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54 INTERIOR VISION.
tegrity and watchfulness; while at the same time there is no strain whatever upon the brain; no tension of the nerves. In mesmeric lucidity, the visions rapidly pass away; never again can they be reproduced or recalled; but, in the mirror, any given face, place, picture of any locality, or symbolism, can, by an effort of the will, be made to remain fixed, stationary, and solid, as long as the seer shall elect; besides which, an infinitely greater percentage of persons can successfally use them than can be effected by any or all combined of the above-specified agencies. There are also many diverse drugs, and mesmeric modes; but there are only two sorts of magic mirrors in existence, —the crystalline, which are but of little use, and of which the polished coal is a sample; besides being exceedingly difficult to obtain, seeing that only coal of a peculiar shade and grain will answer the purpose; and even then is utterly useless unless of a size, without crack, difference, solidity or flaw, sufficient to be correctly ground, shaped, and polished; for the whole thing depends upon the power of the mirror to attract, and retain upon its surface, the magnetic fluid thrown from the eyes; on which magnetic surface in all cases the things seen appear, and not upon or in the surface or substance of the mirror itself, as is apparently the case; but mostly above and in front of it. Sometimes, indeed, the seer sees through the mirror, which, in that case, serves precisely the same ends and uses to the spirit of the out-looker, that the eye-pieces and object-glasses do to the external senses of the telescopist and microseopical investigator. In mesmeric vision there is a necessary and unget-rid-of-able rapport and magnetic sympathy between the operator and the subject, which latter is, therefore, quite as likely to give forth the pictures, images, memories, and fancies of the former, as he or she is to reveal the actual truth of and from the outside world. ‘‘ But spiritual or spirits’ magnetisms are not so likely to intrude fantasies; and, therefore, what a medium sees must be true and real.” To which I reply, —the objections against human magnetism are tenfold stronger against the spiritual, or the spirits, so-called, even when it is real and true, which itis not, over once in at least two hundred times; for beyond all cavil, what passes for spiritual trance is, in the vast majority of cases, either simulated, delusive, the effect of mental habit, the effect of the physicomental influence of the parties present, or the result of a diseased condition of the nerves and brain. But suppose, for argument’s sake, a real and bona jide case of spiritual magnetism. Howis the medium or bystander to know whether the thing seen is a real photograph of the unseen by mortals, or a transcript from the playful fancy of a disembodied wag or experimenter? The medium cannot tell, because the very term and service both indicate a person played upon, —an instrument actual in unseen hands; a machine worked by unknown forces, — a mere automaton, made to move, do, act and say, at the will of a power of which neither they or the bystanders know literally anything whatsoever! There is no standard of comparison. The medium is a nobody in the matter, while
tegrity and watchfulness; while at the same time there is no strain whatever upon the brain; no tension of the nerves. In mesmeric lucidity, the visions rapidly pass away; never again can they be reproduced or recalled; but, in the mirror, any given face, place, picture of any locality, or symbolism, can, by an effort of the will, be made to remain fixed, stationary, and solid, as long as the seer shall elect; besides which, an infinitely greater percentage of persons can successfally use them than can be effected by any or all combined of the above-specified agencies. There are also many diverse drugs, and mesmeric modes; but there are only two sorts of magic mirrors in existence, —the crystalline, which are but of little use, and of which the polished coal is a sample; besides being exceedingly difficult to obtain, seeing that only coal of a peculiar shade and grain will answer the purpose; and even then is utterly useless unless of a size, without crack, difference, solidity or flaw, sufficient to be correctly ground, shaped, and polished; for the whole thing depends upon the power of the mirror to attract, and retain upon its surface, the magnetic fluid thrown from the eyes; on which magnetic surface in all cases the things seen appear, and not upon or in the surface or substance of the mirror itself, as is apparently the case; but mostly above and in front of it. Sometimes, indeed, the seer sees through the mirror, which, in that case, serves precisely the same ends and uses to the spirit of the out-looker, that the eye-pieces and object-glasses do to the external senses of the telescopist and microseopical investigator. In mesmeric vision there is a necessary and unget-rid-of-able rapport and magnetic sympathy between the operator and the subject, which latter is, therefore, quite as likely to give forth the pictures, images, memories, and fancies of the former, as he or she is to reveal the actual truth of and from the outside world. ‘‘ But spiritual or spirits’ magnetisms are not so likely to intrude fantasies; and, therefore, what a medium sees must be true and real.” To which I reply, —the objections against human magnetism are tenfold stronger against the spiritual, or the spirits, so-called, even when it is real and true, which itis not, over once in at least two hundred times; for beyond all cavil, what passes for spiritual trance is, in the vast majority of cases, either simulated, delusive, the effect of mental habit, the effect of the physicomental influence of the parties present, or the result of a diseased condition of the nerves and brain. But suppose, for argument’s sake, a real and bona jide case of spiritual magnetism. Howis the medium or bystander to know whether the thing seen is a real photograph of the unseen by mortals, or a transcript from the playful fancy of a disembodied wag or experimenter? The medium cannot tell, because the very term and service both indicate a person played upon, —an instrument actual in unseen hands; a machine worked by unknown forces, — a mere automaton, made to move, do, act and say, at the will of a power of which neither they or the bystanders know literally anything whatsoever! There is no standard of comparison. The medium is a nobody in the matter, while
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