Professor Sidgwick says, as the result of an interesting conversation
with Miss Dodson, that the children were of the ages corresponding with
the ages of the children of her sister-in-law; they seemed to be a
little girl and a baby newly born. The only way an ingenious sceptic can
get round this case is by supposing that a telepathic impulse from the
living brother might conceivably embody itself in the form of his
mother. But the idea of a brother in Belgium being able to transmit a
telepathic message in the assumed shape and with the voice of his
mother, who had been dead for sixteen years, and also to telepath into
existence in London the two little children who were living in his house
at Bruges, is rather a clumsy hypothesis. But what other have we?
"Mr Theobald, an Australian, forwards to the Society a paper
discovered amongst the effects of his uncle, now dead. The
apparition, as will be seen, occurred on October 24th, 1860,
and the account is endorsed on 9th November by the percipient's
father. Further particulars sent to Mr B---- by the percipient
(who is here called Mr D----) are dated November 13th, 1860.
The first account seems to have been sent by the percipient to
his father, and by the father to Mr B----"
The percipient had been identified, and confirms, as will be seen, this
early narrative, which is as follows:--
"On the evening of Wednesday, October 24th, 1860, having
retired to bed about nine o'clock, I had slept, I conclude,
about two hours, making it then about eleven o'clock P.M. I was
awoke from my sleep by a hand touching my forehead, and the
well-known voice of Mrs B---- pronouncing my name, E----. I
started up and sat in bed, rubbed my eyes, and then saw Mrs
B----. From the head to the waist the figure was distinct,
clear, and well defined; but from the waist downwards it was
all misty, and the lower part transparent. She appeared to be
dressed in black silk. Her countenance was grave and rather
sad, but not unhappy.
"The words she first uttered were: 'I have left dear John.'
What followed related entirely to myself, and she was permitted
by a most kind Providence to speak words of mercy, promise, and
comfort, and assurance that what I most wished would come to
pass. She came to me in an hour of bitter mental agony, and was
sent as a messenger of mercy...."
Occasionally there is a curious variant, when the phantasm is auditory
and not visible. In the case published in "Proceedings of the Society
for Psychical Research," vol. iii. p. 90, Mr Wambey heard a phantasmal
voice as though in colloquy with his own thought. He was planning a
congratulatory letter to a friend, when the words "What, write to a dead
man? write to a dead man?" sounded clearly in his ears. The friend had
been dead for some days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account