CONTENTS.

	PAGE
THE CHALLENGE.
Scenery on the Wye—A Ghost Seer—Tintern Abbey—Faith and Scepticism in the reality of Phantoms	[1-5]

NATURE AND MOTIVES OF GHOSTS.
Notions of the Ancients regarding the nature of Ghosts—Confidence of the Ancients in their appearance—Modern Incidents in illustration of real appearance—Qualities of Ghosts—Motives of Apparitions—Ancient and modern Stories	[6-17]

PROPHECY OF SPECTRES.
Ancient spectral Prophecy—Modern Stories in illustration of prophetic Spectres—Philosophy and Poesy of Shakspere—Holy influence of Spectral Visitations—Stories of apparently special influence of the Deity	[18-33]

ILLUSION OF SPECTRES.
Reasons for early faith in Phantoms—Modern errors regarding classic Superstitions—Shallowness and Fallacy of modern Incidents—Explanation of Ghost Stories by Coincidence—Incidents in proof of Coincidence—Proneness of intellectual Minds to credulity and exaggeration—Innocent invention of an incident at Bowood	[34-51]

PHANTASY FROM MENTAL ASSOCIATION.
Influence of interesting localities—Definition of a Phantom—An intense idea—Demonomania—Stings of Conscience—Curious effect of peculiar study or intense thought—Darkness and Obscurity—Romance of reality—A mysterious incident	[52-66]

PHANTASY FROM CEREBRAL EXCITEMENT.
Second Sight—National propensity to the Sight—Romance and Poetry of the Mountains—Morbid predisposition to Second Sight—Unearthly Visions on the eve of Dissolution—Glimpses of Reason in dying Maniacs	[67-79]

PHANTASY FROM CEREBRAL CONGESTION.
Phantoms of intellectual Minds—Illusion of Opium—Illustrations of Narcotic Influence	[80-88]

POETIC PHANTASY, OR FRENZY.
Inspiration of Poesy and Painting—Shakspere—Fuseli—Blake—Philosophy and Madness—Illusion of Tasso—Truth of Poesy—Splendid illusions at the onset of Mania—Melancholy constitution and decay of Poetic Minds—Letter of a Cheromaniac—Sensibility—Unhappy consequences of cherishing Romance—Fragment of John Keats	[89-100]

PHANTASY FROM SYMPATHY WITH THE BRAIN.
Philosophy of Moral Causes—Effect of thought and of the function of the Stomach in producing physical changes in the Brain—Stories in proof of this influence—Illusions from Derangements of Vision—Curious cases of ocular Spectra from peculiar conditions of the Eye	[101-112]

MYSTERIOUS FORMS AND SIGNS.
Stories of Supernatural Appearances	[113-122]

ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF SPECTRAL ILLUSION.
Credulity—Arrangement of Causes of Spectral Illusion—Illustration of Atmospheric Illusions—Natural Phenomena—Fata Morgana—Schattenman of the Brocken—Romance of unlettered minds	[123-140]

ILLUSIONS OF ART.
Monkish Impostures—Optical Toys—Spontaneous Combustion	[141-146]

ILLUSTRATION OF MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS.
Elemental Causes—Impositions at Woodstock—Tedworth—Cock Lane—Subterranean Sounds—Currents of Air—Memnon—Phonic Instruments—Vocal curiosity in young Richmond	[147-154]

FAIRY MYTHOLOGY.
Origin of Faëry—Legends of the Mythology of various Climes—Cauld Lad of Hilton	[155-165]

DEMONOLOGY.
Classic and Indian Mythology—Embodying of a Demon—Stories illustrative of the Superstitions of Ireland and Cornwall—Legend of the Changelings—Poetry of Nature—Preadamite Beings	[166-177]

NATURE OF SOUL AND MIND.
Psychology of the Greeks and of the Moderns—Essence of Phrenology—Lord Brougham—Priestley—Paley—Johnson—Modes of Sepulture—Paradise—Atheism—Deity—Hindu Mythology—Senile Intellect	[178-192]

NATURE OF SLEEP.
Unconsciousness of Sleep—Necessity of Slumber—Malady of Collins—Somnolency of the Brute and of Savages—Periods of Sleep—Sleeplessness and its Antidotes	[193-204]

SUBLIMITY AND IMPERFECTION OF DREAMING.
Unconsciousness of the Dream—Arguments on this question—Episode of a dreaming Life	[205-213]

PROPHECY OF DREAMS.
Ancient Prophetic Dreams—Stories of modern Prophecies in Dreaming	[214-222]

MORAL CAUSES OF DREAMING.
Associations of Dreaming—Incongruous Combinations—Source of Ideas in Dreams—Innate Idea—Undreaming Minds—Flitting of the Spirit—Fallacy of Mental Energy in the Dream—Illusion of Dreams—Marmontel	[223-235]

ANACHRONISM AND COINCIDENCE OF DREAMS.
Celerity of Ideas in the Dream—Sacred Records of Dreams—Danger of profane Discussion of Scripture—Fallacy of Dreams—Consequences of Credulity in Dreams	[236-256]

MATERIAL CAUSES OF DREAMS.
Blending of Metaphysics and Philosophy—Confusion of ancient and modern Classifications of Dreams—Curious Cases of suspended Memory—Anecdotes of Tenacity of Memory—Physiology of Memory—Ghost of an amputated Limb	[257-269]

INTENSE IMPRESSION.—MEMORY.
Curious Cases of Associations—Deranged Memory—Dreams of Animals—Poetic Illustrations	[270-280]

INFLUENCE OF DARK BLOOD IN THE BRAIN.
Conditions of the Brain—Analogy of Dreaming and Mania—Sympathetic Causes of Dreaming—Repletion—Effects of Posture in inducing Dreams—Phrenological Illustrations	[281-294]

INCUBUS OR NIGHT-MARE.
Illustrative Incidents—Night-mare of the Mind	[295-303]

SOMNILOQUENCE.—SOMNAMBULISM.
Stories of Sleep-talking—Stories of Sleep-walking—Changes of disposition in Somnambulism—Abeyance of Memory during the Interval—Exactness and Energy during Somnambulism—Concentration of Power—Unconsciousness—Analysis of Sleep-walking—Theory of Reflex Action of the Nervous System—Irresistibility—Disease of the Brain in Somnambulists	[304-328]

IMITATIVE MONOMANIA.
Dance of the Middle Ages—Tarantulism—Saint Vitus’ Dance—Tigretier—Lycanthropy—Fanaticism during the Commonwealth—Moravians—The Kent Tragedy—Stories of Imitative Suicide—Effects of Stramonium, and of Gaseous Inhalation	[329-340]

REVERIE.
Abstraction of Idiocy—Cretinism—Wandering of the Mind—Concentrativeness—Anecdotes illustrative of Illusive Abstraction	[341-352]

ABSTRACTION OF INTELLECT.
Anecdotes in illustration—Brown Study—Apathy—Heroism—Reverie of Philosophy—Sonata di Diavolo—Reverie at Caerphilly—Intense Impression—Abstraction of Deep Study—Reverie of the Dying	[353-366]

SOMNOLENCE.—TRANCE.—CATALEPSY.
Description of Trance—Legends of Deep Sleepers—Stories of Modern Trances—Analogies from Intense Impression—Periodical Catalepsy	[367-377]

PREMATURE INTERMENT.—RESUSCITATION.
Stories in Illustration—Romance, Life in Death—Causes of Resuscitation—Disunion of Mind and Body—Insensibility of the Decollated Head—Sensations during Hanging and Drowning—Case of Dr. Adam Clarke	[378-392]

TRANSMIGRATION.—ANALYSIS OF TRANCE.
State of the Spirit after Death—Fables of Transmigration—Superstition in India and England—Tenacity of Life—Hybernation—Sleep of Plants—Physiology of Trance	[393-404]

MESMERISM.
Its origin—Commissions for its investigation—Caspar Hauser—Sensations of Magnetism—Magnetized Trees—Operations during Magnetic Trance—Transference of Senses—Mineral Traction—Clairvoyance—Trance of Santa Theresa—Prophetess of Prevorst—Magnetic Aura—Personal Sympathy—Socrates—Fascino—Prince Hohenlohe	[405-430]

SIBYLLINE INFLUENCE.
Occult Science—A Gipsy—Spells and Charms—Relics—Ordeals—Philosophy of Prophetic Fulfilment—Melancholy effects of Prophecy—Astrology—Conclusion	[431-443]