Sketches of the philosophy of apparitions, or, an attempt to trace such illusions to their physical causes / by Samuel Hibbert.

  • Hibbert, Samuel, 1782-1848.
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sketches of the philosophy of apparitions, or, an attempt to trace such illusions to their physical causes / by Samuel Hibbert. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    13/476 (page 3)
    REMARKABLE CASE OF SPECTRAL ILLUSIONS. “ This is one of the extreme cases of mental delusion which a man of strong judgment has ventured to report of himself.” Perrier's Theory of Apparitions. One of the most authentic instances that has ever been recorded of spectral illusions, is contained in the curious narrative written many years ago by Nicolai, the famous bookseller and author of Ber- lin. It is, indeed, a case which affords correct data for investigations relative to the belief in apparitions; on which account, I shall take the liberty of transcribing the narrative in this essay, however frequently it may have appeared before the public. “ Those who pretend to have seen and heard ghosts,” says this writer, “ obstinately maintain, that they perceived these apparitions by means of their senses. In order to defeat that belief, we generally desire them to consider how many people have been imposed upon by artful novices, and how liable we are to deceive ourselves; we advise them to lay hold of the supposed spectres, assuring