Popular Superstitions, and the Truths Contained Therein: With an Account of MesmerismMayo, Herbert
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Popular Superstitions, and the Truths Contained Therein: With an Account of Mesmerism
Mayo, Herbert
Mesmerism; Parapsychology and medicine; Superstition
If the preceding example stood alone, or if, in parallel cases, no
further phenomena manifested themselves, nothing more would be required
to explain the facts than to suppose that the mental fellow-traveller
reads all your thoughts, and adopts your own imagery and impressions.
But there are not wanting cases in which the fellow-traveller has seen
what was not in his companion’s mind, and was at variance with his
belief; while subsequent inquiry has proved that the clairvoyante’s
unexpected story was true. These more complicated cases prove that the
clairvoyante _actually_ pays a mental visit to the scene. But she can
do more; she can pass on to other and remoter scenes and places, of
which her fellow-traveller has no cognizance.
For example, a young person whom Mr. Williamson mesmerised became
clairvoyant. In this state she paid me a mental visit at Boppard;
and Mr. Williamson, who had been a resident there, was satisfied
that she realized the scene. Afterwards I removed to Weilbach, where
Mr. Williamson had never been. Then he proposed to the clairvoyante
to visit me again. She reached, accordingly, in mental travelling,
my former room in Boppard; and expressed surprise and annoyance at
not finding me there, and at observing others in its occupation. Mr.
Williamson proposed that she should set out, and try to find me.
She said, “You must help me.” Then Mr. Williamson said, “We must go
up the river some way, till we come to a great town,” (Mainz.) The
clairvoyante said she had got there. “Then,” said Mr. Williamson, “we
must now go up another river, (the Maine,) which joins our river at
this town, and try and find Dr. Mayo on its banks somewhere.” Then
the clairvoyante said, “Oh, there is a large house; let us go and
see it; no, there are two large houses—one white, the other red.”
Upon this, Mr. Williamson proposed that she should go into one of the
two houses, and look about; she quickly recognised my servant, went
mentally into my room, found me, and described a particular or two,
which were by no means likely to be guessed by her. When Mr. Williamson
subsequently came to visit me at Weilbach, he was forcibly struck with
the appearance of the two houses, which tallied with the account given
beforehand by the mental traveller. I have not the smallest doubt she
mentally realized my new abode. Then, how did she do all this?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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