The same process is going on regarding mental phenomena to-day. It may require a generation for men unused to think in this direction to become familiarized with the thought that telepathy, clairvoyance, and the subliminal self, with its augmented powers, are facts in nature; but thousands of intelligent people, and many accustomed to examine facts critically and according to approved methods, are already so interpreting nature, and their number is constantly increasing.
Such are some of the facts discovered by the pioneers in this outlying field of psychology. In attempting to explain or account for them it is useless to take refuge in the hazy definitions of the old psychologists, or to imagine that the secret is bound up in the vital processes which occupy the biologist and physiologist, interesting and important as those studies are; even the neurologist can help us comparatively little—he can tell us all about diseases of the nervous system and how they manifest themselves, and his labor has earned for him the gratitude of mankind; but he cannot tell us how thinking is accomplished, nor what thought is; he cannot tell the cause of so normal and easily observed a phenomenon as ordinary sleep, much less of the new faculties which are developed in somnambulism. In all these related departments of science, in considering mental phenomena it is found convenient to deny the existence of that for which they cannot account. Nature’s processes, however, are simple when once we comprehend them, so much so that we wonder at their simplicity, and wonder that we ever could have failed to understand them; and we learn to distrust explanations which are involved and complicated, knowing that error often lies that way. And of this kind for the most part, the attempted explanations of mental processes in terms of physiology have proved to be; they are complicated, inapplicable, and unsatisfactory; and they give no aid in the generalizations which have hitherto been so much needed.
The phenomena in this new field at first sight seem heterogeneous, without system or any common bond; they seem each to demand a separate origin and field. But let the idea of the subliminal self, intelligent, and endowed with its higher perceptive faculties, be presented, and lo! all these refractory phenomena fall into place in one harmonious system. The subliminal self is the active and efficient agent in telepathy—it is that which sees and hears and acts far away from the body, and reports the knowledge which it gains to the ordinary senses, sometimes by motor and sometimes by sensory automatism—by automatic writing, speaking, audition, the vision, the phantasm. It acts sometimes while the primary self is fully conscious—better and most frequently in reverie, in dreams, in somnambulism, but best of all when the ordinary self is altogether subjective and the body silent, inactive, and insensible, as in that strange condition which accompanies the higher phases of trance and lucidity, into which few enter, either spontaneously or by the aid of hypnotism. Then still retaining its attenuated vital connection, it goes forth and sees with extended vision and gathers truth from a thousand various and hidden sources.
Will it act less freely, less intelligently, with less consciousness and individuality when that attenuated vital connection is severed, and the body lies—untenanted?
THE END.
INDEX.
A.
A., Miss, Perceives an induced phantom, [236]
A., Miss, Her journey automatically described, [188]
A. B., Clairvoyance of, [102-105]
Alexis, Clairvoyance of, [86-87]
Anæsthesia, local, produced by hypnotism, [67]
Apollonius, Clairvoyance of, [80]
Apparitions or Phantasms, Collective Cases, [293], [294], [295], [299]
Automatism, [151]
"Ancient and modern, [331]
"Grades or kinds of, [151-154]
"Motor and sensory, [198], [319]
Automatisms, Sensory, considered as hallucinations, [219]
""manifested by hearing, [220]
"The dæmon of Socrates, [220]
"Voices and visions of Joan of Arc, [221]
Automatic writing, by Planchette, [158], [180]
""Mr. W. T. Stead, [186-193]
"drawing and painting by Mrs. Burton, [194]
Aylesbury, Commander T. W., Case by, [289]
B.
B., Madame, Hypnotic subject, [58-61], [131-135], [183]
Barrett, Prof. W. T., and the S. P. R., [5]
Bernheim, Prof., His theories of hypnotism, [36]
""Post hypnotic suggestions, cases, [63-67]
Bishop, The mind-reader, [8]
Bourne, Ansel, Double personality of, [119], [182]
Borderland cases. Between sleeping and waking, [269]
Borderland cases—visions, [269], [271], [273]
Braid, His theory of hypnotism, [31]
Brettany, Mrs., Vision, percipient awake, [304]
Brittan, Dr. S. B., Cases reported by, [99-101]
Brown, A. J., A second personality, [119], [182]
Brougham, Lord, Borderland case, [273-279]
Buchanan, Dr. W. B., Case by, collective, [295]
Burton, Mrs. Julietta T., Automatic writing, [194]
"""Drawing and painting by, [195]
"""Portrait, by (Frontispiece), [196]
"""Psychometric powers, [199]
C.
Carpenter, Dr. Wm. B., His theory, [9]
Charcot, Prof., His theory of hypnotism, [33]
Chiefs, Religious, [320]
""Moses, Zoroaster, Mahomet, Swedenborg, [320]
Clairvoyance, [74]
"Instances of, [78-109]
"Ancient and modern, [81]
"Nature of, [109]
Cleave, Mr. A. H. W., and Mr. H. P. Sparks, Phantasm produced by, [234]
Clerke, May, Case reported by, [296]
Collyer, Dr. R. H., Case, vision, reported by, [285], [288]
Coues, Dr. E., Case reported by, [88-90]
Crystal-gazing, Used for producing visions, [200]
""Cases reported by Mr. E. W. Lane, [201]
""Practised in all ages, [203]
""Amongst the Hebrews, [204]
""""Greeks, [205]
""In the Opera of Parsifal, [206]
""The Shew-stone of Dr. Dee, [204]
""What it really is, [208]
""Experiments of Miss X., [209-214]
""Col. Wickham’s pouch-belt found by, [214]
""Springs and wells used for, [216]
Cumberland, Mind-reader, [8]
D.
Davis, A. J., Production of Principles of Nature, Her Divine Revelation, by, [328]
Deyer, Col. J. J., His well, in relation to Crystal-gazing, [216]
Diagrams, Illustrating thought-transference, [19]
Dreams, Definite impressions during, [263]
"Veridical, cases of, [263], [266]
Dufay, Dr., Case reported by, [95]
E.
Elliotson, Dr., Mesmeric treatment by, [43]
F.
Fenton, Mr, F. D., Vision, case reported by, [284]
Fitzgerald, John, Clairvoyance of, [101]
G.
Gerault, Dr., Clairvoyance, case reported by, [95]
Gibert, Dr., Experiments, hypnotizing at a distance, [59]
Ghost-stories, Status of, [1]
Glissoid, Mr. E. M., Hypnotic experiments by, [231]
Gurney, Mr. E., Experiments, [21]
""Cases reported, [263-266], [284-289], [291-294], [295], [299]
Gurwood, John, His supposed spirit, [170]
""His crest, [171]
""In the Peninsular War, [173]
Guthrie, Malcolm, Experiments in Thought-Transference, [18]
H.
Hammond, Dr. Wm. A., Experiments reported by, [56]
Harris, Surgeon, A child’s vision, case reported, [282]
Hauffé, Madame, The Seeress of Proverst, [83-86]
Hodgson, Dr. Richard, Case reported by, [122]
Hosmer, Harriet, Borderland case, [271]
Hypnotism, In literature, [2]
"Historical sketch of, [28]
"Braid’s theory of, [31]
"Mesmer’s theory of, [29]
"Charcot’s theory of, [33]
"Bernheim’s theory of, [36-39]
"Stages of, [41], [51], [52]
"Therapeutic effects of, [42-50]
"Psychic aspect of, [51-71]
"Rapport in, [54]
"Suggestion in, [61-67]
Hypnotizing at a distance, [57]
"""Experiments by Prof. Janet and Dr. Gibert, [58]
"""Experiments by Prof Richet and Dr. Héricourt, [60]
I.
Individual, The, Conception of, [149]
J.
James, Prof., Case examined by, [122]
Jane, Clairvoyance of, [90-94]
Janet, Prof., Hypnotizing at a distance, [60]
""Hypnotic experiments by, [131]
Joan of Arc, Her voices and visions, [221]
Joy, Mr. A., Case hallucination affecting sight, hearing and touch, [291]
L.
L. A. W., Remarkable dream or vision, [263]
Léonie, Léontine, Léonore, [131-135]
Liébeault, Dr., Suggestion fulfilled after many days, [63]
""Suggests a disappearance, [66]
Lucidity, See Clairvoyance.
M.
“Marie,” Clairvoyance of, [95-99]
Mesmer, Anton, [29]
Mesmerists, The early, [31]
Mesmerization of inanimate objects, [69]
Magnetized water, Detection of, [71], [215]
M. L., Clairvoyance of, [105-108]
Moses, The vision of, [323]
Mouat, Mr. R., Narrates a case, phantasms, [299]
Myers, Mr. F. W. H., His important work, [145]
"""Cases examined and reported by, [91], [124], [164], [214]
N.
Newnham, Rev. Mr. and Mrs., Planchette writing, [164-168]
O.
Oracles, Greek, [79]
P.
Perception, Definition of, [225]
Perceptions, which are reckoned as hallucinations, [226]
Personality, Double or multiplex, [116]
"""cases of, [117], [124-128]
""in dreaming, [141]
Phantasms of the Living, Cases from, [231], [263], [289]
"Produced at a distance, case, [234-238]
"Collective cases, [293], [294], [295-299]
Phenomena, Psychical, Compared with physical, [311]
Planchette, [154-180]
Podmore, Mr. F., Case by, [288]
Psychical Research, Eng. Society for, established, [3]
Puysegur, Marquis de, [30]
R.
R., Miss, and Miss V., Planchette writing, [168]
Rapport, Hypnotic, Example, [56]
""Experiments by Mr. Gurney and Dr. Myers, [56]
""Experiments by Dr. Hammond, [56]
""At a distance, [57]
Reed, On Personality, [116]
Revelation, A modern, [327]
Richardson, Mrs. M. A., Borderland case reported by, [269]
Russell, Mrs. J. M., Case by, [246-248]
Ruth, Mrs. Wickham’s servant, Crystal-gazing, [214]
S.
Sidgwick, Prof. H., Vice-Pres. S. P. R., [5]
"Mrs. H., Cases reported by, [88-94]
Society for Psychical Research, formation of, [3-5], [316]
Socrates, Dæmon of, [220]
Somnambulism, [129]
"Hypnotic, [131]
Stainton, Moses, Rev. W., Phantoms perceived by, [237], [238]
Stead, W. T., His automatic writing, [186]
""Miss A.’s journey automatically described by, [188]
""Needs of a stranger written out by, [189]
""His correspondent in a railway car, [192]
Stewart, Prof. Balfour, [5]
Subliminal self, The key to many psychical phenomena, [260]
""Sources of information of, [177]
""Theory of, [257]
Suggestion, Post-hypnotic, [61]
Smith, J. W., and Kate, Experiments, [22]
Swedenborg, Clairvoyance of, [81-83]
T.
Telepathy, Theories regarding, [250-261]
"Explained by the action of the subliminal self, [257-261]
"No longer a mere fancy, [309]
Thought-transference, First report on, [6]
""Classification, [11]
""Experiments by diagrams, [18]
""Tested by taste, [21]
"""objects, [13]
"""cards, [13]
"""fictitious names, [14]
"""two percipients, [23], [24]
Tyndall, Prof., His Belfast address, effect of, [312-313]
U.
Urim and Thummim, A method of Crystal-gazing, [204]
V.
V., Louis, Case of, [124]
V., Miss, Planchette writing by, [159-164]
Verity, The Misses, perceive induced phantasms, [239-244]
Visions, Percipient being awake, [282]
"Cases, [282], [284-286], [289-291], [304]
Voisin, Dr., Cases reported by, [124], [148]
W.
Water, magnetized, detected by patients, [71], [77]
Wedgwood, Mr. H., Planchette-writing, [168-174]
Willing game, [6]
Wyld, Dr., Case reported by, [294]
X.
X., Case illustrating sensory automatism, [184]
X., Félida, Case, double personality, [117-119]
X. Miss., On Crystal-gazing, [209]
Y.
Young, Dr. A. K., Remarkable dream or vision, [266]
Z.
Z., Alma, Case of, [125]
Zoist, The, Report of cases in, [42]