LETTER I. THE DIVINING-ROD.—Description of, and mode
of using the same—Mr. Fairholm’s statement—M. de
Tristan’s statement—Account of Von Reichenbach’s Od-force—The
Author’s own observations, 9
LETTER II. VAMPYRISM.—Tale exemplifying the superstition—The
Vampyr state of the body in the grave—Various
instances of death-trance—The risk of premature interment
considered—The Vampyr visit, 30
LETTER III. UNREAL GHOSTS.—Law of sensorial illusions—Cases
of Nicolai, Schwedenborg, Joan of Arc—Fetches—Churchyard
ghosts, 53
LETTER IV. TRUE GHOSTS.—The apparitions themselves
always sensorial illusions—The truth of their communications
accounted for—Zschokke’s seer-gift described,
to show the possibility of direct mental
communication—Second-sight—The true relation of the
mind to the living body, 70
LETTER V. TRANCE.—Distinction of esoneural and exoneural
mental phenomena—Abnormal relation of the mind
and nervous system possible—Insanity—Sleep—Essential
nature of trance—Its alliance with spasmodic seizures—General
characters of trance—Enumeration of
kinds, 86
LETTER VI. TRANCE-SLEEP.—The phenomena of trance
divided into those of trance-sleep, and those of trance-waking—Trance-sleep
presents three forms; Trance-waking
two. The three forms of trance sleep described;
viz., death-trance, trance-coma, simple or initiatory
trance, 98
LETTER VII. HALF-WAKING TRANCE, OR SOMNAMBULISM.—The
same thing with ordinary sleep-walking—Its characteristic
feature, the acting of a dream—Cases, and disquisition, 106
LETTER VIII. TRANCE-WAKING.—Instances of its spontaneous
occurrence in the form of catalepsy—Analysis of
catalepsy—its three elements: double consciousness, or
pure waking-trance; the spasmodic seizure; the new
mental powers displayed—Cases exemplifying catalepsy—Other
cases unattended with spasm, but of spontaneous
occurrence, in which new mental powers were
manifested—Oracles of antiquity—Animal instinct—Intuition, 116
LETTER IX. RELIGIOUS DELUSIONS.—The seizures giving
rise to them shown to have been forms of trance brought
on by fanatical excitement—The Cevennes—Scenes at
the tomb of the Abbé Paris—Revivals in America—The
Ecstatica of Caldaro—Three forms of imputed demoniacal
possession—Witchcraft; its marvels, and the solution, 136
LETTER X. MESMERISM.—Use of chloroform—History of
Mesmer—The true nature and extent of his discovery—Its
applications to medicine and surgery—Various
effects produced by mesmeric manipulations—Hysteric
seizures—St. Veitz’s dance—Nervous paralysis—Catochus—Initiatory
trance—The order in which the higher
trance-phenomena are afterwards generally drawn out, 153
LETTER XI. SUPPLEMENTAL.—Abnormal neuro-psychical
relation—Cautions necessary in receiving trance
communications—Trance-visiting—Mesmerising at a distance,
and by the will—Mesmeric diagnosis and treatment
of disease—Prevision—Ultra-vital vision, 175
LETTER XII. THE ODOMETER OR DIVINING-RING.—How
come upon by the author—His first experiments—The
phenomena an objective proof of the reality of the Od-force, 209
LETTER XIII. THE SOLUTION.—Examination of the genuineness
of the phenomena—Od-motions produced by bodies
in their most inert state—Analysis of the forces which
originate them—Od-motions connected with electrical,
magnetic, chemical, crystalline, and vital influences—Their
analysis, 219
POSTSCRIPT.—Further analysis of Od-motions—Proof of their
genuineness—Explanation of their immediate cause, 242
LETTER XIV. HYPNOTISM. TRANCE-UMBRA.—Mr. Braid’s
discovery—Trance-faculties manifested in the waking
state—Self-induced waking clairvoyance—Conclusion, 248