An essay towards a theory of apparitionsFerriar, John
Science
An essay towards a theory of apparitions
Ferriar, John
Apparitions; Hallucinations and illusions
before involuntarily seen them in that manner, and perceived them some
time after, when I least thought of them. The phantoms appeared to
me contrary to my inclination, as if they were presented to me from
without, like the phenomena of nature, though they existed no where but
within my mind. I could at the same time distinguish between phantasms
and real objects, and the calmness with which I examined them, enabled
me to avoid the commission of the smallest mistake. I knew exactly
when it only appeared to me that the door was opening and a phantasm
entering the room, and when it actually opened, a real person entered.”
“These phantasms appeared equally clear and distinct at all times and
under all circumstances, both when I was by myself and when I was in
company, and as well in the day as at night, and in my own house as
well as abroad; they were, however, less frequent when I was in the
house of a friend, and rarely appeared to me in the street; when I shut
my eyes these phantasms would sometimes disappear entirely, though
there were instances when I beheld them with my eyes closed, yet when
they disappeared on such occasions, they generally reappeared when I
opened my eyes. I conversed sometimes with my physician and my wife of
the phantasms which at the moment surrounded me; they appeared more
frequently walking than at rest, nor were they constantly present. They
frequently did not appear for some time, but always reappeared for a
longer or a shorter period either singly or in company, the latter
however being most frequently the case. I generally saw human forms of
both sexes, but they usually appeared not to take the smallest notice
of each other, moving as in a market-place, where all are eager to
press through the crowd; at times however they seemed to be transacting
business with each other: I also saw several times people on horseback,
dogs and birds. All these phantasms appeared to me in their natural
size and as distinct as if alive, exhibiting different shades of
carnation in the uncovered parts as well as in different colours
and fashions in their dresses, though the colours seemed somewhat
paler than in real nature, none of the figures appeared particularly
terrible, comical, or disgusting, most of them being of an indifferent
shape, and some having a pleasing appearance.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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