate tissue that it height- ened her beauty, and made her seem still more ethereal. We now crossed the room to a sofa. The spirit said (by raps), ' I wish to recline on the sofa.' Loud rustlings and movements were heard, when we found that a sofa-pil- low, forming one end of the sofa, was in the process of being detached, and afterwards we saw it placed on end in the corner of the sofa, against which she was now seen reclining. We bent over, and examined with great care, her face and dress. The dress was white, a narrow ribbon was across her forehead, over which was a small white rose, a bunch of violets over her left temple, and a pink rose behind her ear. Her hair fell loosely, so that I took locks of it and placed it over the white robe, which I also took hold of and examined carefully. It was neatly trimmed with a narrow ruffle, and plaited in front. "Some very interesting experiments were made after she had disappeared. We stood in the middle of the room, the spirit-light hanging suspended in front, swing- ing like a pendulum. I noticed it was like a glass tube, or piece of crystal, about two inches in diameter, six inches long, and was suspended in its envelope like a bag. This bag was luminous some four to six inches REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 327 above the top of the crystal, fading into a dark material. By my request it was placed in my hand, (on a level with my chest) and while I was in the act of holding it, a hand about two feet above took hold of the rim of my hat, which I had on my head ; and I noticed that the bag in my hand was held by the hand above. This light was then placed upon the rim of my hat, and allowed to remain there whilst I moved about the room. It felt solid and heavy — say from one to two pounds in weight. Subsequently I made a careful examination of the light, which at my request was placed in my hand, and removed again at my bidding. It was hard and flint-like, with the appearance of liquid electricity, or light flowing inside in livid corruscations. The hand which held the light thus suspended above, at the same time took off my hat, and both the light and the hat were raised and lowered by the same agency. I noticed that the envelope became coarse and dark in proportion to its distance from the reservoir of electrical light. This was made to revolve, showing that it was propelled by a hand invisible, but holding that portion of the bag which was dark. The revolutions were rapid, describing a circle the entire circumference of the room with such rapidity and effect that it seemed a continuous wheel, or circle of light." These figures, especially the drapery, were very per- fect, as might be expected from the time spent in pre- paring them. Mr. L 's idea as to the crystallization of Dr. Franklin's face is rather ludicrous. The immobility of the features, the refusal to exhibit except by a faint elec- tric light, managed by the " spirits," and the apparent 328 THE INVISIBLES. caution taken even then to partially shield the face from observation, are what might be expected to occur if the figures were produced as I have stated ; and these things cannot be satisfactorily explained upon the supposition that Mr. L 's wife and Dr. Franklin were really seen. Again, if Dr. Franklin has been spending his time for several years in exhibiting himself, for no apparent object, he must now be a very different being from what he was when in our world ; and how utterly absurd is the idea that Mr. L 's wife would, when the room was partially lighted in the usual way, get under the table, and only raise her hand through a small opening. It is, I think, very evident that these apparitions were entirely different from those described in Mr. Ow- en's work, the accounts of which I have copied. It took considerable time to prepare them, and that too in the presence of a well-known medium ; their movements were very limited, and they did not vanish upon the ap- proach of Mr. L ; on the contrary, he felt of their dress, which appeared to be as substantial as our own. Yet his wife was never visible to him except when Miss Fox was present. Now, the theory that the "spiritual body" of an indi- vidual of our world can leave the " natural body" dur- ing the life of the latter, and instantly form for itself such a dress, is not only very absurd, but a contradic- tion of facts like the foregoing, which spiritualists have themselves observed ; and if "apparitions of the living" are hallucinations, then most " apparitions of the dead" are such also, for most of the latter class precisely re- semble those of the former; and it also follows, that the REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 329 imaginary gifts or faculties, of "seers" and "seeresses" are mere delusions. Some of the communications to Mr. L , evince rather more intelligence than do most of those through mediums, or even through the same medium, and there were probably present, assisting in the deceptions, be- ings of a higher grade of intellectuality than the one controlling the medium's brain. But the communica- tion which I have copied, purporting to be from Dr. Franklin, is about as stupid as the average, and none of them if written by one of our world, would be thought to evince much talent or intellectual culture. It may by some be thought incredible that such be- ings should be able to deceive thousands of well edu- cated persons with false theories. The truth is — and this is one of the strangest parts of the deception — the theories have not been given by the " spirits," but have been formed by spiritualists, and as they are false, they have all, however absurd and con- tradictory, been confirmed by the former. The "spirit" claiming to be Dr. Franklin, did not inform Mr. L why he could not change the ex- pression of his countenance while he was visible, and therefore the latter w ; as obliged to form his own theory upon the subject. But it should have been evident to Mr. L , that if Dr. Franklin was present and able to communicate, if he could tell him that a battle ivas in the field, and that it ivould soon be victorious, then he could tell him why he could not change the expression of his countenance. And he should have known that if the individual pretending to be his wife was really her — and especially if she was accompanied by Dr. 28 * 330 THE INVISIBLES. Franklin — some satisfactory reason would be given why she would not appear to him when the room was lighted, and why, when it was, she invariably got under the table. The same remarks apply to all the phenomena — the "spirits" have never explained them, but have merely assented to the theories formed by spiritualists; and the latter are therefore — as might be expected — contra- dictory. One subject of vast importance — that of the ultimate destiny of these miserable and degraded creatures of the other world — I must leave untouched in the present work. I have as yet no very clear conception of the other world, having confined myself, since able to get truthful communications, to efforts to obtain explana- tions of my individual experience in this matter, and of the several phenomena described. Any views which I might express upon this point would, therefore, be mere theories of my own, and owing to the great difficulty in communicating, I am advised by my friends of the other world that they prefer postponing the attempt to give information upon this point. One important fact I will, however, state, namely, that the inhabitants of what I have called " the other world," are as strictly confined to this planet — viewing their world as a part of it — as we are. It does not seem to me probable that we are to be forever confined to this one planet, but as to any future changes which we may have to undergo, I have formed no definite theory; and if I had, I should not feel inclined to state it here, as my intention has been to confine myself to facts, in the present work. REVIEW OF OTHER NARRATIVES. 331 I am informed by my friends of the other world, that they still expect to overcome the power of the individuals called Miss Allen and Julia, at least so far that they will be able to communicate without much difficulty. If this is accomplished I shall probably write another work upon this subject, but if not, I shall not make the attempt. THE END. PUBLICATIONS OF J. B. LIPPINOOTT & 00. "Will be sent by Mail on receipt of price. NOVELS BY "OTJIDA." Chandos, A Novel, by "Ouida," author of "Strathmore," "Granville de Vigne," etc. 1 vol. 8vo. Cloth, $2.00. Contents. Book First. — Chapter I. Pythias; or, Mephistopheles. II. "La Comete et sa Queue." III. A Prime Minister at Home. IV. The Queen of Lilies. V. Poesie du Beau Sexe. VI. " The Many Years of Pain that Taught me Art." VII. Latet Anguis in Herba. VIII. A Jester who hated both Prince and Palace. Book Second. — Chap. I. Under the Waters of Nile. II. The Dark Diadem. III. Butterflies on the Pin. IV. "Straight was a Path of Gold for Him." V. Clarencieux. VI. The Poem among the Violets. VII. The Poem as Women read it. VIII. In the Rose Gardens. IX. The Watchers for the Fall of Ilion. Book Third. — Chap. I. "Spes et Fortuna Valete." II. "Tout est perdu fors l'Honneur." III. The Love of Woman. IV. The Last Night among the Purples. V. The Death of the Titan. VI. "And the Spoilers came down." VII. The Few who were Faithful. VIII. The Crowd in the Cour des Princes. 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