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
A lad of eleven years of age, at school at Tarbes, was surprised
several mornings running at finding himself dressed in bed, though he
had undressed himself overnight. Then on the 3d of May he was seen by
a neighbour, soon after three in the morning, to go out dressed with
his cloak and hat on. She called to him, but he did not answer; and she
concluded that he was going to Bagnères with his father. In fact that
was the road he took; and he was afterwards seen by several persons
near Bagnères, trudging after a carriage. It rained hard; and they were
surprised to see so young a lad travelling at so early an hour; but
they thought he probably belonged to the people in the carriage. He
reached Bagnères at half past five, having done the distance of five
post leagues in two hours and a quarter. He went to the hotel of M.
Lafargue, which he had on a former occasion visited with his father,
and entered the eating-room. The people of the hotel addressed him. He
told them that he had come with his father in a post-chaise, and that
they would find his father in the yard busied with the carriage. M.
Lafargue went out to look for him. In the mean time the people of the
house observed that the boy’s remarks were incoherent; so they took off
his cloak and cap, when they found that his eyelids were closed, and
that he was fast asleep. They led him towards the stove, took off his
wet things and his boots without awakening him; but before they had
completely undressed him to put him to bed he awoke. The impressions of
his dream did not desert him. He complained of having had a bad night;
and asked for his father. They told him his father had been obliged to
set off again immediately. They put him to bed, and he slept. They sent
intelligence to his father, who came to Bagnères. The boy believed, and
believes still, that he came to Bagnères with his father in a chaise
that was driven very slowly. Being asked what he had seen on the road,
he described having passed a number of monks and priests in procession.
He said there was one good-looking young man who did not leave him,
but was always saying, “Good day, Joseph; Adieu, Joseph.” He said that
what had most annoyed him was the burning heat of the sun, which was so
intense that he had been obliged to wrap himself up in his cloak; that
he could not bear its bright light.
The following case of somnambulism, allied with St. Vietz’s dance, is
given by Lord Monboddo:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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