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THE CHALLENGE.
Scenery on the Wye—A Ghost Seer—Tintern 1-5
Abbey—Faith and Scepticism in the reality of
Phantoms
NATURE AND MOTIVES OF GHOSTS.
Notions of the Ancients regarding the nature of 6-17
Ghosts—Confidence of the Ancients in their
appearance—Modern Incidents in illustration of
real appearance—Qualities of Ghosts—Motives of
Apparitions—Ancient and modern Stories
PROPHECY OF SPECTRES.
Ancient spectral Prophecy—Modern Stories in 18-33
illustration of prophetic Spectres—Philosophy
and Poesy of Shakspere—Holy influence of
Spectral Visitations—Stories of apparently
special influence of the Deity
ILLUSION OF SPECTRES.
Reasons for early faith in Phantoms—Modern errors 34-51
regarding classic Superstitions—Shallowness and
Fallacy of modern Incidents—Explanation of Ghost
Stories by Coincidence—Incidents in proof of
Coincidence—Proneness of intellectual Minds to
credulity and exaggeration—Innocent invention of
an incident at Bowood
PHANTASY FROM MENTAL ASSOCIATION.
Influence of interesting localities—Definition of 52-66
a Phantom—An intense idea—Demonomania—Stings of
Conscience—Curious effect of peculiar study or
intense thought—Darkness and Obscurity—Romance
of reality—A mysterious incident
PHANTASY FROM CEREBRAL EXCITEMENT.
Second Sight—National propensity to the 67-79
Sight—Romance and Poetry of the
Mountains—_Morbid_ predisposition to Second
Sight—Unearthly Visions on the eve of
Dissolution—Glimpses of Reason in dying Maniacs
PHANTASY FROM CEREBRAL CONGESTION.
Phantoms of intellectual Minds—Illusion of 80-88
Opium—Illustrations of Narcotic Influence
POETIC PHANTASY, OR FRENZY.
Inspiration of Poesy and 89-100
Painting—Shakspere—Fuseli—Blake—Philosophy and
Madness—Illusion of Tasso—Truth of
Poesy—Splendid illusions at the onset of
Mania—Melancholy constitution and decay of
Poetic Minds—Letter of a
Cheromaniac—Sensibility—Unhappy consequences of
cherishing Romance—Fragment of John Keats
PHANTASY FROM SYMPATHY WITH THE BRAIN.
Philosophy of Moral Causes—Effect of thought and 101-112
of the function of the Stomach in producing
physical changes in the Brain—Stories in proof
of this influence—Illusions from Derangements of
Vision—Curious cases of ocular Spectra from
peculiar conditions of the Eye
MYSTERIOUS FORMS AND SIGNS.
Stories of Supernatural Appearances 113-122
ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF SPECTRAL ILLUSION.
Credulity—Arrangement of Causes of Spectral 123-140
Illusion—Illustration of Atmospheric
Illusions—Natural Phenomena—Fata
Morgana—Schattenman of the Brocken—Romance of
unlettered minds
ILLUSIONS OF ART.
Monkish Impostures—Optical Toys—Spontaneous 141-146
Combustion
ILLUSTRATION OF MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS.
Elemental Causes—Impositions at 147-154
Woodstock—Tedworth—Cock Lane—Subterranean
Sounds—Currents of Air—Memnon—Phonic
Instruments—Vocal curiosity in young Richmond
FAIRY MYTHOLOGY.
Origin of Faëry—Legends of the Mythology of 155-165
various Climes—Cauld Lad of Hilton
DEMONOLOGY.
Classic and Indian Mythology—Embodying of a 166-177
Demon—Stories illustrative of the Superstitions
of Ireland and Cornwall—Legend of the
Changelings—Poetry of Nature—Preadamite Beings
NATURE OF SOUL AND MIND.
Psychology of the Greeks and of the 178-192
Moderns—Essence of Phrenology—Lord
Brougham—Priestley—Paley—Johnson—Modes of
Sepulture—Paradise—Atheism—Deity—Hindu
Mythology—Senile Intellect
NATURE OF SLEEP.
Unconsciousness of Sleep—Necessity of 193-204
Slumber—Malady of Collins—Somnolency of the
Brute and of Savages—Periods of
Sleep—Sleeplessness and its Antidotes
SUBLIMITY AND IMPERFECTION OF DREAMING.
Unconsciousness of the Dream—Arguments on this 205-213
question—Episode of a dreaming Life
PROPHECY OF DREAMS.
Ancient Prophetic Dreams—Stories of modern 214-222
Prophecies in Dreaming
MORAL CAUSES OF DREAMING.
Associations of Dreaming—Incongruous 223-235
Combinations—Source of Ideas in Dreams—Innate
Idea—Undreaming Minds—Flitting of the
Spirit—Fallacy of Mental Energy in the
Dream—Illusion of Dreams—Marmontel
ANACHRONISM AND COINCIDENCE OF DREAMS.
Celerity of Ideas in the Dream—Sacred Records of 236-256
Dreams—Danger of profane Discussion of
Scripture—Fallacy of Dreams—Consequences of
Credulity in Dreams
MATERIAL CAUSES OF DREAMS.
Blending of Metaphysics and Philosophy—Confusion 257-269
of ancient and modern Classifications of
Dreams—Curious Cases of suspended
Memory—Anecdotes of Tenacity of
Memory—Physiology of Memory—Ghost of an
amputated Limb
INTENSE IMPRESSION.—MEMORY.
Curious Cases of Associations—Deranged 270-280
Memory—Dreams of Animals—Poetic Illustrations
INFLUENCE OF DARK BLOOD IN THE BRAIN.
Conditions of the Brain—Analogy of Dreaming and 281-294
Mania—Sympathetic Causes of
Dreaming—Repletion—Effects of Posture in
inducing Dreams—Phrenological Illustrations
INCUBUS OR NIGHT-MARE.
Illustrative Incidents—Night-mare of the Mind 295-303
SOMNILOQUENCE.—SOMNAMBULISM.
Stories of Sleep-talking—Stories of 304-328
Sleep-walking—Changes of disposition in
Somnambulism—Abeyance of Memory during the
Interval—Exactness and Energy during
Somnambulism—Concentration of
Power—Unconsciousness—Analysis of
Sleep-walking—Theory of _Reflex Action_ of the
Nervous System—Irresistibility—Disease of the
Brain in Somnambulists
IMITATIVE MONOMANIA.
Dance of the Middle Ages—Tarantulism—Saint Vitus’ 329-340
Dance—Tigretier—Lycanthropy—Fanaticism during
the Commonwealth—Moravians—The Kent
Tragedy—Stories of Imitative Suicide—Effects of
Stramonium, and of Gaseous Inhalation
REVERIE.
Abstraction of Idiocy—Cretinism—Wandering of the 341-352
Mind—Concentrativeness—Anecdotes illustrative of
Illusive Abstraction
ABSTRACTION OF INTELLECT.
Anecdotes in illustration—Brown 353-366
Study—Apathy—Heroism—Reverie of
Philosophy—Sonata di Diavolo—Reverie at
Caerphilly—Intense Impression—Abstraction of
Deep Study—Reverie of the Dying
SOMNOLENCE.—TRANCE.—CATALEPSY.
Description of Trance—Legends of Deep 367-377
Sleepers—Stories of Modern Trances—Analogies
from Intense Impression—Periodical Catalepsy
PREMATURE INTERMENT.—RESUSCITATION.
Stories in Illustration—Romance, Life in 378-392
Death—Causes of Resuscitation—Disunion of Mind
and Body—Insensibility of the Decollated
Head—Sensations during Hanging and Drowning—Case
of Dr. Adam Clarke
TRANSMIGRATION.—ANALYSIS OF TRANCE.
State of the Spirit after Death—Fables of 393-404
Transmigration—Superstition in India and
England—Tenacity of Life—Hybernation—Sleep of
Plants—Physiology of Trance
MESMERISM.
Its origin—Commissions for its 405-430
investigation—Caspar Hauser—Sensations of
Magnetism—Magnetized Trees—Operations during
Magnetic Trance—Transference of Senses—Mineral
Traction—Clairvoyance—Trance of Santa
Theresa—Prophetess of Prevorst—Magnetic
Aura—Personal Sympathy—Socrates—Fascino—Prince
Hohenlohe
SIBYLLINE INFLUENCE.
Occult Science—A Gipsy—Spells and 431-443
Charms—Relics—Ordeals—Philosophy of Prophetic
Fulfilment—Melancholy effects of
Prophecy—Astrology—Conclusion
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