Lectures on clairmativeness, or, Human magnetism : with an appendix / by Gibson Smith.

  • Smith, Gibson
Date:
1848
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on clairmativeness, or, Human magnetism : with an appendix / by Gibson Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    so, we could never converse whilst we were walking, nor compose whilst we were writing, nor investigate and arrange matter whilst speaking in an extemporaneous manner. LECTURE SECOND. In our first Lecture, we spoke—1. Of the Brain, its structure and magnetic power; 2. Of the sympathetic and muscular Nerves,—then- office, functions, &c.; 3. of the Formation of Mind; and 4. Of the Duality of Mind. As the doctrine of the duality of mind was barely touched upon at the close of the Lecture, we deem it expedient to give a further illustra- tion of the matter in this place, before proceeding to a discussion of the questions which are to occupy our attention in the present Lecture,— namely, the Brain, and its connection with the magnetic and electric UThe arguments employed in support of the duality of mind, were briefly as follows: 1. That the Brain has two general divisions—the Cerebrum and the Cerebellum. These are separated by the Tentorium. 2 The cerebrum or larger brain, is the seat of one mind, the intellec- tual • and the cerebellum is the seat of the other. 3. To distinguish the two 'that occupying the larger brain was termed the larger mind ; and that' occupying the smaller brain was termed the lesser mind. 4. It was argued that the larger mind was never inactive,—that it governed or controlled the lesser mind by the positive dictation of its own will, and that by thus acting upon the lesser, muscular motion was produced. In this way the phenomena of sleep and of ordinary dreaming was ac- counted for In sleep, the senses are closed, and no impressions through those senses are made on the larger mind,—nevertheless the mind is still in active operation, either reviewing the events that have occupied it during the day, or wandering away into the regions of fancy. This is dreaming The lesser mind, which is made the instrument of mus- cular action! is inactive during this state. It was further shown, that if the larger mind was subject to sleep or inactivity during our repose, we could never of ourselves awake from that state—that if the common doctrine of metaphysicians were true, that the mind is one and indivisi- ble it would be utterly impossible for apart of that mind to be active whilst another part was inactive;-that if inactivity existed at all it must exist as a whole] in a substance which of itse f is a unit; and that con- sequently, the phenomenon of dreaming could never occur The doc- trinetherefore;of the unity of mind, must be abandoned, and that of its dualitv must be received. . Another evidence of the fact under consideration is that at sleep-walking. Persons have been known, during the hours of sleep, when the senses haTebeen completely closed to all external impressions to arise from their beds and To engage for some length of time in the labors that have occupied their attention during the day, and to remain unconscious of the same until it has been pointed out to them by those who have
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