The Night-Side of Nature; Or, Ghosts and Ghost-SeersCrowe, Catherine
Religion
The Night-Side of Nature; Or, Ghosts and Ghost-Seers
Crowe, Catherine
Ghosts; Parapsychology
states of the body, it is frequently manifested. In order to render this
more clear, and, at the same time, to give an interesting instance of
this sort of phenomenon, I will transcribe a passage from a letter of
St. Augustine to his friend Evadius (Epistola 159. Antwerp edition).
“I will relate to you a circumstance,” he writes, “which will furnish
you matter for reflection. Our brother Sennadius, well known to us all
as an eminent physician, and whom we especially love, who is now at
Carthage, after having distinguished himself at Rome, and with whose
piety and active benevolence you are well acquainted, could yet,
nevertheless, as he has lately narrated to us, by no means bring himself
to believe in a life after death. Now, God, doubtless, not willing that
his soul should perish, there appeared to him one night, in a dream, a
radiant youth of noble aspect, who bade him follow him; and as Sennadius
obeyed, they came to a city where, on the right side, he heard a chorus
of the most heavenly voices. As he desired to know whence this divine
harmony proceeded, the youth told him that what he heard were the songs
of the blessed; whereupon he awoke, and thought no more of his dream
than people usually do. On another night, however, behold! the youth
appears to him again, and asks him if he knows him; and Sennadius
related to him all the particulars of his former dream, which he well
remembered. ‘Then,’ said the youth, ‘was it while sleeping or waking
that you saw these things?’—‘I was sleeping,’ answered Sennadius. ‘You
are right,’ returned the youth, ‘it was in your sleep that you saw these
things; and know, O Sennadius, that what you see now is also in your
sleep. But if this be so, tell me where then is your body?’—‘In my
bed-chamber,’ answered Sennadius. ‘But know you not,’ continued the
stranger, ‘that your eyes, which form a part of your body, are closed
and inactive?’—‘I know it,’ answered he. ‘Then,’ said the youth, ‘with
what eyes see you these things?’ And Sennadius could not answer him; and
as he hesitated, the youth spoke again, and explained to him the motive
of his questions. ‘As the eyes of your body,’ said he, ‘which lies now
on your bed and sleeps, are inactive and useless, and yet you have eyes
wherewith you see me and these things I have shown unto you; so after
death, when these bodily organs fail you, you will have a vital power,
whereby you will live, and a sensitive faculty, whereby you will
perceive. Doubt, therefore, no longer that there is a life after death.’
And thus,” said this excellent man, “was I convinced, and all doubts
removed.”
I confess there appears to me a beauty and a logical truth in this dream
that I think might convince more than the dreamer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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