"were not modified by any known laws "of reason, imagination, or the common "association of ideas, and that probably "other people who may have had similar apparitions, were exactly in the same 66 predicament. The origin of the indivi"dual forms which appeared to me, was undoubtedly founded on the nature of my mind, but the manner in which it was thus affected, will probably remain "for ever as inscrutable as the origin of "thought and reflection. After the first day the form of the deceased person no "more appeared, but in its place, there appeared many other phantasms, sometimes representing acquaintances, but mostly strangers, those whom I knew "were composed of living and deceased 66 persons, but the number of the latter was comparatively small. I observed "the persons with whom I daily conversed did not appear as phantasms, these repre senting chiefly persons who lived at some distance from me. I attempted to pro 66 “duce at pleasure phantasms of persons "whom I knew by intensely reflecting on "their countenance shape &c. but distinctly as I called to my lively imagina"tion the respective shades of three of these persons, I still laboured in vain to make "them appear to me as phantasms, though "I had before involuntarily seen them in "that manner, and perceived them some "time after, when I least thought of them. "The phantoms appeared to me con 66 66 66 trary to my inclination, as if they were 'presented to me from without, like the phenomena of nature, though they ex"isted no where but within my mind. "I could at the same time distinguish "between phantasms and real objects, and "the calmness with which I examined “them, enabled me to avoid the commis"sion of the smallest mistake. I knew 66 exactly when it only appeared to me "that the door was opening and a phan"tasm entering the room, and when it actually opened, a real person entered." 66 "These phantasms appeared equally "clear and distinct at all times and under "all circumstances, both when I was by myself and when I was in company, " and as well in the day as at night, and "in my own house as well as abroad; they "were, however, less frequent when I was in the house of a friend, and rarely 66 appeared to me in the street; when I "shut my eyes these phantasms would "sometimes disappear entirely, though "there were instances when I beheld them "with my eyes closed, yet when they disappeared on such occasions, they ge"nerally reappeared when I opened my eyes. I conversed sometimes with my physician and my wife of the phantasms "which at the moment surrounded me; 66 66 66 they appeared more frequently walking "than at rest, nor were they constantly present. They frequently did not appear "for some time, but always reappeared for "a longer or a shorter period either singly "or in company, the latter however being "most frequently the case. I generally saw human forms of both sexes, but they "usually appeared not to take the smallest "notice of each other, moving as in a market-place, where all are eager to press 66 66 66 through the crowd; at times however they seemed to be transacting business "with each other: I also saw several times 'people on horseback, dogs and birds. All "these phantasms appeared to me in their "natural size and as distinct as if alive, exhibiting different shades of carnation "in the uncovered parts as well as in "different colours and fashions in their dresses, though the colours seemed "somewhat paler than in real nature, "none of the figures appeared particularly 66 terrible, comical, or disgusting, most of "them being of an indifferent shape, and "some having a pleasing appearance.” "The longer these phantoms continued "to appear the more frequently did they "return, while at the same time they "encreased in number about four weeks "after they had first appeared. I also be 66 gan to hear them talk, the phantoms "sometimes conversed among themselves, "but more frequently addressed their dis"course to me; their speeches were com 66 monly short and never of an unpleasant "turn. At different times there appeared "to me both dear and sensible friends of "both sexes, whose addresses tended to 66 66 appease my grief, which had not yet wholly subsided these consolatory speeches were in general addressed to "me when I was alone, sometimes I was "accosted by these consoling friends "while in company, frequently while "real persons were speaking to me. "These consolatory addresses consisted "sometimes of abrupt phrases, and at "others, they were regularly connected." Though both my mind and body were ❝ in a tolerable state of sanity all this time, "and these phantasms became so familiar D |