The Watseka wonder : a narrative of startling phenomena occurring in the case of Mary Lurancy Vennum / by E.W. Stevens . Mary Reynolds, a case of double consciousness / by WM. S. Plummer.

  • Stevens, E. Winchester, 1822?-1885
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Watseka wonder : a narrative of startling phenomena occurring in the case of Mary Lurancy Vennum / by E.W. Stevens . Mary Reynolds, a case of double consciousness / by WM. S. Plummer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    had been born with it, yet she could not do with it as she would like to. She did not seem to realize at first, but that this was her own original, physical body, until the angels ex- plained it to her, and she had received information and instruc- tions from her parents, sister, brother and friends about it. So natural did it seem to her, after knowing all the facts, that she could hardly feel it was not her original body born nearly thirty years ago. In conversation with the writer about her former life, she spoke of cutting her arm as hereinbefore stated, and asked if he ever saw where she did it. On receiving a negative answer, she proceeded to slip up her sleeve as if to exhibit the scar, but suddenly arrested the movement, asif by a sudden thought, and quickly said, ‘‘O, this is not the arm; that one is in the ground,” and proceeded to tell where it was buried, and how she saw it done and who stood around, how they felt, etc., but she did not feel bad. I heard her tell Mr. Roff and the friends present, how she wrote to him a message some years ago through the hand of a medium, giving name, time and place. Also of rapping and of spelling out a message by another me- dium, giving time, name, place, etc., etc., which the parents admitted to be all true. I heard her relate a story of her going into the country with the men, some twenty odd years ago, after a load of hay, naming incidents that occurred on the road, which two of the gentlemen distinctly remembered. In one of those beautiful trances which rendered her en- tirely oblivious to all physical surroundings, appearing in a state of happy ecstasy, and, so far as manners and movements are concerned, perfectly normal and graceful, with visions and senses fully open, she went to heaven as she called it, in com- pany with another young lady in like condition, whose name must be reserved until the wonderful history she 1s making, shall be made public by the consent of all. They saw and_ conversed about the beautiful scenes before them, pointing out individuals, giving names, relationship, histories, facts, etc., describing places and things. Mary pointed out and described some with titles of royalty, such as Mary, Queen of Scots,
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