HPB-SB-10-120

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vol. 10, p. 120

H. P. Blavatsky Scrapbooks

from Adyar archives of the International Theosophical Society

vol. 10

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eng • рус

Mesmerism and its Phenomena or Animal Magnetism

By the ate Wm. Gregory, M.D., F.E.S.E., Professor or Chemistry at Edinburgh University. Dedicated by the Author by Permission to His Grace the Duke of Argyll. The second and slightly revised and abridged edition, for its quality and size the cheapest large work ever published in-this country in connection with Spiritualism. Just published, price 5s., or 5s. 6d. post free.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER I:—First Effects Produced by Mesmerism—Sensations—Process for causing Mesmeric Sleep—The Sleep or Mesmeric State—It Occurs Spontaneously in Sleep-Walkers—Phenomena of the Sleep-Divided Consciousness—Senses Affected—Insensibility to Pain.

CHAPTER II:—Control Exercised by the Operator over the Subject in Various Ways—Striking Expression of Feelings in the Look and Gesture—Effect of Music—Truthfulness of the Sleeper—Various Degrees of Susceptibility—Sleep Caused by Silent Will; and at a Distance-Attraction Towards the Operator—Effect in the Waking State of Commands Given in the Sleep.

CHAPTER III:—Sympathy—Community of Sensations, of Emotions— Danger of Rash Experiments-Public Exhibitions of Doubtful Advantage— Sympathy with the Bystanders—Thought Reading—Sources of Error—Medical Intuition—Sympathetic Warnings—Sympathies and Antipathies—Existence of a Peculiar Force or Influence.

CHAPTER IV:—Direct Clairvoyance or Lucid Vision, without the Eyes— Vision of Near Object: through Opaque Bodies; at a Distance—Sympathy and Clairvoyance in Regard to Absent Persons—Retrovision—Introvision.

CHAPTER V:—Lucid Prevision-Duration of Sleep, &c., Predicted-Pre-diction of Changes in the Health or State of the Seer—Prediction of Accidents and of Events Affecting Others—Spontaneous Clairvoyance—Striking Case of It—Spontaneous Retrovision and Prevision—Peculiarities of Speech and of Consciousness in Mesmerised Persons—Transference of Senses and of Pain.

CHAPTER VI: — Mesmerism, Electro-Biology, Electro-Psychology and Hypnotism, essentially the same—Phenomena of Suggestions in the Conscious or Waking State—Dr. Darling’s Method and its Effects—Mr. Lewis’s Method and its Results—The Impressible State-Control Exercised by the Operator— Gazing—Mr. Braid’s Hypnotism—The Author's Experience—Importance of Perseverance—The Subject must be Studied.

CHAPTER VII:—Trance, Natural and Accidental; Mesmeric—Trance Produced at Will by the Subjects—Col. Townsend—Fakeer—Extasis—Extatics not all Impostors—Luminous Emanations—Extasis often Predicted—MI. Cahagnet’s Extatics—Visions of the Spiritual World.

CHAPTER VIII:—Phreno-Mesmerism—Progress of Phrenology-Effects of Touching the Head in the Sleep—Variety in the Phenomena—Suggestions— Sympathy—There are Cases in which these Act, and others in which they do not Act—Phenomena Described—The Lower Animals Susceptible of Mesmerism—Fascination Among Animals—Instinct—Sympathy of Animals—Snail Telegraph Founded on It.

CHAPTER IX:—Action of Magnets, Crystals, &e., on the Human Frame— Researches of Reichenbach—His Odyle is Identical with the Mesmeric Fluid of Mesmer, or with the Influence which Causes the Mesmeric Phenomena—Odylic or Mesmeric Light-Aurora Borealis Artificially Produced—Mesmerised Water— Useful Applications of Mesmerism — Physiological, Therapeutical, &c.—Treatment of Insanity, Magic, Divination, Witchcraft, &c., explained by Mesmerism, and Traced to Natural Causes—Appaitions—Second Sight is Waking Clairvoyance—Predictions of Various Kinds.

CHAPTER X:—An Explanation of the Phenomena Attempted or Suggested —A Force (Odyle) Universally Diffused, Certainly Exists, and is Probably the Medium of Sympathy and Lucid Vision—Its Characters-Difficulties of the Subject-Effects of Odyle—Somnambulism-Suggestion—Sympathy-Thought-Reading—Lucid Vision—Odylic Emanations—Odylic Traces followed up by Lucid Subjects—Magic and Witchcraft—The Magic Crystal, and Mirror, &c., Induce Walking Clairvoyance-Universal Sympathy-Lucid Perception of the Future.

CHAPTER XI:—Interest Felt in Mesmerism by Men of Science-Due Limits of Scientific Caution-Practical Hints—Conditions of Success in Experiments— Cause of Failure-Mesmerism a Serious Thing-Cautions to the Student— Opposition to be Expected.

CHAPTER XII:—Phenomena Observed in the Conscious or Waking State—Effects of Suggestion on Persons in an Impressible State—Mr. Lewis’s Experiments With and Without Suggestion—Cases—Dr. Darling’s Experiments—Cases—Conscious or Waking Clairvoyance, Produced by Passes, or by Concentration—Major Buckley’s Method—Cases—The Magic Crystal Induces Waking Lucidity, when Gazed at-Cases-Magic Mirror-Mesmerised Water-Egyptian Magic.

CHAPTER XIII:—Production of the Mesmeric Sleep—Cases-Eight out of Nine Persons Recently Tried by the Author Thrown into Mesmeric Sleep—Sleep Produced without the Knowledge of the Subject—Suggestion in the Sleep—Phreno-Mesmerism in the Sleep-Sympathetic Clairvoyance in the Sleep—Cases—Perception of Time—Cases: Sir J. Franklin Major Buckley’s Case of Retrovision.

CHAPTER XIV:—Direct Clairvoyance—Cases—Travelling Clairvoyance— Cases—Singular Vision of Mr. D.—Letters of Two Clergymen, with Cases—Clairvoyance of Alexis-Other Cases.

CHAPTER XV:—Trance—Extasis — Cases — Spontaneous Mesmeric Phenomena—Apparition—Prediction.

CHAPTER XVI:—Curative Agency of Mesmerism-Concluding Remarks and Summary.

Spiritualist Newspaper Branch Office, 33, British Museum-street London.

Information for Inquirers

In thirty years Spiritualism has spread through all the most civilised countries on the globe, until it now has tens of thousands of adherents, and about thirty periodicals. It has also outlived the same popular abuse which at the outset opposed railways, gas, and Gabion's discovery of the rotation of the earth.

The Dialectical Society, under the presidency of Sir John Lubbock, appointed a large committee, which for two years investigated the phenomena occurring in the presence of nonprofessional mediums, and finally reported that the facts were true, that the raps and other noises governed by intelligence were real, and that solid objects sometimes moved in the presence of mediums without being touched.

Mr. William Crookes, F.R.S., editor of the Quarterly Journal of Science, devisor of the radiometer, and discoverer of the new metal thallium, investigated the phenomena of Spiritualism in his own house, and reported them to be true. Mr. A. R. Wallace, Mr. Cromwell Varley, Prof. Zollner, and a great number of intelligent professional men have done the same.

HOW TO FORM SPIRIT CIRCLES AT HOME.

Inquirers into the phenomena of Spiritualism should begin by forming circles in their own homes, with no Spiritualist or stranger to the family present.

The assertions of a few newspapers, conjurers, and men of science that the alleged phenomena are jugglery are proved to be untrue by the fact that manifestations are readily obtained by private families, with no stranger present, and without deception by any member of the family. At the present time there are only about half a dozen professional mediums for the physical phenomena in all Great Britain, consequently, if these were all tricksters (which they are not), they are so few in number as to be unable to bear out the imposture theory as the foundation of the great movement of modern Spiritualism. Readers should protect themselves against any impostors who may tell them that the phenomena are not real, by trying simple home experiments which cost nothing, thus showing how egregiously those are duped who trust in worthless authorities.

One or more persons possessing medial powers without knowing it are to be found in nearly every household, and about one new circle in three, formed according to the following instructions, obtains the phenomena:—

1. Let arrangements be made that there shall be no interruption for one hour during the sitting of the circle.

2. Let the circle consist of four, five, or six individuals, about the same number of each sex. Sit in subdued light, but sufficient to allow everything to be seen clearly, round an uncovered wooden table, with all the palms of the hands in contact with its top surface. Whether the hands touch each other or not is of little importance. Any table will do.

3. Belief or unbelief has no influence on the manifestations, but an acrid feeling against them is weakening.

4. Before the manifestations begin, it is well to engage in general conversation or in singing, and it is best that neither should be of a frivolous nature.

5. The first symptom of the invisible power at work is often a feeling like a cool wind sweeping over the hands. The first indications will probably be table-tilting or raps.

6. When motions of the table or sounds are produced freely, to avoid confusion let one person only speak; he should talk to the table as to an intelligent being. Let him tell the table that three tilts or raps mean “Yes,” one means “No,” and two mean “Doubtful,” and ask whether the arrangement is understood. If three raps be given in answer, then say, “If I speak the letters of the alphabet slowly, will you signal every time I come to the letter you want, and spell us out a message?” Should from this time an intelligent system of communication is established.

7. Possibly symptoms of other forms of mediumship, such as trance or clairvoyance, may develop; the better class of messages, as judged by their religious and philosophical merits, usually accompany such manifestations rather than the more objective phenomena. After the manifestations are obtained, the observers should not go to the other extreme and give way to an excess of credulity, but should believe no mere about them or the contents of messages than they are forced to do by undeniable proof.

8. Should no results be obtained at the first two seances because no medium chances to be present, try again with other sitters. A medium is usually an impulsive individual, very sensitive to mesmeric influences.

Mediumship may cither be used or abused. Mediums should not lower their strength by sitting more than about twice a week; angular, excitable people, had better avoid the nervous stimulus of mediumship altogether.

Editor's notes

Sources

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  London Spiritualist, No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 252