Popular Superstitions, and the Truths Contained Therein: With an Account of MesmerismMayo, Herbert
History
Popular Superstitions, and the Truths Contained Therein: With an Account of Mesmerism
Mayo, Herbert
Mesmerism; Parapsychology and medicine; Superstition
entranced, certainly saw with the knuckles of one hand, on smearing the
back of that hand with ink, she could no longer see with it.
The above instances show how various are the features attending the
transposition of one sense alone in waking trance; and they suggest a
multitude of experiments. I remember, in 1838, on communicating facts
of this kind to a clear-headed practical man, he raised this objection
to their credibility: “If we can see without eyes, why has the Creator
given us eyes!” The objection is specious enough, but it admits of an
obvious answer. The state of trance is one of disease, transient and
temporary; it is during its persistence only that this new power of
apprehension is manifested. In our natural state, the mind is intended
to operate and try experiences in subordination to matter, and through
definite material organs, in which it is, in truth, imprisoned. Such
is the law of our normal mortal being. Accordingly, when the trance is
over, and the mind has returned to its normal relations with the body,
all its trance-apprehensions are forgotten by it—they form no part of
our moral life.
* * * * *
III. _Sources of Error in the communications of entranced persons._—I
put aside cases of deliberate deception; but when persons are really
entranced, they are liable, in various ways, to be deceived themselves,
and to deceive others, as to the value of their revealments. There
is often, in waking trance, a great vivacity and disposition to be
communicative from the first. Those, again, who have frequently been
thrown into trance, and have become familiar with their new condition,
are generally anxious to shine in it, and make a display. This
disposition is further heightened when the entranced person expects to
be rewarded for his performance.
1. When indulging their lively fancy, they are liable to have a sort
of waking dream, during which they describe imaginary scenes with the
precision and minuteness of reality, and represent them as actual,
passing at some place they name.
2. They are liable to recall past impressions, and to deliver bits of
old conclusions for intuitions.
3. They are liable to adopt the thoughts of others who may be near
them, especially those of their mesmeriser, and to deliver them as
trance-revelations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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