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Phineas Parkhurst Quimby
THE COMPLETE WRITINGS
Ervin Seale, Editor
VOLUME I
DEVORSS & COMPANY
P.O. BOX 550, MARINA DEL REY, CA 90294-0550
© 1988 The Quimby Memorial Church & Foundation
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 0-87516-600-8
Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 88-70090
SUPERVISING EDITOR: Ervin Seale
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kathryn Wier
ORIGINATING EDITOR: Erroll S. Collie
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Alan Anderson, Herman Aaftink,
Elva Seale, Isabel Price, W. B. Wier
Contents*
List of Illustrations Xl
Preface Ervin Seale 1
Collie’s Final Contribution 13
A Word from the Publisher 15
Biography George Quimby 19
Lucius C. Burkmar’s Private Journal 31
Letters of Introduction Carried by Quimby and Burkmar 53
Lecture Notes Phineas Parkhurst Quimby 59
The Domain of P. P. Quimby Emma Ware 153
Preface to the Teaching of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby
Erroll Collie 155
The Writings of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby
Language I 159
On Spiritual Medium of Communication
from the Spirit World 162
Copperheads Caught in Their Own Trap 171
*The occurrence of articles numbered Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, etc., without
the prior appearance of corresponding earlier Parts (e.g. Part I, Part
2, Part 3) is not an editorial oversight but reflects the situation presented
by the original manuscripts .
Preface
Ervin Seale
It is now more than fifty years since I first discovered the works and
wonders of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby. On a shelf in the library of Dr. Erma
W. Wells in Spokane I found the book The Quimby Manuscripts, edited by
Horatio W. Dresser, published by Thomas Y. Crowell, New York. Dr. Wells
was the founder of the Univer-sity of Metaphysics which in 1979 made a
generous grant to The Quimby Memorial Church and Foundation, New York,
for the pur-pose of collecting and publishing all the Quimby papers. The
trustees of both institutions decided that this project would be a proper
use of funds which had been bequeathed by Mrs. Wells for education.
The Dresser book had been published ten years earlier and was the first
selection of Quimby’s writings ever published except for small excerpts
included in Annetta Dresser’s volume of 1895. George, the son of Phineas,
had stored his father’s manuscripts in his office safe and they remained
there until after George’s death when Mrs. George Quimby allowed Dr. Dresser
to examine and edit some of them for publication in the volume mentioned
above. Some years later, Dr. Dresser had a hand in helping Elizabeth Quimby
Pineo, granddaughter of Phineas Quimby, prepare a collection of the Quimby
papers and offer it to the Library of Congress. The presentation and acceptance
took place on April 5, 1930 and was reported in the New York Times of April
6, 1930.
My interest in Quimby has increased with every year that has passed.
Many have asked, why this consuming interest in Quimby? Why should we plow
through his difficult writings? How is he different or distinctive? Others
have said that Quimby is passé My first answer is this:
Consider what has come from P. P. Quimby. On any Sunday morning as
the sun rises over the east coast of North America and to a lesser extent
in Central and South America, New Thought
Churches, Centers, Societies and Study Groups are opening their meetings
in words and song. As the hour ends these groups are sing-ing a closing
hymn and other groups in the next time zone, from Winnepeg to San Antonio,
are singing an opening hymn. As their hour closes, other groups from Edmonton
to Phoenix in the Moun-tain time zone, and from Anchorage in the Pacific,
southward to San Diego and Mexico, congregations ranging in size from half
a dozen to two and three thousand are considering ideas connected in one
way or another with the work of P. P. Quimby of Belfast, Maine. Add to
all these the Christian Science churches and many others of the “as you
think so you are”stripe, and you have an im-pressive number of people who
practice the presence of God through constructive right thinking.
But it must not be supposed that all the ideas and practices which
descended from Quimby are pure. As Mrs. Julius Dresser said many years
ago, these are the “derived” teachings. And anything that is derived has
lost something when it left the center. For example, “mind over matter”
is not a Quimby concept but it is derived from him. The same is true of
“positive thinking.” One of the great er-rors in human thinking is opinionated
positiveness, that is, being positive about the wrong thing. Certainly,
Quimby found a lot of that and showed that there was no virtue in being
positive unless one had the right ideas to be positive about. Or, being
consciously posi-tive about certain desirable ideas while holding in the
subconscious other contradictory ideas will make the former sterile and
of no ef-fect. William James, the great psychologist, was a friend of the
Dressers and of what he called the Mind Cure Movement (see his Varieties
of Religious Experience), but he admitted that much of its philosophy was
“moonstruck” and frothily optimistic. That can-not be said of Quimby’s
teaching. This brings us to a second rea-son for my interest in making
the complete Quimby writings available as a permanent and prominent part
of the literature. A return to the source will bring clarity and revitalization.
There is yet another reason for Quimby’s distinctiveness. If one were
to read him for his Bible interpretations alone, one would be amply rewarded.
Probably not since Origen, the early Church father, and Philo, the ancient
Alexandrian Jew, has there been such rational and inspired exposition of
the scriptures.
For years a controversy raged between the followers of Quimby
and those of Mary Baker Eddy over who discovered what and when. This
has provided the basis for a lot of interest in Quimby but I have discouraged
such interest as being superficial and unworthy of true seekers of wisdom.
Leave this to the biographers and historians and, as Dante said, “Leave
the world to its babblings and follow me.” Thus, in this edition of the
works of P. P. Quimby, we have studi-ously avoided the argument and striven
to keep the student’s atten-tion on the rich veins of wisdom’s gold that
run through Quimby’s writings .
My colleagues and I have planned that this edition of the works of
Quimby be as complete and definitive as possible. To indicate the evolution
of the work, it is necessary to go back in time. In 1944 a Mrs. Anna Marmain
of Jersey City was attending my lectures in New York and also teaching
French to Mrs. Seale and myself. She heard me speak of Quimby. On one occasion
she brought a Mr. Er-roll S. Collie to my lecture on Quimby and Collie
and I became fast friends. At his request, we addressed each other by our
last names. He had discovered Quimby about seven years before and enthusiasti-cally
set about to acquaint the world with his discovery. Securing microfilm
copies of the manuscripts in the Library of Congress, he separated what
Dresser had included in his book and called the re-mainder The Unpublished
Writings. He set up a work place in the basement of his apartment house
in Bogota, N.J. and rigged up an old movie camera and lights and for five
years arose at five and typed from the microfilm before leaving for his
nine-to-five job as a building estimator in Manhattan. Then he typed again
onto mimeograph stencils and bound the pages in loose leaf binders and
sent copies to all the principal libraries. One of these two-volume sets
he gave me.
It was at this time that he and I began to dream of a proper pub-lication
of the manuscripts. But we were both busy and the years passed. Again and
again during this time, many wonderful people offered to help. We had editors,
writers and librarians at work on the manuscripts, and in spite of our
directions not to change the words of Quimby, each one, without exception,
thought he or she could improve on Quimby’s writing and we lost much time.
We hired some professionals and expended considerable money but al-ways
with the same results . They thought that because Quimby was uneducated,
he did not know how to express himself and they
changed his words to those they thought he meant. Even Horatio Dresser
fell into this error . In his Health & the Inner Life, comment-ing
on Warren Felt Evans’ books on mental healing, he says, “In his [Evans’]
writings, one finds a well-reasoned account of what Mr. Quimby meant to
say, what he would have said had he possessed all the data as well as a
trained mind.” Also, we experienced losses and misappropriations of microfilm
and typescripts. But guided by that saviour principle which Quimby had
demonstrated so scientif-ically, we came to this hour.
Now anyone who reads Quimby carefully will soon learn the spiritual
language of parable in which all spiritual teachers speak and write. Of
Jesus it is said, “Except by parable, spake he not unto them.” Thus, to
Quimby, all the sayings of Jesus are parabolic . That means that words
about seeds and tares and dragnets and pearls and virgins, etc., while
referring to physical things, imply a psycholog-ical or spiritual meaning.
A medieval philosopher, who was also a medical doctor and a rabbi (Maimonides),
said: “Every time you find in our books a tale, the reality of which seems
impossible, a story which is repugnant both to reason and common sense,
then be sure that tale contains a profound allegory veiling a deeply mys-terious
truth; and the greater the absurdity of the letter the deeper the wisdom
of the spirit.” It is in this vein that Quimby writes, and in this vein
he must be understood. So do not be impatient if at first you do not understand.
Keep reading. “The man in your head” will tell you the meaning presently.
Remember that we don’t necessar-ily understand something just because we
are told it. “Faith cometh by hearing.” Keep on hearing or exposing your
mind to the truth and understanding will come. The elevator of understanding
stops at many floors. The view from the 40th floor requires ascent from
the fourth level.
About thirty years after we met, Collie and I got down to the bus-iness
of dictating (he on one machine and I on another) directly from the handwritten
manuscripts. At this time Dr. Herman Aaftink, now head of the Quimby Foundation
in Canada and one of the founders of the Quimby Memorial Church and Foundation
in the U.S.A., joined our efforts and his staff in Calgary did a great
deal of the typ-ing of our dictation.
As our dictation and the number of typists from Calgary to
Florida grew, we encountered another problem. Each typing cor-rected
some typographical errors and made new ones. The road seemed endless until
my grandson, Bill, said “Ervin, that’s what word processors are for.” Stephana,
his wife, began to type the edited material into the electronic memory.
When they moved to another city, our daughter, Kathryn Wier, took over,
learned to operate the computer and has done yeoman service in putting
the Quimby Writings through the word processor. This provided me with some
of the most comfortable feelings of the whole project be-cause at last
I could see the possibility and probability of having one correct and permanent
collection of all the Quimby Writings. I ac-quired another compatible computer
and learned how to use it (up to a point) and together Kathryn and I have
put the work together, assisted by others, notably her husband, Colonel
W. B. Wier and my wife, Elva, who has been one of the strongest driving
forces from the beginning.
What we were putting into the word processors was a typescript of 1739
pages prepared by Dr. Collie. I called it the Collie Master Copy. He had
put together all the material from the typists and be-lieved we were ready
for publication. But it was not so.
Some years before, I had known a young man who had done his doctoral
dissertation at Boston University on “Horatio Dresser and the Philosophy
of New Thought.” He had recently assumed the po-sition of Associate Professor
of Religion and Philosophy at Curry College. He had found my name on the
list of honorary alumni of Curry and wrote to me. Dr. Alan Anderson, now
full professor, with all his background and skills, joined our editorial
ranks and just in time.
He made several trips to the Library of Congress to make certain that
we had all the material available there. He found and xeroxed at Boston
University what Collie and I had always called “The Fa-mily Manuscripts.”
This name came about in this way: In August of 1946 or 1947 Mrs. Seale
and I were spending some time at the summer home of some friends on Deer
Isle in Maine when Collie called to tell us how close we were to the Quimby
home. The next day we drove down to Belfast and with a brashness I do not
have today made bold to call at the summer home of the granddaughters of
P. P. Quimby. The two granddaughters were Elizabeth Pineo,
wife of Charles Pineo, a Canadian-Brazilian banker, and Mrs. Katharine
Hollingshead, later Mrs. Harry Carter.
Mrs. Pineo came to the door and I identified myself quickly and told
her that we were interested in finding all the manuscripts of her grandfather
in order to publish them. I said that we thought her grandfather had made
experiments and discoveries not yet dreamed of by modern psychiatry. Remember
that the Quimby family had been pestered through the years since the death
of Phineas to release the manuscripts to prove or disprove some argument
and George Quimby had resolutely refused. So Mrs. Pineo said to me, “Then
you are interested in the science of it, not the religion.” When I an-swered,
Yes, she invited us in and we met her sister and had a delightful visit
on a porch overlooking a pond.
The result of that meeting was that they invited us to visit them the
next Tuesday at their city house which was the old George Quimby (their
father’s) home. We telephoned Collie and he took the next train to be with
us. They brought down from the attic a large cardboard box containing manuscripts,
booklets, magazines and clippings, all related to the movement generated
by their grand-father. They, noting our joy with these old papers and our
concern with getting them copied, suggested that we take them to New York
for the winter. This we did, and again Collie typed and we pho-tographed
(no corner Xerox shop in those days) and I had people arrange all the clippings
in scrapbooks. It is the manuscripts of P. P. Quimby found in this box
that Collie and I called “The Family Manuscripts.” Many of them were identical
with those in The Library of Congress, but some were not. It was during
this visit to the George Quimby home that I saw my first and only Quimby
clock. It had been around the horn to San Francisco and back and was ticking
there on the living room wall.
When Dr. Anderson began working with us he knew of the deposit of Quimby
material at Boston University for he had helped Mrs . Pineo arrange the
presentation to the university of the Quimby documents in her possession.
After he had xeroxed all the Boston University material and given me copies,
I recognized many of the pieces as having been in that old box. Dr. Anderson
then indexed all of the known Quimby papers in the Library of Congress,
in Boston University and some at Harvard University, put there by Dr.
Dresser. When Collie prepared his typescript, he had available only
the original manuscripts in the Library of Congress and typed co-pies of
those in the Family Collection. This meant that if there was an error in
his typed copy and there was no original manuscript for it in the Library
of Congress, he could not compare. In many cases he used as his source
the printed versions in the Dresser book. But Dr. Dresser, presumably to
help the reader’s understanding, made deletions without indicating that
he did. In some cases he rewrote passages. In other instances he added
words without bracketing the insertions .
Since our aim has been to present ALL of Quimby’s words just as he
wrote or dictated, it became my task to go over Collie’s type-script and
compare each article with the originals which are in the three libraries.
It was Dr. Anderson’s careful indexing of all the Quimby material in the
libraries that enabled me to do this. Some-times there were as many as
five copies of the original for each typed article in Collie’s Master Copy.
The five copies often differed be-cause the copyist was different. As George
Quimby has told us, he and the Misses Emma and Sarah Ware did most of the
copying. Some copies are copies of copies. Some were dictated which in-troduced
variations created by the stenographers, such as: one manuscript has hare
lip and another hair lip. One refers to a ship as a bark and another calls
it a barque. The influence of the French language from across the border
in Quebec is evident in many places.
Only a few of the manuscripts are in P. P. Quimby’s own hand, the rest
having been discarded after being copied. He wrote as he thought and he
spelled phonetically. For example, does to him is dus and head is hed.
But, as Dresser points out, he is consistent in spell-ing, if not in capitalization
and hyphenization. In a century and a quarter usages have changed and what
was correct in 1860 is not so now. In the Writings, we find the word pedlar,
which is rarely spelled that way today. But it was correct then and is
acceptable now .
But far too much has been made of his meager education in the schools
and far too little of his wide and thoughtful reading. Peo-ple of his time
and people since have complained that he does not know how to use language.
But his is a spiritual discourse and it takes a special understanding to
grasp it. “As the legs of a lame man
are not equal, so is a parable in the mouth of a fool.” A parable is
two stories in one. The fool understands one side only and there-fore walks
lame. All of life is a parable. There is an outside and an inside. The
outside is obvious. The inside must be inferred. The in-side is the spiritual.
When a discoverer and teacher like Quimby talks and writes about this
inside, the person of the outside cannot understand and then supposes the
fault is in the teacher instead of himself. Then he says, “He does not
use language correctly” or “He is ignorant of the En-glish language.” Dr.
C. G. Jung has pointed out that what is uncon-scious in ourselves we tend
to project onto others. The world has always been overly impressed by appearances
and tends to put down what is not obvious and visible. Thus it is said
of Jesus, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” Jerusalem was the seat of
learning and culture and Nazareth was the boondocks. To this kind of ar-rogance,
the answer is always, “Come and see.” Anyone who ob-served the works of
Jesus or of Quimby would never ask that question again.
You cannot account for Quimby by any of the ordinary measures of a
man, just as you cannot account for Shakespeare. Critics still argue that
it is impossible for a man with so little schooling to write those magnificent
plays. They said of Jesus, “How knoweth this man letters, having never
learned?” And critics of Quimby have sup-posed that, because he can’t spell,
his syntax is involved and his grammar faulty, he is not learned. This
is somewhat like what the Secretary of Education (William Bennett) has
called, “overenchant-ment with learned learning.” Those who are thus enchanted
have not found the other learning direct from Wisdom. This is where Jesus
and Shakespeare and Quimby went to school. They thought and spoke in the
ancient tradition of spiritual wisdom. It is the “mean knight” in the play
Pericles who wins the tournament. He comes to the tournament in rusty armour
and is “despised and re-jected” but in the end is victorious and wins the
hand of the prin-cess. Notice how all three (Jesus, Shakespeare and Quimby)
exalt woman. Winning the hand of the princess in the old myths and mys-teries
means awakening and developing the spiritual side of life. Quimby found
two selves in his patients . He learned to converse with the inner one,
which, in the sick, was suffering because of the false
beliefs and opinions of the outer self. He found that woman, in general,
had more awareness of this inner self and its sovereignty while man was,
in general, governed more by outer influences. Thus he equated woman with
Science or the Scientific Man.
We do not hesitate to say that Quimby is hard to read and under-stand,
not merely because of his meager schooling, but because he is writing about
a realm totally unknown to forty of fifty people. We often find him attempting
to describe the indescribable. He often says, “I will illustrate . . .
“and promptly gets more involved and obtuse. In some instances, he never
makes the illustration. He will begin an article on one subject and then
discuss several other sub-jects, ending the article far afield from where
he started. That is why it is almost impossible to classify the Writings.
The subjects he dis-cusses are scattered throughout the Writings. He explains
this by say-ing that all his “pieces” were called out by sitting with the
sick. They are as varied as the individuals he sat with. “I take up a little
of everything.” He was acutely sensitive to the fact of his limited schooling
but his responses are superb: “When with the sick I come in contact with
the life of the patient and expose their hypocrisy which they do not like
to have done, so they try to get up a false issue by attacking my learning
. . . it does not follow that the pilot should know Greek or Latin, or
even know how to read, provided he knows where he is. If the captain has
all the language at his command, and can talk like an orator, and is ignorant
of the place he is in, it profiteth him nothing” (On Being Ignorant of
the English Lan-guage) .
After reading The Healing Wisdom of Dr. P. P. Quimby by Mason Clark,
I was impressed by the poetic beauty of some of Quimby’s writing. Since
then I am aware of this more and more. Listen to the flow and cadence of
this sentence: “In the town of Skowhegan, on the banks of the Kennebec,
I met with a young man deaf and dumb.” As a practical matter, we should
add that he “spoke” with this young man who, when asked if he heard Dr.
Quimby, answered, “Yes, I heard him in my mind,” thus proving Quimby’s
basic theme that our minds mingle and our experiences take place by the
action of “mind on mind.”
When you run into confused constructions and cloudy meanings, remember
that copyists sometimes make mistakes. In his great
productive years at Portland, 1859 to 1865, his articles were copied
and handed about by students. It seems obvious to me that some copyists
tried to improve Quimby’s words. That is why the task of comparing all
the originals was so laborious and time-consuming. Any reader familiar
with the King James Bible will follow P. P. Q. more easily, for he paraphrased
frequently and even lapsed into a biblical style of expression. As he tells
us, he did not read the Bible from choice but from need. Many of his patients
were confused by the Bible and, indeed, sick because of it.
In the beginning, we tried to note the differences in the various original
sources, but this oppressed the pages with footnotes and scholarly markings
such as [sic]. So in order to simplify reading of an already large text,
we decided to omit this practice. One manuscript has this arresting passage:
‘‘Language is the invention of opinions to communicate to another opinion
what wisdom knows” (Language of Men and Animals). In other manuscripts
this passage is slightly different: “Language is the invention of men to
communicate to another what wisdom knows.” In an article called Government,
one manuscript has the words, “the North had pity for his brother.” In
other manuscripts, the word “sister” is used. These are typical examples
of the differences in the various manuscripts, and we have thought them
not critical enough to bur-den the printed work with numerous footnotes.
A modern grammarian will find numerous and repeated errors throughout
Quimby’s writings. The agreement in number between subject and verb is
frequently incorrect. Punctuation is poor. Many sentences are overly long
and include multiple, unrelated thoughts. I attribute these faults to the
natural tendency of recording passing thoughts in draft form as they occurred
and, further, to the difficulty the several stenographers encountered in
exactly record-ing Dr. Quimby’s spoken case descriptions. Today’s reader
will also note the anatomical and physiological inaccuracies in Quimby’s
ar-ticles, representing both the incomplete knowledge of the period and
Quimby’s own lack of formal training in these subjects. Through-out our
text, however, we have maintained the integrity of the origi-nal text to
avoid introducing our thought as an “interpretation” of what Quimby intended
to say.
It has been our editiorial intent from the beginning to put down the
words of Quimby just as he said or wrote them, never to change, modify
or embellish in any way. We have considered it an insult to him and a presumption
on our part to attempt to suggest what his meaning is by inserting or deleting
words. Even a comma can change the meaning of a phrase or sentence. We
want the reader to have the unadorned opportunity of reading Quimby in
the original and making his own interpretation. Quimby is in his words
and, by sym-pathy, each one may discern the meaning. As he often said in
his letters to patients, “I am in this letter, and remember as long as
you read this and drink in these words, you do it in remembrance of me,
not P. P. Q., but Science, till your health comes.”
In spite of our diligence, the work has errors. There are two or three
articles for which we can find no originals. We have given it our best,
and this now must be the product which goes into print. As Sir Henry Hudson
said to his mate after they had quelled a mu-tiny, “So point her up, John
North, Northeast by North. We’ll keep the honor of a certain aim and leave
with God the rest.”
A final editorial explanation is necessary of the order followed in
these volumes in the presentation of Quimby’s writings. A general chronological
order was used in that subjects related to Quimby’s early years appear
first, i.e. Lucius Burkmar’s Journal and the Lec-ture Notes. They are followed
by the products of his later, fully productive years in the form of his
articles or essays. These latter do not lend themselves to arrangement
by chronology as many are undated. Further, they do not permit a grouping
by subject content as Quimby rarely limited his discussions to the title
of the article; normally, he moved far afield from a given title and covered
several subjects in each article. This does not detract from the reading
of the individual article, however, as each is complete in itself and not
dependent on the preceding one.
Collie’s Final Contribution
[Dr. Collie died in June of 1985 at the age of 88. Every month since,
I’ve remarked to someone how much I miss him and how much we all owe him
for his years of dedication and patient toil.
In October of the preceding year he sent me this note and the preface
which follows.—Ed.]
Dear Seale:
Here is my final contribution to the Quimby Manuscripts. I met P. P.
Q. in 1932 and he has been my very best friend, com-panion and teacher
ever since.
I know how much his teachings have meant to you too and I am most grateful
to you for sharing this interest with me, over all these years.
As always,
“Collie”
A Word from the Publisher
DeVorss & Company, which has been publishing in the metaphysical
field for sixty years, is proud to be the publisher of Phineas Parkhurst
Quimby: The Complete Writings. The volumes that make up this work contain
not only the single most important historical document of the religio-philosophical
movement known as New Thought but also a significant page in American religious
history.
Until now these writings have, as a whole, been unavailable to the
public at large despite their having figured in heated controversy be-tween
partisans of Quimby and their Christian Science counterparts for more than
a century.* Collected here, and so constituting the first appearance in
print of the entire “Quimby Manuscripts,” they contribute as nothing else
can to our knowledge and understanding of the New England savant who singlehandedly
discovered the sub-conscious in its practical relation to the healing of
body and mind. Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, teacher to the first generation
of mental scientists and direct forebear of the New Thought movement, emerges
from these pages as a pragmatic philosopher, unconven-tional thinker, ingenious
therapist, and thoroughgoing human-itarian.
However it is as a true scientist that Quimby most wins our sus-tained
interest and admiration. From repeated experimentation com-bined with uncommon
ingenuity in assessing his findings, he arrives at conclusions that deserve
his name for them: Science. This Science was, and remains, a demonstrably
effective healing agency, and throughout his writings we find Quimby tirelessly
at work in its ser-vice. Today, a century and a half later, his discovery
continues in
*For treatment of the respective sides, see Charles S. Braden, Spirits
in Rebellion (Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1963), and Robert
Peel, Mary Baker Eddy (New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1966-1977).
16 / A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER
force through the teachings, ministry, and healing practice of hundreds
of groups and many thousands of individuals who are truly Quimby’s heirs
and certainly his beneficiaries.
For all these reasons, we at DeVorss & Company share the joy of
Doctor Seale and the Quimby Memorial Church and Foundation in bringing
before a world in need the healing witness of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby.
Arthur Vergara
Editor
DeVorss & Company
NOTE
For the reader who finds that it is not always easy to understand Quimby
at first reading, Ervin Seale has written a commentary on the writings,
general theory, and practice of P. P. Quimby. This commentary does not
pretend to “explain” Quimby, but rather aims at showing what one reader
of his writings has made of them in fifty years of study.
This commentary, published separately, is titled Mingling Minds and
is available from DeVorss & Company, P.O. Box 550, Marina del Rey,
CA 90294-0550.
George Quimby
[First published in The New England Magazine of 1888]
The great interest evinced during the last ten years, in the treat-ment
of disease through the mind, and the growing desire of a large number of
students of the science, and others, to know in what man-ner the late P.
P. Quimby was connected with this principle of curing and what was his
mode of treatment, has induced the writer to present, in a brief article,
a sketch of the man, his life and ideas. It is not the intention to make
the article other than a plain statement of facts, based on personal knowledge.
In his capacity of secretary for Mr. Quimby during the last and most
active years of his profession, in which he was finishing his life’s work,
the writer is enabled to give a correct account of what passed during those
years, and to publish, in the doctor’s own words, what his ideas were.
Phineas Parkhurst Quimby was born in the town of Lebanon, N.H., February
16, 1802. When about two years of age, his parents emigrated to Maine,
and settled in the town of Belfast. His father was a blacksmith, and the
subject of this sketch was one of a family of seven children.
Owing to his father’s scanty means, and to the meagre chances for schooling,
his opportunity for acquiring an education was limited. During his boyhood
he attended the town school a part of the time, and acquired a brief knowledge
of the rudimentary branches; but his chief education was gained in after
life, from read-ing and observation. He always regretted his want of education,
which was his misfortune, rather than any fault of his.
When he became old enough to go to work, he learned the trade of watch
and clock making, and for many years after engaged in that
pursuit. Later, before photography was known, he for several years made
a business of taking a style of portrait picture known as daguerreotype.
He had a very inventive mind, and was always in-terested in mechanics,
philosophy, and scientific subjects. During his middle life he invented
several devices on which he obtained let-ters patent. He was very argumentative,
and always wanted proof of anything, rather than an accepted opinion. Anything
which could be demonstrated he was ready to accept; but he would combat
what could not be proved with all his energy, rather than admit it as a
truth.
With a mind of this combination, it is not strange that, when a gentleman
visited Belfast, about the year 1838, and gave lectures and experiments
in mesmerism, Mr. Quimby would feel deeply interested in the subject. Here
was a new, to him at least, phenomenon; and he at once began to investigate
the subject; and on every occasion when he could find a person who would
allow him to try, he would endeavor to put him into a mesmeric sleep. He
met with many failures, but occasionally would find a person whom he could
influence.
At that time Mr. Quimby was of medium height, small in stature, his
weight being about one hundred and twenty-five pounds; quick-motioned and
nervous, with piercing black eyes, black hair and whiskers; a well-shaped,
well-balanced head; high, broad forehead, and a rather prominent nose,
and a mouth indicating strength and firmness of will; persistent in what
he undertook, and not easily defeated or discouraged.
In the course of his trials with subjects, he met with a young man
named Lucius Burkmar, over whom he had the most wonderful in-fluence; and
it is not stating it too strongly to assert that with him he made some
of the most astonishing exhibitions of mesmerism and clairvoyance that
have been given in modern times.
At the beginning of these experiments, Mr. Quimby firmly be-lieved
that the phenomenon was the result of animal magnetism, and that electricity
had more or less to do with it. Holding to this he was never able to perform
his experiments with satisfactory results when the “conditions” were not
right, as he believed they should be.
For instance, during a thunder storm his trials would prove ut-ter
failures. If he pointed the sharp end of a steel instrument at Lu-
cius, he would start as if pricked by a pin; but, when the blunt end
was pointed toward him, he would remain unmoved.
One evening, after making some experiments with excellent results,
Mr. Quimby found that during the time of the tests there had been a severe
thunder storm, but so interested was he in his ex-periments, he had not
noticed it.
This led him to further investigate the subject; and the results reached
were that, instead of the subject being influenced by any at-mospheric
disturbance, the effects produced were brought about by the influence of
one mind on another. From that time he could produce as good results during
a storm as in pleasant weather, and could make his subject start by simply
pointing a finger at him as well as by using a steel instrument.
Mr. Quimby’s manner of operating with his subject, was to sit op-posite
to him, holding both his hands in his, and looking him in-tently in the
eye for a short time, when the subject would go into that state known as
the mesmeric sleep, which was more properly a peculiar condition of mind
and body, in which the natural senses would or would not, operate at the
will of Mr. Quimby. When con-ducting his experiments, all communications
on the part of Mr. Quimby with Lucius were mentally given, the subject
replying as if spoken to aloud.
For several years, Mr. Quimby traveled with young Burkmar through Maine
and New Brunswick, giving exhibitions, which at the time attracted much
attention and secured notices through the columns of the newspapers.
It should be remembered that at the time Mr. Quimby was giv-ing these
exhibitions, over forty-five years ago, the phenomenon was looked upon
in a far different light from that of the present day. At that time it
was a deception, a fraud, and a humbug; Mr. Quimby was vilified and frequently
threatened with mob violence, as the ex-hibitions smacked too strongly
of witchcraft to suit the people.
As the subject gained more prominence, thoughtful men began to investigate
the matter, and Mr. Quimby was often called upon to have his subject examine
the sick. He would put Lucius into the mesmeric state, who would then examine
the patient, describe his disease, and prescribe remedies for its cure.
After a time Mr. Quimby became convinced that whenever the
subject examined a patient his diagnosis of the case would be iden-tical
with what either the patient himself or someone present be-lieved; instead
of Lucius really looking into the patient and giving the true condition
of the organs, in fact, that he was reading the opinion in the mind of
someone, rather than stating a truth acquired by himself.
Becoming firmly satisfied that this was the case, and having seen how
one mind could influence another, and how much there was that had always
been considered as true, but was really someone’s opinion, Mr. Quimby gave
up his subject, Lucius, and began the de-veloping of what is now known
as mental healing or curing disease through the mind.
In accomplishing this he spent years of his life fighting the bat-tle
alone and laboring with an energy and steadiness of purpose that shortened
it many years.
To reduce his discovery to a science, which could be taught for the
benefit of suffering humanity, was the all-absorbing idea of his life.
To develop his “theory” or “the Truth,” as he always termed it, so that
others than himself could understand and practice it, was what he labored
for. Had he been of a sordid and grasping nature, he might have acquired
unlimited wealth; but for that he seemed to have no desire. He used to
say, “Wait till I get my theory reduced to a science, so that I can teach
the Truth to others, and then I can make money fast enough.”
In a magazine article, it is impossible to follow the slow stages by
which he reached his conclusions; for slow they were, as each step was
in opposition to all the established ideas of the day, and was ridiculed
by the whole medical faculty and the great mass of the peo-ple. In the
sick and suffering he always found staunch friends, who loved him and believed
in him, and stood by him; but they were but a handful compared with those
on the other side.
While engaged in his mesmeric experiments, Mr. Quimby became more and
more convinced that disease was an error of the mind, and not a real thing;
and in this he was misunderstood by others, and accused of attributing
the sickness of the patient to the imagination, which was the very reverse
of the fact. No one believed less in the imagination than he. “If a man
feels a pain, he knows he feels it, and there is no imagination about it,”
he used to say.
But the fact that the pain might be a state of the mind, while ap-parent
in the body, he did believe. As one can suffer in a dream all that it is
possible to suffer in a waking state, so Mr. Quimby averred that the same
condition of mind might operate on the body in the form of disease, and
still be no more of a reality than was the dream.
As the truths of his discovery began to develop and grow in him, just
in the same proportion did he begin to lose faith in the efficiency of
mesmerism as a remedial agent in the cure of the sick; and after a few
years he discarded it altogether.
Instead of putting the patient into a mesmeric sleep, Mr. Quimby would
sit by him; and, after giving him account of what his trou-bles were, he
would simply converse with him, and explain the causes of the troubles,
and thus change the mind of the patient, and disa-buse it of its errors
and establish the truth in its place; which, if done, was the cure. He
sometimes in cases of lameness and sprains, manipulated the limbs of the
patient, and often rubbed the head with his hands, wetting them with water.
He said it was so hard for the patient to believe that his mere talk with
him produced the cure, that he did this rubbing simply that the patient
would have more confi-dence in him; but he always insisted that he possessed
no “power” nor healing properties different from any one else, and that
his manipulations conferred no beneficial effect upon his patient. He never
went into any trance and was a strong disbeliever in Spiritu-alism, as
understood by that name. He claimed, and firmly held, that his only power
consisted in his wisdom, and in his understand-ing the patient’s case and
being able to explain away the error and establish the truth, or health,
in its place. Very frequently the pa-tient could not tell how he was cured,
but it did not follow that Mr. Quimby himself was ignorant of the manner
in which he performed the cure.
Suppose a person should read an account of a railroad accident, and
see in the list the name of his son who was killed. The shock on the mind
would cause a deep feeling of sorrow on the part of the parent, and possibly
a severe sickness, not only mental, but physi-cal. Now, what is the condition
of the patient? Does he imagine his trouble? Is it not real? Is his body
not affected, his pulse quick, and has he not all the symptoms of a sick
person, and is he not really sick? Suppose you can go and say to him that
you were on the train,
and saw his son alive and well after the accident, and prove to him
that the report of his death was a mistake. What follows? Why, the patient’s
mind undergoes a change immediately, and he is no longer sick.
It was on this principle that Mr. Quimby treated the sick. He claimed
that “mind was spiritual matter and could be changed”; that we were made
up of “truth and error”; that disease was an er-ror, or belief, and that
the Truth was the cure.” And upon these premises he based all his reasoning,
and laid the foundation of what he asserted to be the “science of curing
the sick” without other remedial agencies than the mind.
In the year 1859 Mr. Quimby went to Portland, where he re-mained until
the summer of 1865, treating the sick by his peculiar method. It was his
custom to converse at length with many of his patients, who became interested
in his method of treatment, and to try to unfold to them his ideas.
Among his earlier patients in Portland were the Misses Ware, daughters
of the late Judge Ashur Ware, of the U.S. Court; and they became much interested
in “The Truth,” as he called it. But the ideas were so new, and his reasoning
was so divergent from the popular conceptions, that they found it difficult
to follow him or remember all he said; and they suggested to him the propriety
of put-ting into writing the body of his thoughts.
From that time he began to write out his ideas, which practice he continued
until his death, the articles now being in the possession of the writer
of this sketch. The original copy he would give to the Misses Ware, and
it would be read to him by them; and, if he sug-gested any alteration,
it would be made, after which it would be co-pied either by the Misses
Ware or the writer of this and then reread to him, that he might see that
all was just as he intended it. Not even the most trivial word or the construction
of a sentence would be changed without consulting him. He was given to
repetition, and it was with difficulty that he could be induced to have
a repeated sen-tence or word stricken out, as he would say, “If that idea
is a good one and true, it will do no harm to have it in two or three times.”
He believed in the hammering process, and of throwing an idea or truth
at the reader till it would be finally firmly fixed in his mind.
The first article he wrote was entitled, “Mind is Spiritual Matter,”
and he thus explains what he means: He says: “I found that I could
change the mind of my patient, and produce thereby a chemical change
in the body.... The world makes mind intelligence. I put no intelligence
in it, but make it subject to intelligence. . . . I call the power that
governs the mind, spirit, in this piece, not using the word wisdom; but
you will see that I recognize a wisdom superior to the word mind, for I
always apply the word mind to matter, but never to the first cause.”
In a circular to the sick, which he distributed while in Portland,
he says that, “as my practice is unlike all other medical practice, it
is necessary to say that I give no medicines and make no outward applications,
but simply sit by the patient, tell him what he thinks is his disease,
and my explanation is the cure. And if I succeed in correcting his errors,
I change the fluids of the system, and estab-lish the truth, or health.
‘The Truth is the cure. “
In an article over his own signature, published in the Portland Ad-vertiser
of February 13, 1862, he says:
“As you have given me the privilege of answering the article in your
paper of the 11th inst., wherein you classed me with spiritu-alists, mesmerisers,
clairvoyants, etc. I take this occasion to state where I differ from all
classes of doctors, from the allopathic phy-sician to the healing medium.
All of these admit disease as an in-dependent enemy of mankind. . . . Now
I deny disease as a truth but admit it as a deception, without any foundation,
handed down from generation to generation, till the people believe it,
and it has become a part of their lives. . . . My way of curing convinces
him that he has been deceived; and, if I succeed the patient is cured.
My mode is entirely original.”
Mr. Quimby, although not belonging to any church or sect, had a deeply
religious nature, holding firmly to God as the first cause, and fully believing
in immortality and progression after death, though entertaining entirely
original conceptions of what death is. He believed that Jesus~ mission
was to the sick, and that he per-formed his cures in a scientific manner,
and perfectly understood how he did them. Mr. Quimby was a great reader
if the Bible, but put a construction upon it thoroughly in harmony with
his train of thought .
His greatest desire was that the writer of this sketch should be-come
interested in his work, and learn to heal the sick as he did. He always
asserted that it was a science that he could teach, but that,
if it were not communicated by him, others would take up the work and
complete it. He wished the writer, after becoming conversant with the principles
by which he cured, to fit himself for the lecture platform, and, as he
expressed it, “You lecture and then we will call the sick on the stage,
and cure them by wholesale, right in public.”
It may not be out of place to state here that the writer did not at-tempt
to learn to practice as Mr. Quimby did; not because he could not, but for
the reason that he was not at that time interested in the matter, and his
tastes led him to adopt other pursuits.
Mr. Quimby’s idea of happiness was to benefit mankind, espe-cially
the sick and suffering; and to that end he labored, and gave his life and
strength. His patients not only found in him a doctor, but a sympathizing
friend, and he took the same interest in treat-ing a charity patient that
he did a wealthy one. Until the writer went with him as secretary, he kept
no accounts and made no charges. He left the keeping of books entirely
with his patients; and although he pretended to have a regular price for
visits and attendance, he took at settlement whatever the patient chose
to pay him.
The last five years of his life were exceptionally hard. He was overcrowded
with patients and greatly overworked, and could not seem to find an opportunity
for relaxation. At last nature could no longer bear up under the strain;
and, completely tired out, he took to his bed, from which he never rose
again. While strong, he had always been able to ward off any disease that
would have affected another person; but, when tired out and weak, he no
longer had the strength of will nor the reasoning powers to combat the
sickness which terminated his life.
An hour before he breathed his last, he said to the writer: “I am more
than ever convinced of the truth of my theory. I am perfectly willing for
the change myself, but I know you all will feel badly, and think I am dead;
but I know that I shall be right here with you, just as I always have been.
I do not dread the change any more than if I were going on a trip to Philadelphia.”
His death occurred January 16, 1866, at his residence in Belfast, at
the age of sixty-four years, and was the result of too close appli-cation
to his profession and of overwork. A more fitting epitaph could not be
accorded him than in these words:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends.” For if ever a man did lay down his life for others,
that man was Phineas Parkhurst Quimby.
THE QUIMBY FAMILY
IThe following is extracted from a biography of Dr. Quimby taken
from “The History of the Quimby Family” published in The New
England Quarterly, New England Magazine of March 1888.—Ed.]
Phineas Parkhurst Quimby was “Doctor” only by courtesy: he had taken
no university degree and had studied in no regular school of medicine.
He was regarded by the educated public as an amiable humbug or a fanatic,
but by hundreds of his patients he was looked upon as a worker of miracles.
Quimby was no ordinary medical quack. He did not practice on the credulous
for money; and his the-ories represented at least original thought and
patient, life-long study. He was born at Lebanon, New Hampshire, February
16, 1802, but spent the larger part of his life at Belfast, Maine. He was
one of seven children; his father was a poor, hard-working black-smith.
Quimby, therefore, had practically no early advantages; in-deed he spent
actually only six weeks at school. As a boy he was apprenticed to a clock-maker,
and at this trade he became an adept; the Quimby clock is still a domestic
institution in New England; hundreds made by Quimby’s own hands are still
keeping excellent time. Quimby had an ingenious mind and a natural aptitude
for mechanics. He invented, among other things, a band-saw much like one
in use at the present time, and was one of the first makers of daguerreotypes.
As a child he had shown keen powers of observa-tion and much originality
of thought. From the first he disclosed one rare mental quality; his mind
took nothing for granted and recog-nized no such thing as accepted knowledge.
He developed into a mild-mannered New England Socrates, constantly looking
into his own mind and subjecting to proof all the commonplace beliefs of
his friends. He read deeply in philosophy and science and loved nothing
better than to discuss these subjects at length. He developed a system
of mental healing for which he became famous through-out New England.
Dr. Quimby died January 16, 1866. As in the case of many mental
healers, his own experience apparently belied his doctrines. He had
for years suffered from an abdominal tumor. He had never had it treated
medically, but asserted that he had always been able, men-tally, to prevent
it from getting the upper hand. The last few years of his life he worked
incessantly. His practice increased enormously, and at last broke him down.
In the summer of 1865 he was com-pelled to stop work. He closed his Portland
office and went home to Belfast to devote the rest of his life to revising
his manuscripts and preparing them for publication. His physical condition,
however, became feebler every day. He now acknowledged his in-ability to
cure himself. As long as he had his usual mental strength, he said he could
stop the disease; but, as he felt this slipping from him, his “error” rapidly
made inroads. Finally, Quimby’s wife, with his acquiescence, summoned a
homeopathic physician. Quimby con-sented to this, he said, not because
he had the slightest idea that the doctor could help him, but merely to
comfort his family. His wife had never accepted the “theory”; his children,
for the most part, had no enthusiasm for it. They all, however, loved the
old man dearly and could not patiently witness his suffering without seek-ing
all means to allay it. Quimby followed implicitly all the doctor’s instructions
. . . .
After the death of P. P. Quimby, his manuscripts were held by his son
George and shown only to a favored few. His widow per-mitted their publication
for the first time in 1921. The following paragraphs are from the introduction:
“It has been supposed that Quimby did no teaching, and this is true
so far as organized instruction is concerned . But he did the same kind
of teaching that all original men engage in, he conversed with his followers,
speaking out of the fullness of experience and with the force of native
insight. Thus he began the educational part of his treatment as soon as
his patients were in a state of mind to listen responsively. Then he explained
his ‘Truth’ more at length as responsiveness grew and interest was awakened.
Coming out of his office filled with insights from his latest sitting,
he would share his views with interested groups. Sometimes, too, his essays
would be read and the contents discussed. His writings were loaned to patients
and followers who were especially interested, and after February,
BIOGRAPHY / 29
1862 copies of his ‘Questions and Answers’ were kept in circulation
among patients.” (The Quimby Manuscripts, Horatio Dresser, Ed., pp. 5-6.)
The children of Phineas and Susannah B. (Harden) Quimby were:
John H., born 1829; William H., born 1831; Augusta C., born 1833, married
James W. Frederick; and George Albert, born 1841 .
Lucius C. Burkmar’s Private Journal
Lucius Burkmar
[From 1843 to 1847 P. P. Quimby was a professional mesmerist, al-ways
looking for a “sensitive” or a person who, when mesmerized, could exhibit
the higher powers of the mind, such as clairvoyance. In the course of his
trials with subjects, he finally met Lucius Burk-mar, a young man who was
clairvoyant, that is, able to see at a dis-tance and able to travel to
distant places while his body and ordinary senses were in the mesmeric
sleep.
Quimby and Burkmar worked together as mesmerist and subject for four
years. They traveled in Maine and New Brunswick giving ex-hibitions of
mesmerism. In the sleep Lucius would diagnose disease, do post mortems,
find missing persons, even go to ships at sea and talk with the captain
and others on board.
At least in the beginning of these travels, Lucius kept a diary which
he called, “Lucius C. Burkmar’s Private Journal.” George Quimby, son of
Phineas, preserved it along with the papers of his father. It is a valuable
document in several respects, principally because it shows the apprenticeship,
training and development of P. P. Quimby. For it was from watching and
evaluating the phenomena of these experi-ments that he evolved his science
of the mind. The powers and ca-pacities he perceived at first dimly in
Lucius, he discovered in himself. Moreover, he found he could exercise
these powers without mes-merism and thus he proclaimed that he could be
in two states at once.
Heretofore some of us who knew about the Journal but had never seen
it had developed the impression that Lucius was a dull sort of “country
boy.~’ Study of the Journal has changed that. I notice his bad grammar
and faulty spelling but I also note his keen perceptions, his artful choice
of words, his wide range of reading and his en-thusiasm. For a youth in
Maine in 1843, he was far ahead of most of his critics. In the typescript
of the Journal, we have not cor-rected all grammar and spelling, only enough
to make the document more readable. We have broken up long sentences without
changing words, made paragraphs, etc. Any editorial remark or addition
is in brackets .
My copy of the Journal was made photostatically from the origi-nal which
Collie and I had in our possession during the winter of 1946—47. That original
is now at Boston University. On the cover sheet in what I think is George
Quimby’s hand are the words “The property of Geo. A. Quimby—Belfast Maine.’—Ed.]
Tuesday 26th day December 1843. Mr. P. P. Quimby and myself left Belfast
for Gardener, we arrived at Searsmont at one, and we were persuaded to
stop and lecture. We did and the experiments were very satisfactory, at
least the audience thought so. Was taken by the Rev. Mr. Hawkes to the
Methodist meeting house and described right. Was taken by a great many
people and they seemed satisfied. Searsmont is a very pretty country place.
The village is very pleasantly situated by the side of a small stream of
water. There is a large tannery here in full operation and sawmills shingle
machines clothing mills and gristmills in abundance.
[When Lucius speaks of being “taken,” he refers to the fact that after
Quimby mesmerized him~ he would invite people in the audience to participate
and would turn over control of Lucius to them . In the in-stance above,
the Rev. Mr. Hawkes asked the mesmerized Lucius to go to the Methodist
church and describe it, which he did correctly. This was called an experiment
in mesmerism.—Ed.]
Wednesday 27. Left Searsmont for Gardener. Arrived at four, put up at
the Cobosse House, kept by Rogers. A very good house and good accommodations.
Thursday 28 went over to Pitston with John Hall, came back and Hall was
taken with a fever. He left Gardener for Belfast with Quimby’s horse. In
the afternoon rambled over the town, took a peep at the stone church. This
church is of the Gothic order and is said to be one of the finest specimens
of workmanship of the kind. It belongs to the Episcopal church of England.
It is situ-ated upon the top of a hill overlooking the town. It is said
to be ele-gantly furnished but I was not inside and so of course I was
not capable of judging. A small river runs through the town and there is
a number of mills upon it. It is called Cobbosse-contee [?] river and empties
into the Kennebeck river. It is a great advantage to the town, there being
a number of valuable mill privileges on it. This
evening we’re to have [a] lecture. It is said there is a great many
skep-tics in this town but I think we shall satisfy them.
Friday 29. We are to have another exhibition. Seemed pretty well satisfied
last night. The people here seem polite and affable and treat strangers
very polite. There seems to be a great opposition with the barbers here.
It is laughable, to see the inducements held out to come and shave at such
a shop, hair cutting done here for 6¼ cents, while another will
read, no discount here. The spirit of the Yankees has got into the coloured
gents for opposition seems to be all the go here. There is a beautiful
Periodical depot here kept by Atwood, a fine reading room, ‘tis here the
latest novels of the day are purchased at very low prices.
Saturday 30. A stormy day, nothing interesting. I am reading a novel
by Ingraham called Fanny, or the Hunchback, very interest-ing. Afternoon
examined Mr. Michael Hildreth. Said his lungs were not affected but said
his stomach was out of order and his caul was in a thick green state and
recommended him to take throughwort emetic for the lungs and a sweat and
warm baths for the blood.
Sunday 3 1st. Started for Watterville. On the way stopped at the Hollowwell
House and dined. This house has undergone thorough repairs and is now kept
by Mr. Charles Sager, a gentleman every inch of him. From there we drove
to Augusta. Stopped at Mr. Door’s house a few minutes, and from there drove
to Watterville and arrived there about four o’clock. Stopped at Williams’
House and ate supper, went to bed tired and sleepy.
Monday, Jan. 1st 1844. A happy new year. All Watterville is agog to
find out who we are. The young fellows are dashing about in sleighs with
their girls, oh how I envy them their pleasure. Watter-ville is a very
pleasant place. There is a number of beautiful brick blocks here. Afternoon
a Frenchman came in to have his neck cured. The conversation between him
and Mr. Quimby was laughable. Now I will cure your neck in ten minutes.
The Frenchman looked scared and his eyes looked all ways for Sunday and
sure enough in ten minutes he had no pain.
Tuesday, Jan. 2. Went and took a look at the colleges. They are four
stories high and built of brick. The chapel has a cupola on top, built
of wood and painted white. There is three brick buildings and the boarding
house and workshop. From there I rambled to the
banks of the river and saw a mineral spring. The water comes out at
the foot of a rock and runs into the river. I tasted of it. It has a bitter
taste and is supposed by some to have a great deal of healing power. At
any rate it tastes bad enough if that is what they want.
Wednesday, Jan. 3. Stayed in the house all day. We’re to have a lecture
tonight. Jan. 4. We satisfied the skeptics, all of them but two. Had a
crowded house and gave good satisfaction. He is going to stop another night.
Thursday [sic], Jan. 5. Last night we had a full house and satis-fied
the few remaining unbelievers. Friday [sic], Jan. 6. Started for Skowhegan,
passed through Bloomfield. In this town there are three buildings, that
in proportion and symmetry I never saw surpassed. One is the Baptist church,
the other is the town hall and the other is the Academy. They are all built
of brick and situated upon the top of a hill, so the prospect from them
is delightful. We crossed the bridge and entered Skowhegan. This village
contains about two thousand inhabitants . There is nothing about it interesting
. Here the Democratic Clarion is printed . It is printed and edited and
published by one man and a boy, just enough to constitute “We.” We stop
at Mores Tavern, a very good landlord and very good house.
Sunday, Jan. 7. Nothing doing. A very dull day. Sent some bills home.
I am reading Dood’s Lectures. Dood’s deaf and dumb sub-ject is here and
I have wrote with him a great deal. He told me last night he tried to have
an exhibition. He said nobody came. I pitied the poor fellow. He said he
wanted to go to Watterville but had only two dollars . In his performance
he imitates different sounds and ac-tions such as vanity, pride, ambition,
the ocean, ship, man, steal-ing apples, etc. It’s very interesting.
Monday 8. We are to have an exhibition. Tuesday 9. Our experi-ments
passed off very well. They have tried to persuade us to stop another night.
Wednesday 10. We leave here today and go to Nor-ridgewock. We arrived at
Norridgewock at 11 o’clock, stopped at Freeman’s tavern, posted up our
bills, and prepared to exhibit tonight .
Thursday 11. We had a full house last night and the experiments went
off well and the people seemed satisfied, and a number of them wants us
to stop another night so we stop tonight. Norridgewock is the shire town
of Sommerset County. It is pleasantly situated on the river of the Kennebeck,
and a number of literary men reside
here—Judge Tenny, lawyer Abott and Dr. Bates. The court house is a large
brick two story building. The lower floor is occupied by the register of
deeds office and Clerk’s office and the upper floor for the court room.
Friday 12. Is our last night. We did well last night. Saturday 13. We go
to Skowhegan and exhibit tonight and Sunday we go to Anson.
Sunday 14. Arrived at Anson at 1 o’clock and passed through the town
of Maderson. Monday 15. Here we are. Anson is a very pretty place situated
on a branch of the main river. Young Chase is here and about to get married.
Quimby has been doing miracles. He has cured a man that couldn’t walk
nor speak. It has produced a great excitement here among the people. He
has been confined to his house about a year and never has spoke or walked.
In one hour he made him walk about the room and speak so as to be heard
in another room.
Tuesday 16. At Anson yet, nothing doing. We are to have another exhibition,
tonight. Wednesday 17. Started for Golan, arrived at 1 o’clock, stopped
all night, had an exhibition, done well. Thursday 18. Started for Dexter,
passed through Athens, Harmony, arrived at Dexter at six o’clock, went
to bed tired and sleepy.
Friday 19. Today I wandered all over woollen [sic] Factors. The superintendent
was kind enough to show me all over the Factory and it was a great curiosity.
Saturday 20. We had a lecture last night and we are to have another tonight.
Sunday 21. In the morning we started for Newport and arrived there at 11,
put up at the Centre House. Newport is a very pleasant town, a small stream
runs through the town and a large Tannery, the largest there is in the
United States, and there is the most business done here for the size of
any place I have been in. We are to have an exhibition Monday night and
I think we shall do well. Monday 22. Evening we had an exhibition and done
well. Tuesday 23. Start for Unity, stopped there one night. Night was dark
and stormy, but we had a very full house. Unity is a very pretty place.
the principal part of the town is situ-ated upon a long, level street.
We stopped at Seavey’s house, a very good house and good landlady. Wednesday
24th. Started for home, passed through Knox and Belmont, and so home.
So at last I have arrived home tired, yet pleased, with my jour-ney.
I found the inhabitants polite and pleased with our stay amongst them,
excepting a few.
[On the next page, page 10, there is a title—A Recapitulation—but it
seems to have been crossed out and the diary continues.—Ed.]
Amongst these were, Dr. Stickney, and Mr. Withington, a coun-try schoolmaster
who thought he knew more [than] any of the rest. Since I left Dexter I
have heard that the woollen Factory has burnt down. It is a great loss.
It has thrown a hundred hands out of em-ploy. As a general thing we didn’t
find the people so bitter upon the subject of Animal Magnetism as we thought
we should. We gener-ally had the most influential men of the place upon
our side of the question, and as a general thing satisfied all skeptics
beyond a doubt. For instance, when we left Norridgewock the following gentlemen
were in the affirmative and those opposite in the negative.
Judge Tenny Mr. Adams
Dr. Bates Mr. Gould
Esq. Seldon
Mr. Abott
Mr. William Bates
Mr. Peets
This is about as it stands in every town we passed through, two unbelievers
to six believers. When we passed through Augusta we didn’t [ I so therefore
we concluded to go round by the way of Bath, so Monday, Feb. 5th, we started
from home for Goose river in Camden—so called form the number of wild geese
that as-sembled there. We exhibited in the Brick School House to a crowded
house. Tuesday 6th. From thence we went to Camden and exhibited there one
night. Camden is a delightful place. The town is on the seacoast and it
has considerable shipping. Back of the town is a high mountain—it delightful
place in the summer. In the distance can be seen the Penobscot Bay, in
all its splendour dotted with its numer-ous isles. Long Island can be seen
dividing the bay, in two parts, as it were. At the back of this mountain
is a turnpike, made (with a great deal of expense) by a man of the name
of Barett. In riding over this road you must imagine to yourself frowning
rocks that seem as if they would crush you to pieces. At your feet lies
the pond stretch-ing its waters afar off in the distance. In the spring
it is dangerous
to pass over this road owing to the frost working upon the rocks and
causing them to fall down. This mountain is famous for being the place
of an exploit that was performed by a man of the name of Ea-ton. He was
attacked by a bear upon the top of the mountain and he had nothing to defend
himself with but a large stick. The bear rose upon his hind legs, for the
purpose of hugging him. At the mo-ment he jumped upon his back and seized
him by one ear and rode down the mountain, and the neighbors came and despatched
the bear .
Wednesday 7th. Rode from Camden to Thomaston, exhibited there one night.
This is the great lime market. Thomaston lime stands the highest of any
lime in the world. It is a great curiosity to visit the quarries. They
have dug down to the depth of sixty or a hundred feet below the surface
of the ground. The quarries are some two or three miles from the shore,
but they burn their lime prin-cipally at the shore, so that in the summer
season coasting vessels are constantly engaged in bringing kiln wood.
Thursday 8th. Started from Thomaston to Warren, passed through West
Thomaston to Warren. One thing I omitted to state, there is two villages
in Thomaston, one is called East Thomaston (‘tis here the quarries are)
and the West Thomaston. We arrived at Warren at four o’clock P.M. Put up
at Wetherbee’s, engaged the town hall for our exhibition and had a good
House. Friday 9th. Started for Walderburough, stopped at Balch’s House
and had an exhibition. This town has considerable business, principally
in wood. Distance from Warren [to] Walderburough ten miles. Saturday 10th.
Rode to Damariscata mills, stopped at Boland’s all night. Sunday 11th.
Spent the greatest part of the day in reading. Monday 12th. Went to Newcastle.
This is a fine town. The business is principally in building vessels, but
there is one thing that we need very much, that is a police for they have
the most unruly set of boys. The citizens are actually afraid of them.
mistake about the dates [sic]
Tuesday 13th. Went to Wiscasset and stopped at Hilton’s. We are to
stop two nights. I rambled over the town and I found it very in-teresting.
It is very old indeed. There is some very oldlooking houses. I went and
peeped into Clark’s steam saw mill. It’s a new building, the other was
burnt down. They make sugar shooks. Upon the
whole it is a pretty town. Wednesday 14th. Stayed in the house all day
and read and wrote. Thursday 15th. Went to Barth and stopped at the Elliott
House. Had one lecture, didn’t do well at all, failed entirely. Friday
16th. We tried tonight and done better. Saturday 17th. Loitered about and
done nothing, rather hard work. Sunday
18th. Arrived at Wiscasset. We are to lecture one more night here and
then for Augusta. Monday evening 19th. Had a crowded house and our experiments
were good. I was taken by Mr. Clark to the bark Casilda or at least I went
myself and found her in New York, and told what time she arrived and described
his son (they have learned since by letter, it is correct). Tuesday 20th.
Started for Dres-den, a small town lying between Wiscasset and Gardener.
Stopped there one night. Had a full house but the experiments were not
very good. Wednesday 2 1st. Started for Augusta, this time we shall get
there I hope. Passed through Gardener and Hollowwell, and arrived at 2
o’clock P.M. Thursday 22nd. Looked around the town, went and got my bills
ready for tonight. We engaged the Concert Hall and are sanguine of success.
Friday 23rd. Our experiments were good last night. Today I took a walk
up to the State House to hear wisdom flow from the mouths of babes, for
certainly here is some of the most verdant [ ] that ever I see collected
together en masse. Ye gods, it makes one shudder for the State of Maine
to see into what hands the welfare of the [sicl is entrusted to. The following
di-alogue will serve to show how pushed some of the towns were for men
that knew something.
Subject: the Railroad Charter. A . Well, Squire what do you think of
that, erh, Railroad question hey? B. Well, between you and I, I don’t think
much of it. We must put these big bugs down. I tell you that now. A. How
is that, erh, little thing gonto be done? B. Git ‘em on our side. I think
as how we might as well give ‘em that, erh, Charter to ‘em. A. I think
so too, at any rate the Squire of our town says he’ll take a share if it
does go through. They must give us a ride for nothing ‘cause we helped
‘em. I say, neighbor B, have you got a pair trousers you could lend me,
mine’s torn? B. Can’t say as how I have on’y got one pair and them I got
on. Your con-stituents must pay you for tearing your trousers. Good bye
neigh-bor A. Good bye. A . (to himself) Darn stingy fool, I know he’s got
more than one pair of trousers; well at any rate I vote agin him. B.
(to himself) Did he think I’m going to lend my trousers? No, I’ll see
him darned first.
The following [sic] Dialogue actually occurred in a certain bar room,
name not mentioned. These two worthies no doubt thought they were looked
up to, by all these Legislatures [sic], but I will drop this subject for
the present and let these wise heads reign.
Saturday 24th. We have our lecture in the same place as before. I went
up today to the State House and peeped into the Represen-tatives Hall.
This is a large or spacious room, of a circular form, but the room is better
than the people in it. The Senate is a square, spacious room and not quite
as large as the Representatives Hall. There is a very large cabinet of
minerals here that abound in Maine, also a large library here, filled with
state books and the principal works of great authors. I also visited the
Lunatic Asylum. Under the direction of Dr. Ray, this is a large stone building
with wings. It can accommodate about 200 patients but there is only about
100 now and increases every day in number. Sunday 25th. We go home to Belfast,
it is about 40 miles from Augusta. We arrived at one o’clock.
stayed to home 2 days [sicl
Tuesday 2 7th. Started for Augusta. Arrived at Augusta at dark. Tonight
we have the New Court House. Wednesday 28th. We are to have another lecture
here.
Thursday 29th. We have another lecture. We leave Augusta the 3rd of
March, next.
Sunday March 3. Leave here for Winthrop. Engaged the Univer-salist
Church. Winthrop is a very pretty manufacturing town. There is a small
cotton factory which employs something like 150 hands. It goes by water.
Monday 4th we lecture tonight and I think by ap-pearances we shall have
a full house. Tuesday 5th. We had a full house last and likely to have
a full one tonight. Wednesday 6th. Had some private examinations and satisfied
the Doctors, for these Country Doctors (some of them) think they know more
than G[ I or Aristotle and in fact they do in their own conceit and I find
it best to let them think so for it pleases them. Thursday 7th. We go to
Readfield and lecture there tonight. We lecture two nights here. Friday
7th. [sicl We go to Farmington, the Shire town of Franklin County. I find
it is a beautiful village and the inhabitants
think a great deal of their town and well they may. We lecture here
tonight and tomorrow night. Saturday 9th. We did not have many in last
night owing to a donation party given to the Congregational minister. We
lecture here tonight. Sunday 10th. A new day opens upon me and I have got
a new pen. Great news, today we go to Wil-ton. We arrived there at 10 o’clock
forenoon~ put up at Williard’s tavern. This is rather a straggling town
but they have considerable spirit for they have cut a canal about quarter
of a mile long, the water is led from the stream up on the top of a high
hill. There is considerable machinery here, is gristmills, sawmills, shingle
machines in abundance. Monday 11th. Wrote a long letter home, had to write
a pack of nonsense, there being no news to write here. Monday evening,
we had a full house considering all things, for there was a party here
too. It seems as if everything worked against us. . Tuesday 12th. We went
to Farmington Hall, there being two vil-lages in one town. We lecture here
tonight in the meeting house. They seem very kind to us here although they
are all skeptics. The principal business done here is lumbering, there
being three or four large mills here. There is quite a tannery here, also
they have a covered bridge over what is called the Sandy river, about one
hundred and thirty feet long. Farmington is celebrated for its ele-gant
farms . They turn their attention to the cultivation of herds grass and
clover seed, the most celebrated seed known. I have been hav-ing quite
a confab with the landlord of the house in regard to tem-perance. It began
with his saying that Brandy didn’t do a man any hurt. I told him it was
according to how he used it. He said, I don’t care how you use it. I then
asked him if he thought it was right to sell liquor. He said he didn’t
think it right to sell to [a] man that was drunk. I asked why he sold it.
His answer was because the rest did. This is a fair sample of landlords
in the northern part of Maine. When we came in we found the barroom in
a dirty state, the chim-ney piece ornamented with old chaws of tobacco,
pieces of cigars, a tallow candle, and the drippings of a lamp that hung
over it. The bar was covered with slops of gin and rum, by the side of
the room a bunk for the ostler to sleep in, in one corner an old pine desk
and in the other corner an old clock which seemed to partake of the general
laziness round for it was half an hour behind the time. Add to this three
or four drunk loafers and you have a description of a country bar room.
Travelers in passing from village to village will
Lucius C. BURKMAR’s PRIVATE JOURNAL / 41
often see on the road but not in the village, mind you, the sign of
Washingtonian House kept here, and why is it, I will tell you why. It is
because they have no chance to get it to their tavern, and more than one
half of the Landlords that keep these Washingtonian Houses will get drunk
when they can get it, and no doubt keep a little in their house for themselves
only and these are the gentlemen that cry, Temperance, Temperance at the
top of their voice and the same time will take a drunken loafer by the
arm and lead him to next Grog Shop and treat him. You ask a landlord that
keeps an intemperate house why he don’t keep a temperance house and their
answer is, Why damn it, there is no temperance houses in these parts for
the ones that keep them are drunkards. And, you see, instead of reform-ing
the morals of the people it [is] quite the reverse. The plan that I would
adopt is let every one that keeps a Washingtonian House send their names
to the County Secretary, and let them print hand-bills so that public travelers
may be warned against them, but I am afraid that the evil can never be
remedied wholly under the present generation .
Wednesday 13th. Went to New Sharon and stopped at a temper-ance house,
and now I will give a description of a Temperance house. We entered (not
a barroom) but a clean, neat room, simply furnished. In one corner sits
a book case filled with books for the weary traveler to read, a parlor
stove, not covered with tobacco spit-tle but the brasses around the stove
blacked, with a merry fire burn-ing in it, a table covered with a plain,
white cloth, the map of Maine hangs against the wall, and to cap the whole
a tidy Landlady and also a good Landlord and you have a description of
a temperance house. They have a covered bridge here about the same length
as the one at Farmington falls. This town lies by the Sandy river. The
principal part of the inhabitants are farmers. They have a brick church
here built in a plain style, it belongs to the Methodists.
Thursday 14th. [Blank space here.—Ed.]
1845
Monday [January] 13th. Started from Belfast to go to Bucksport. Passed
through Prospect village and arrived at Bucksport at 1 o’clock. Put up
at Bucks Hotel and waited impatiently for the even-ing. At length the long
wished for moment arrived when Lucius was to astonish the natives of Bucksport.
7 o’clock in the evening, here
I stand at the door, taking money hand over fist. Here comes a ragged
brat. Please, sir, may I go in for fourpence? Yes, yes, pass in. Here comes
a very pretty girl. Will you admit me for 10 cents? Who can resist such
an appeal? I open the door with a bow and a scrape, and she passes in by
me smiling. Here comes a man who, spurns the grounds he walks upon. See
with what an air he tosses the ninepence in my hand. Here comes a clerk.
I know by the way he fumbles after the ninepence he has hooked from his
master’s drawer. Thus you see we have all sorts and sizes. Our experiments
this eve are in my waking state. 10 o’clock, our experiments this eve have
been satisfactory. Our receipts amount to $11.00, pretty good so far for
the first night.
Tuesday 14th. Cold day. Very good exhibition last night, try again
tonight. We dined with Emery, spent part of the afternoon. The peo-ple
seem to be very bitter upon the subject of magnetism, but we have satisfied
a great many, some very hard cases. This afternoon I examined Mr. Hooper,
thought the kidney and urethra was dis-eased, said there was a seated pain
in the lower part of the abdo-men, also a pain in the small of the back
and thought the pain in the small of the back was caused by sympathy with
the kidneys. Recommended him a plaster of Burgundy pitch to be worn upon
the back, told him not to drink cold water for it did not agree with the
kidneys. Also examined Mr. Pillsbury’s wife, examined head and pronounced
the brain diseased, said there was a congestion of the brain and large
clots of blood laid upon the brain and it would produce convulsions and
fits. While I was examining her, she had one of these fits as I was told
by Mr. Quimby.
Wednesday 15th. Stormy day. Nothing doing. Everybody upon the subject
of magnetism! Magnetism! I am tired of the name. Af-ternoon it snows as
if heaven was rifting all the snow there is upon the earth. Tonight is
our last night. Then we shall go farther east. 10 o’clock in the evening.
Our receipts tonight amount to 9 dollars. I, being doorkeeper, just fork
over the chink to Mr. Quimby, and go to bed tired and sleepy, for our experiments
tonight have been principally confined to clairvoyance, which generally
tires me more than any other experiments we do. Come thou goddess of sleep,
I embrace thee, encircle myself in the arms of Morpheus, I close my eyes
and am, as I suppose, soon in the land of oblivion. When I am awoke by
the slamming of a door which jars the whole house, I
again try to console myself to sleep, wishing the jar might have been
upon the person’s head who slammed the door.
Thursday 16th. A stormy day again. Oh dear, everything seems lonely,
nothing to read but political newspapers. So goes the world, and so goes
its inmates. I wander around the house like a hypochon-driac. If I go into
the barroom, there is the same ceaseless chatter. I go into the sitting
room, there a pert lady meets me with a sim-per and inquires if I am sensible
of anything that transpires during that state. Here I can’t run away so
must stay and answer a string of interrogations. Sometimes I am almost
tempted to go to bed. I can’t go into a store without being dinned with
questions.
This afternoon we started for Orland and arrived about 3 o’clock, put
up at a Washingtonian House and waited for lecture hours. We lecture this
eve at the School House. It being a stormy night, I sup-pose we shall not
have a great many in.
Friday 17th. Our experiments last night proved very satisfactory to
the audience. The first person, I was put in communication with Mr. Buck,
and taken by him to his house, described his room and saw a map, lying
upon the floor, and after he left the staging and told the audience that
before he left his house he put a map upon the floor. We leave Orland for
Castine this morning and arrive af-ter a cold ride. We are to lecture this
evening at this place.
Saturday 18th. Owing to its being stormy, our lecture was rather thinly
attended. We stop again tonight. It still keeps a snowing as if it never
was going to stop. Afternoon Capt. Pinkham arrived in the packet, saw David
Libby and got all the news, went aboard the Franklin and saw Stephen Libby,
shook hands with him and in-quired the news. Oh dear! Such a dull place.
If I was a going to pray, one of my prayers would be, the Lord deliver
me from Castine and I would wish my prayer might be answered.
Sunday 19th. A fine day, the sun shines, the air is sharp and brac-ing.
I have wrote to my mother and sent two papers home. After-noon I rambled
up to the old fort. The old French fort is situated at the back part of
the town, on a rising ground. The place where the barracks stood can be
seen now. The fortifications are in the form of a square though at each
corner there is a bankment thrown up shaped like a half circle. In one
of these corners there is an ex-cavation somewhat resembling a dungeon.
The sides are walled up. At first you enter a room about six feet square.
At the end of this
room there is a narrow passage two feet wide, the sides walled, and
the roof covered with cedar. I entered this passage and crept along till
I came to a heap of stones. I crept over these upon my hands and knees,
but here I was suddenly stopped by the earth that had caved in. No one
knows what this place is for though some think it was a prison.
Monday 20th. The sun has hid his face from us this morning, and the
clouds are flying to the north, and everything indicates a snowstorm. I
just do nothing but sit in the house and read what I can get and that is
not much. Afternoon examined Mr. Hooper, some relation to the one I examined,
described him as having a rup-ture in the lower part of the abdomen, which
was, as he stated, true.
Tuesday 21st. We left Castine at 10 o’clock and arrived at Penob-scot
at 12. It still snows as bad as ever. Mr. Quimby is not very well today,
has caught cold and has a pain in his head. We exhibit this evening. Oh
if the ancient Grecians were plagued with snowstorms no wonder they sighed
for the mild climate of Rome. Mr. Quimby’s being sick the whole case develops
on me. Therefore now Lucius, stretch thyself, and do your best. It still
snows, as if it would never stop and blows so hard that if a man with a
long nose should turn his face sideways, it would be apt to blow it off.
I have engaged the Hall, my lamps are trimmed and all is ready for this
evening.
Wednesday 22nd. 1 have just crawled out of bed. I lift the cur-tain
and get one peep, but that one look is enough. I drop the cur-tain in despair.
I go downstairs and eat my breakfast, and then sit down by the stove and
look at my thumbs. Last night we took about five dollars. I fall back in
my chair and go to sleep and dream that I am in a snow drift a-struggling
to get out but all my exertions sink me more. At last the snow is up to
my chin, it rises to my mouth. At this period I awake and find the old
Landlady is melting snow in a large kettle and in pouring it in she spilt
some on my hand and this awoke me.
Thursday 23rd. Ah my prayers are answered. We have a pleasant day,
again the sun shines out gloriously as though it were glad to visit the
earth once more, and I guess the inhabitants are glad to see it too. This
morning we started for Bluehill and arrived there at 12 o’clock. Bluehill
lies at the foot of Bluehill mountain. We have en-gaged the town hall and
wait for company. There seems to be con-
siderable aristocracy here for I see they have two classes here. One
class are for these lectures and another class are against it. But we are
gainers by it for it produces an excitement.
Friday 24th. Last night our experiments were very well attended. There
was about two hundred in. Mr. Quimby lectured about one hour. He spoke
of mind and how the mind was acted upon while in the mesmeric state. In
his remarks he clearly demonstrated that there was no fluid and he showed
the relation between mind and matter. I have been having a chitchat with
a very pretty girl. Her name is Abey Redman but mum is the word.
Saturday 25th. Oh dear, ill luck attends us. It is but just done snowing,
and now it begins to rain, but I comfort myself with one thing, that is,
there is an end to all things, so of course there will be an end to this
rain. But Despair says, When! When! Ah that is the query.
I believe I’ll leave the ground to Despair for I cannot answer him.
As I began today by snarling, I will finish out the page in the same way.
If there is anything I despise, it is having so many questions asked me
after I wake up. The first question is, Do you remember anything? Second
is, Do you hear anything? Third is, How long do you think you have been
asleep? Last night in returning from the lecture, I had a fellow quiz me
all the way home. I was determined not to answer him, so after a while,
I told him to call on me tomor-row and I would administer to his suffering
curiosity. He stopped and I saw nothing more of him.
Sunday 26th. We went to Sedgwick and was going to exhibit there but
they had no Hall, so we went to the Public house (kept by Mr. Dority) and
took dinner and went back to Bluehill. Sedgwick is a country place situated
by a stream. There is one thing the inhabi-tants ought to be ashamed of,
that is, there is no Hall, no public buildings, not even a town house.
Now we are in Bluehill. This even-ing I went to a prayer meeting, fully
attended—that is, with young fellows and girls.
Monday 27th. We started early in the morning for Surrey. Rather cold
ride. Arrived at Surrey at half past eight, didn’t see much en-couragement
to stop, so we concluded to drive on to Elsworth. So we started and arrived
there by 11 o’clock and put up at the Elsworth House. We lose this evening
owing to there being a prayer meeting
in the hall, so after dinner we drive down to Mr. George Buckmore’ S
and stopped there, so he spoke to a number of young Ladies and Gentlemen
to come down and see some experiments in Animal Mag-netism. About 6 o’clock
seven or eight couples in sleighs. After the experiments were over a number
of them proposed to have some play, so some played Whist. I enjoyed myself
much. The ladies were very sociable. They broke up about 12 o’clock and
they all appeared pleased (at least I was).
Tuesday 28th. We stopped down to Mr. Burkmar’s till after din-ner when
we went up to the Elsworth House and went and engaged the hall and got
prepared for the evening. Miss Abey Burkmar and Miss Quimby came up with
me, and went to the lecture, and in the evening I went down to Mr. Burkmar’s,
stopped all night and came up in the afternoon ready for evening. After
the lecture, I went up to the American House with Mr. Chamberlin and stopped
all night and took breakfast in the morning.
Wednesday 29th. A drizzly rain accompanied with fog. Nothing doing.
In the forenoon examined Mrs. Barker, said there was a difficulty in the
blood, described one of the valves of the heart as being thicker than the
other. Thought she didn’t have exercise enough. Said the valve being deranged
caused the blood to stop. Was asked what sensation it produced. Said it
produced a faintness, said this was the great difficulty, thought there
was no other func-tional or organic disease. At the same time examined
Mrs. Bennett. This (as I understood from the Doctor) was a nameless dis-ease
. . . our experiments thus far have been very satisfactory. We have had
the hall crowded every night. As it looks likely to rain, we have concluded
to stop another night here.
Thursday 3 0th. Nothing doing. I loiter around the town. I went up
on the hill and examined the Court House. This building is built of brick
painted white, surrounded with a balcony. It overlooks the town. Upon a
range with this building is another built upon the same plan. This is the
register of Deeds office and other Public offices. I examined the seat
of Mr. Black, agent for the Bingham purchase. He is an Englishman, therefore
his residence is somewhat like the seats of the Old English squires we
read of. The house is built of brick with wings upon each side. The ground
in front is laid out in the form of a horseshoe with circular lane leading
up to the house. It sits off from the road, and makes a pretty appearance
from the
road in riding by. As it was about dinner time I hastened home very
well satisfied with what I had seen.
Friday 31st. This morning we went to Mr. Blood’s and examined a daughter
of his. Was put to sleep, described her as having the spi-nal complaint.
Described the vertebrae, some of them as being dis-jointed. There was a
curve in the back bone, recommended a plaster of Burgundy Pitch to be put
on the small of back. Thought it would ease her, but thought she would
never get well. After examining this lady we got ready to go to Cherryfield.
We passed through Frank-lin, and through what is called Black’s Woods,
14 miles long and it was black enough and long enough. We arrive at Cherryfield
(after a cold ride) at 3 o’clock and put up at Burnahm’s House and got
ready for the evening . In coming in to the village there was a building
that attracted my attention. This building was in the form of an oc-tagon
with a cupola upon the top. It is called Harrison Hall. It was begun in
1840, built in shares at 20 dollars a share, but after the po-litical excitement
was over it was left shingled and boarded, and left until 1844 when it
was finished.
Saturday, February 1st. This day is sharp air. It stings anyone’s face.
There is an Irishman here by the name of Denis. He is just such an Irishman
as described by Charles Lever in Jack Hinton—Croos Carney. His face is
tied in a dozen knots and everything you ask him is answered with a snap.
There is only one man he is afraid of and that is the landlord. By a mistake
we misdated our bills, and there-fore our house was rather thinly attended
but we expect to do better tonight .
Sunday 2nd. This day I am writing letters home to my Friends at B______
so I stay away from meeting, purpose to write. I have ex-amined Mr. Sargent
and the Landlord. Pronounced Mr. Sargent as being dyspeptic. Thought dieting
would help him. Examined Mr. Sturges, said there was something the matter
with his leg. Said the circulation of the blood was partially stopped,
didn’t recommend anything. Said the Landlord had the Spinal Complaint,
recom-mended him to wear a wide flannel bandage on the small of his back.
Monday 3rd. This morning we started for Columbia and arrived at eleven
o’clock. Very poor traveling, most all bare ground. We ex-hibit here tonight
10 o’clock. Mr. Quimby is trying to magnetize a Miss Loring, a schoolmistress
here. He has succeeded partially. Since
we have been here he has operated upon the Landlord, Mr. W[ ] He has
the numb palsy in one side. He succeeded in making him walk, and thinks
he will make a cure.
Tuesday 4th. This is a fine day. The sun shines brightly. Today we
go to Machias, passed through Jonesburough, Whitneyville. In this village
there is a railroad. It extends to Machias Port, a dis-tance of eight miles.
This is constructed for the purpose of carry-ing lumber from the mills
to Machias Port. ‘Tis the last thing I should have thought of seeing. We
at length arrived at Machias. We have engaged the Court House for our experiments
and expect company. . . .
Wednesday 5th. During the night it has snowed so it makes the traveling
better, so we can get along quite well. Our notices were not very well
circulated, so we did not have a very full house last night but we expect
to do better tonight, at least I hope we shall. As I have nothing else
to write about, I will give a short history of the town. Machias was settled
by people from the town of Scarburough. It is an Indian name; it is called
by them Mechesis, thus the English cor-ruption of Mechias. Mechias, East
Machias and Machias Port were all originally all in one town but in 1835
it was divided. The prin-cipal business is lumbering. Since I have left
Elsworth, I have seen nothing but sawmills and timbers and pretty girls,
the first com-modity rather splintyer than the last.
Thursday 6th. This morning we started for East Machias, a dis-tance
of four miles from Machias. This is a very pretty village. I like it much
better than the other Machias. It is situated on both sides of East Machias
River. I have nothing more to write only there is
?a fellow just arrived from Thomaston.
Friday 7th. ‘Tis a cloudy day and every minute I expect it will snow.
Last night we had a very full house, quite a rarity, for we have not had
a full house since we left Elsworth. After leaving Elsworth I notice the
Churches are all built in the Gothic Style. So the first thing I see in
looking at a Church points and arches . In passing along the street yesterday
I heard an old crone singing. The voice sounded so harsh and unmusical
I involuntarily stopped and heard the fol-lowing ditty.
Come all you youths of high and low degree I pray you all come listen
unto me.
A very good story I will relate
Concerning of the matrimonial state.
The above was sung in a drawling manner, so as to fetch it in the tune.
This moment the old lady came at the door, so I had to dig.
Saturday 8th. Done better last night than we did the night before.
They seem better satisfied here than they were at Machias. All of them
seem to want to be examined. We have examined five invalids, more than
we ever examined in three days before. They want us to stop tonight so
Mr. Quimby has concluded to stop another night. Heigh ho I see all manner
of people, some with as unmeaning faces as a jackass. Mr. ______‘s face
looks like a monkey’s and his wife’s looks like an old hen’s. The girls
are fools. I have not seen but four sensible ladies in town, and those
were married.
Sunday 9th. Today is a beautiful day. Early this morning before we
were out of bed Mr. Abbott called and wanted us to call and ex-amine his
wife, so we went and examined her, and thus we have at it all day, examining
people. We have examined ten in the whole. We expected to go to Denysville
this afternoon but we have con-cluded to stop till tomorrow. Mr. Quimby
has partially magnetized a Miss Harmond that has been sick for thirteen
years. The Doctors did not know what the matter was with her, but thought
it was the Spinal complaint. He worked upon her a half an hour and succeeded
in relieving her pains so that she got up and walked about the room without
any assistance. He called on her again and magnetized some water and it
had the same effect as it did when he was working upon her .
Monday 10th. Considerable snow fell last night which makes it very
good sleighing. This morning we started for Denysville, passed through
a town called Marrion. This town consists of two taverns right in the woods.
There is no other houses in the town as I have been informed, and the sport
of it is they both pretend to be stage taverns. We arrived at Dennysville
[sic] at half past twelve, put up at a public house kept by Wilder, took
dinner and went and took a peep at the Schoolhouse, fixed our stage, trimmed
our lamps and waited for the shades of darkness. ‘nough said—Shake— Tuesday
11th. Our experiments were not very satisfactory owing
to the school room being small and densely crowded. Mr. Quimby has
performed a miracle here. He took a man that had a lame shoul-
der, it was partially out of joint—he worked upon it, and the man said
there was no pain in it. This astonished them. This afternoon the man went
about his work as well as ever. We also examined Mr. Wilder, the Landlord.
We started for Pembroke, a distance of six miles and arrived safe and sound
and put up at the Pembroke House. We saw Card from Belfast here. We have
the Schoolhouse to exhibit in, so I have to get it ready. Pembroke consists
of two vil-lages. One is called the Head of the tide, the other Salt Works,
a dis-tance of half a mile from each other.
Wednesday 12th. The experiments last night were very good . Last night
we took a man out of the audience (a perfect stranger to him) and effected
a cure on his arm. The man had not been able to raise it up for two years,
and in a few minutes he was able to raise his arm up to his head and moved
it round free from pain. This forenoon we started to go to Eastport. It
snows and blows, rains and hails as if all the elements were in war with
each other. After a cold ride we reached Eastport at twelve o’clock, wet
through to the skin. We put up at Brooks Hotel, a very, very nice house.
We exhibit in Trescoot Hall this evening, Wind and Weather permitting.
Mr. Quimby is ac-quainted with a Mr. Witheral who will use his influence
to aid us.
Thursday 13th. Our experiments were very satisfactory indeed, although
there was not so many in as we would have wished. However we shall try
our luck again tonight. Mr. Quimby had a let-ter of introduction from Dr.
Atkinson to Dr. Richardson, so there-fore he presented his letter and Dr.
Richardson took him to see a patient of his. The case was that of a Woman
who had fell down and injured the elbow joint so that she couldn’t move
it without ex-cruciating pain. He magnetized her and made her move her
arm about just as he pleased without any pain. This afternoon he went and
see a child that was very sensitive. He could paralyze his tongue and prevent
him from walking, stop him when and where he pleased. The boy was about
10 years old.
Friday 14th. Last night was the fullest house we have ever had. The
Hall was crowded, the experiments were very good. Mr. Quimby took that
same boy in the audience and stopped him from talking. I was taken to Havanna
by a Sea Captain and described the harbour right and the surrounding scenery.
We took 22 dollars last night. Today we go to Lubec by water, ‘tis three
miles across. We
have to go in an open boat. We reached Lubec about eleven. ‘Tis a dirty
looking place as I ever see, filled up with Irish principally. ‘Tis situated
by the side of a hill. We stop at Mr. Boyle’s, an old Irishman, a fine
old gentleman though. We have the Schoolhouse to exhibit in, and I hope
our experiments will be satisfactory.
Saturday 15th. Alas, all my expectations vanish in smoke. Our experiments
were interrupted by a lawless gang, who began to show their dispositions
even before we began to operate, but Mr. Quimby braved it out till 9 o’clock,
then he dismissed them. Immediately some of them began to cry out humbug!
Others swore they would have money back. Before Mr. Quimby began his operations,
they began to make some noise, and then he spoke and told them if there
was any person dissatisfied he would give them their money back but no
they was content to stay and then after the lecture was over demanded their
change. This Mr. Quimby wouldn’t give them. Some swore they would run us
on a rail, others swore they would take it out of our hides, and after
we went down to the house, some proposed to pull us out of the house. In
the morning we go back to Eastport and lecture there.
Sunday 16th. Saturday night the hail was crowded. There was three hundred
people in. Last night he took a Mr. Spencer and stopped him from talking
and walking. He then put me to sleep and while I was asleep I magnetized
this Mr. Spencer. This the au-dience . . . much. He operated upon a son
of Mr. Sherwood, the British Consul here. He stopped him while talking.
Today we go to Callais. Passed through Robinston, stopped and dined
there. Arrived at Callais at four, put up at the S. Croix Ex-change kept
by Vezia. Fine house. Sit round till bedtime, then go to bed. I must say
I am both tired and sleepy.
Monday 17th. Today is a fine day. Everything indicates a thaw. Today
we must fix up for the evening. I go out to buy some pants, got fitted
nicely. Saw Mr. Henderson from Belfast. Afternoon we had some private experiments.
At Mrs. Wood’s saw Mr. Charles Porter, originally from Belfast.
Tuesday 18th. Our experiments last night were very satisfactory. Everything
passed off as it should, but we had rather a thin house. We shall exhibit
once more tonight. Been out and bought a new novel by Ingraham, to while
away the time. This afternoon I passed
52 / Lucius C. BURKMAR’S PRIVATE JOURNAL
over on the English side to St. Stevens, the first time I ever set foot
on the queen’s land. I find by inquiry that there are a great many people
on the English side that take refuge there to get clear of the debts they
owe because the Sherriff can’t serve a writ there, and it’s just so on
the American side.
Wednesday 19th. Our exhibition last night was not very crowded, so
today we shall go to Militown. We find the aristocratic part of the community
had rather have private experiments, so they won’t turn out at public experiments.
At four o’clock we go to Milltown, get ready for the evening.
Ithe journal ends here]
Letters of Introduction
Carried by P. P. Quimby and Lucius Burkmar
Belfast, Nov. 6, 1843
Nathan Hale, Esq.
Doctor Jacob Bigelow
Dr. John Ware
Gentlemen:
I have no means of introduction to Mr. Hale and Dr. Bigelow ex-cepting
this, that thirty years ago I boarded with them at Miss Fes-senden’s in
Tremont Street.
The bearer of this, Mr. Phineas P. Quimby and the boy with him, Lucius
Burkmar, are both inhabitants of this town. I know noth-ing and never heard
anything to the prejudice of either of them. The boy is a subject of clairvoyance.
I have had some 10 or 12 interviews with him when he was put into a state
called mesmeric sleep. In four or five cases he failed entirely. In some
others he was partially suc-cessful. 3 or 4 times he came quite up to the
mark, and performed feats where there was no room for deception or mistake,
which really outstripped anything I ever heard of Indian or Egyptian jugglers.
He told me my own thoughts kept to myself. He told me words that I
imagined and did not make known in any way that I know of. He was blindfolded
and told me truly and minutely facts and ap-pearances at the distance of
say 1½ to 2 miles which I did not know and no one in the room with
him knew and which he could not know by any means within the limits of
common experience. I have good reason to believe that he can discern the
internal structure of an animal body and if there be anything morbid or
defective therein, detect and explain it.
The important advantage of this to surgery and medicine is ob-vious
enough. He, that is his intellect, can be in two places at the same time.
He can go from one point to another (no matter how re-mote) without passing
through the intermediate space.
I have ascertained by irrefragible experiments that he takes ideas,
first directly from the mind of the person in communication with him, and
secondly without reference to such mind directly from the object or thing
to which his attention is directed, and in both in-stances without any
aid from his five bodily senses.
He can perceive without using either of the common organs of perception.
His mind when he is mesmerized seems to have no re-lation to body, distance,
place, time, or motion. He passes from Bel-fast to Washington, or from
earth to moon, not as horses, steam engines, or light go, but swifter than
light, by a single act of volition.
In a word he strides far beyond the reach of philosophy. He demonstrates,
as I think, better than all physical, metaphysical or moral sciences the
immateriality of the human soul, and that its severance from the body involves
not its own destruction; at least he proves this of himself, and I suppose
other souls are like his.
I am aware that ultra savants in Europe turn up their noses and sneer
at this whole subject, so they did forty years ago at the steam engine.
But for all that mesmerism as manifested in this boy lets in more light
than any other window that has been opened for 1800 years. This may look
like gross extravagance, but if you have the same luck I have had you will
find it is not so. Lord Byron impi-ously demanded a second revelation,
and here it is!
If you please, try the boy and if need be three or four times. If successful
you will detect something not indeed miraculous but full of mystery.
I would not by any means be presumptuous or occasion trouble, but I
beg leave to say that it would afford me much gratification if you or either
of you would write to me by mail after full experiments and express your
opinion as to this boy.
Yours respectfully,
R. B. Allyn
Pembroke
Feb. 12, 1845
Dr. E. Richardson
Dear Sir:
This will introduce to your acquaintance Mr. P. P. Quimby of Belfast,
who is exhibiting to the public through his companion, Lu-cius, the powers
of mesmerism.
I have always been skeptical on this point and entered into the in-vestigation
with strong prejudices against the science, but I have been surprised,
if not convinced, with the experimentation. I have been put into communication
with Lucius and have been surprised at the accuracy of his thought reading.
I have also performed several small operations or feats on him and others
and have succeeded beyond my expectation or former belief.
Go and see for yourself, as I cannot describe the affair on paper.
As candid, intelligent men we ought to investigate before we approve or
condemn, and in order to do so, we must see them.
I write in great haste and hope you will be able to make this out.
Yours very respectfully,
B. Atkinson
Please show this to our friend, Dr. Whipper.
Saint Stephen [New Brunswick]
March 5, 1845
Mr. Thomas Jones, Esq.
Dear Sir:
A Mr. Quimby from Belfast, State of Maine, has a few days past been
exhibiting experiments in animal magnetism to crowded au-diences, to their
entire satisfaction.
His price is moderate and as he intends visiting your place, he has
desired me to give him a line to you and others of my friends by way of
introduction.
Please give him what assistance you conveniently can in getting an
audience and I think you will be pleased with the result of the
experiments he will exhibit. Any aid you may afford him in the way he
requires will be gratefully acknowledged by your obedient servant.
In haste
J. Burton Abbot
P.S. If I had time I would give you a full description of the experi-ments
he has successfully performed in this place, but I have not at present.
Belfast
Nov. 18, 1843
Hon. David Sears
Dear Sir:
The bearer, Mr. Phineas P. Quimby visits your city for the pur-pose
of exhibiting the astonishing mesmeric powers of his subject, Master Lucius
Burkmar. Mr. Quimby, as also the young man, are native citizens of this
place and sustain in the community un-blemished moral characters .
Mr. Quimby is not an educated man nor is he pretentious or ob-trusive;
but I think if you should take occasion to converse with him you will discover
many traces of deep thought and reflection, par-ticularly upon the subject
above mentioned.
His boy I think will demonstrate in an extraordinary manner, the phenomena
of magnetic influence, more especially in that depart-ment usually termed
clairvoyance; and should you take an oppor-tunity to be put in communication
with him, I doubt not you will be satisfied with the result.
Time and distance with him are annihilated and he travels with the
rapidity of thought. I think he will describe to you the appear-ance of
any edifice, tower or temple, and even that of any person either in Europe
or America, upon which or upon whom, your im-agination may rest. I say
this much from the fact that I have been in communication with him myself
and do know that he has described remote places and objects and even the
appearances of persons at great distances, which he never before could
have heard or thought of.
Mr . Quimby has letters to several distinguished gentlemen of your city
whose names he will probably mention, which has, in some degree, influenced
me to take the liberty to introduce him to your favorable notice. A greater
reason, however, upon this point, is my belief that you will take pleasure
in witnessing in this instance some remarkable developments of this mysterious
science.
I am dear sir, Your Obedient Servant James W. Webster
East Machias
Feb. 9, 1845
F. A. Pike Esq.
Calais, Maine
By Mr. Quimby
Dear Sir:
Permit me to introduce to you Mr. Quimby who has much in-terested us
in Mesmerism, and whom I consider an honest man.
His experiments with his amiable and honest Lucius are the most interesting
and convincing of any I have ever witnessed. I have at-tended three lectures
in public and several private examinations. I have been in communication
with Lucius while in a mesmeric state and am entirely certain of his thought
reading and have scarcely a doubt of his clairvoyance. What is most interesting
of all is the very perfect manner in which Lucius examines the internal
organization of diseased persons. He is very careful and conscientious
and I think may be relied on. He has examined several persons here, among
them Dr. Bates and Mrs. Abbot. I cannot describe these examina-tions but
they are very wonderful and surprised us all.
In conclusion I say, go to the lectures and carry your sick friends
to be examined or rather bring Lucius to them.
Please stir up the good people at your place.
Your friend,
Samuel Johnson
Lecture Notes
Phineas Parkhurst Quimby
[At first there was some disagreement among our group of editors about
whether these pieces were by Quimby. They are markedly different in form
and language from his later writings, especially the first part of them.
Why Horatio W. Dresser in The Quimby Man uscripts called them Lecture
Notes we don’t know. Perhaps he knew something from his father and mother
who were closely connected with Quimby. At least these writings are of
the time when Quimby and Lucius were ex-perimenting and lecturing. His
reading must have been extensive at this time for he quotes many authors.
He refers to Professor Thomas Cogswell Upham of Bowdoin College, a popular
author of the day. Because we have many of these old books that Quimby
refers to, we were able to check the references. Apparently he quotes these
other authors in order to show how he differs from them. His own experi-ments
taught him that there was no fluid, no electricity, etc., involved in mesmerism,
just the action of mind on mind. This is what he seems to be trying to
explain throughout these writings. The language is rather expansive and
flowery. One guess is that some scholarly mind tried to help him express
his ideas and became grandiose and verbose and succeeded more in demonstrating
“learned learnedness” than in expressing the main thrust of Quimby’s thought.
As the Lecture Notes continue, the language becomes less flowery and
poetic and more scientific and factual. Quimby dismisses the fluid theory
of the books and lays down the basic theory of the rest of his life’s work:
all action is the action of mind on mind. Also, here, as nowhere else in
his writings, he tells us how he works mentally and removes the mystery
and the “humbug.”
The thoughts contained in the Lecture Notes are very clearly those
of Quimby. However, the possibility that some hand other than his participated
in their written composition leads us to place them among the preliminary
material of this volume, and not in the main body of the articles considered
his “writings.”
There is only one complete copy of this writing, arranged in seven booklets.
The numbers such as 1:1:1 refer to the booklet and page numbers of the
material which follows the numbers, and the final number refers to the
frame number of the Boston University microfilm of the lecture notes.—Ed.]
BOOKLET I
PRIMARY TRUTHS
What are primary truths? According to Mr. Stewart, “They [1:1:1] are
such and such only, as can neither be proved nor re-futed by other propositions
of greater perspicuity. They are self-evident—not borrowing the powers
of reasoning to shed light upon themselves.”
We are naturally inclined to consider the reality of our personal existence.
That we exist is the great basis upon which we build every-thing. It is
the foundation of all knowledge. Without self-existence nothing could result
in the progress of the understanding. If any man questions the fact of
his own existence, that very process, by which he doubts, proves to a demonstration,
that an existing, doubting power must have been precedent, must have had
a creation. The first internal thought is immediately followed with an
undoubting con-viction of personal self-existence. It is a primary truth
in nature, and requires no further explanation.
PERSONAL IDENTITY [1:2:2]
Another primary truth is personal identity. This is the knowledge of
ourselves. The identifying of ourselves with our self-existence.
We know that we exist, and in that existence we recognize our per-sonality.
Man is composed of matter and mind, by some mysteri-ous combination united;
and we may divide our identity into mental and bodily.
Mental identity is the continuance and oneness of the thinking and
reasoning principle. It is not divisible in length, breadth and dimen-sions
composed of particles etc. like matter, nor does it change or cease to
exist. It remains as it was originally with all its eternal powers—its
eternal principles.
Bodily identity is the sameness of the bodily organization—the man in
figure, as we behold him with our natural eyes. The parti-cles of matter
of which the body is composed may change; but its shape and structure and
its physical creation are the same.
Professor Upham, in his work on Intellectual Philosophy in refer-ence
to this subject, uses the following language. “It was a saying of Seneca,
that no man bathes twice in the same river; and still we call it [1:3:3]
the same, although the water within its banks is con-stantly passing away.
And in like manner we identify the human body, although it constantly changes.”
Personal identity, then, comprehends the man as we behold him, in his
bodily and mental nature, mysteriously and wonderfully made!
The old soldier, who has fought the battles of his country in the days
of the American Revolution, will recount his deeds of valor and his heroic
sufferings to his youthful listeners, not doubting, that he is really the
same old soldier, who was in his country’s service some sixty years since.
The early settlers of our country, as they look abroad over the cultivated
plain, never doubt, that they are really the same individuals, who some
forty years [ago] felled the trees of the forest and turned the wilderness
into a fruitful garden!
So is man constituted, that his own identity is one of the first primary
truths. [1:4:4]
We are so constituted that we believe, or rather there seems to be
an authoritative principle within us of giving confidence or credence to
certain propositions and truths, which are presented to our minds. Among
the first things which the mind admits is that there is no be-ginning or
change without a cause, that nothing could not create something. When any
new principle is discovered, man immediately seeks out the cause, looks
for some moving power, as though it could not be self-creative and self-acting.
In contemplating the material universe, in beholding the beauti-ful
planetary system, the sun, the moon and the stars regulated and controlled
by undeviating laws, who does not say, these are the results of some mighty
creative intelligence! That the power of their existences and harmonious
motions was originated beyond them-selves. Thus it is that we attribute
to every effect a cause—to every result a motive power. [1:5:5]
Matter and mind have uniform, undeviating and fixed laws. And they are
always subject to and controlled by them. We are not to suppose otherwise,
unless we give up our belief that any object is governed or directed. Yet
we are not to suppose that the same laws apply both to matter and mind.
Each has its peculiar governing prin-ciple, and in as much as mind, in
its nature, deviates from matter, so may its laws deviate.
We all believe that the earth will continue to revolve on its axis
and perform its annual orbit around the sun, that summer and winter, seed-time
and harvest will continue to succeed each other, “that the decaying plants
of autumn will revive again in spring.”
This belief does not arise in the mind at once; but has its origin
now in one instance and then in another, until it becomes univer-sal. [1:6:6]
IMMATERIALITY OF THE SOUL
It is a conceded principle, that mind does not possess, or rather,
we fail to detect the same qualities in mind as in matter. No sect of philosophers,
I believe, have ever pretended that mind is distin-guished by extension,
divisibility, impenetrability, color etc., and therefore most have agreed
to use immateriality as applied to the soul, in distinction from materiality
as applied to the body, that the soul is destitute of those qualities which
appear in matter, having its own peculiar attributes, such as thought,
feeling, remembrance and passion.
The mind as it exists in man and develops itself through the bodily
organs, no doubt, has a close connection with matter, the physical system
and particularly the brain. Yet we are not to suppose that mind is dependent
for its existence upon the organs of the body, nor is it subject to the
control of matter, although influenced and im-pressed by it. Mind rather
exercises a direction to matter, produc-ing certain results. If mind was
any portion of the materiality of the body, a destruction of any portion
of this would destroy a portion of that. But this is not the fact. Individuals,
deprived of some of their limbs, do not exhibit any degree of loss of mind.
How often has it appeared far more active and energetic, in the last moments
of dissolving nature, than when the physical powers were in full health
and vigor. Men, upon the battlefield, mutilated and wounded
and suffering the intensest pain, have displayed, amid all this dis-aster
of the body, the highest powers of intellectual action. So that, although
mind to us appears at first view to have an inseparable con-nection with
the body, yet, for its energies, its full unqualified powers of action
does not rely upon bodily health and vigor. [1:7:71
The works of genius, as displayed in the various branches of science,
literature and law, bear the character of a higher order of creation than
matter. Memory and imagination do not appear to have resulted from ponderous
substances. The powers of Judgment and Reasoning must have originated in
something higher and no-bler than divisible bodies. To what cause can you
attribute the ori-gin and perfection of the demonstrations of Euclid? What
constituted the authorship of the wise laws of Solon and the polit-ical
institutions of Lycurgus and those of modern Europe and the greatest concentration
of wisdom ever embodied into one human work—I mean the American Constitution?
What gave almost in-tellectual inspiration to the Iliad and Oddessa [sic]
. What gave birth to the wonderful productions of Tasso and Spencer and
Milton? Where shall we look for the origin of the Philippics of the Ancients,
or in more modern days, for the [1:8:8] speeches of a Fox and the Orations
of a Webster?
Where human genius has wrought its highest triumphs and achieved transcendent
greatness, who can say, its creative cause, its fountain light is in powerless
and inert matter! To ascribe the qual-ities of matter to the soul would
erase forever the idea of a future and eternal existence. But we have no
direct evidence of the soul’s dissolution and discontinuance at death.
The death of the body is only the removal of the soul’s sphere of action
from our natural view, and no doubt gives a larger world of Spiritual action
in its new destination. And have we not every reason to suppose that the
soul will exist after the dissolution of the body? “Death,” in the language
of Dr. [Dugoldl Stewart, “only lifts the veil, which conceals from our
eyes the invisible world. It annihilates the material universe to our senses,
and prepares our minds for some new and unknown state of being.” [1:9:91
We have already stated that belief is a simple state of the mind and
consequently cannot be made plainer by any process of reasoning .
It is always the same in its nature although it admits of different
degrees, which we express in the language of presumption, proba-bility
and certainty, etc.
It is on the principle of belief that the mind is operated upon in
the various exhibitions of its power. For, without confidence, what can
we accomplish? Without a belief in our ability to accomplish, what would
be the result? It is a principle which comes into every department of reasoning;
and testimony is only so operative upon the mind as it affects our belief.
THE SOUL
Those, who style themselves philosophers and have written upon the subject
of the mind, have always considered the soul as constitut-ing a nature
which is one and indivisible; yet for the purpose of more fully understanding
its various stages of action, they have given it three parts or views,
in which it may be contemplated expressed in the Intellect, Sensibilities
and the Will [or] Intellectual, sensitive and the voluntary states of the
mind. [1:10:10]
We find, in different languages, terms expressive of these three states.
Different authors, in works not written expressly upon the subject of the
mind, have adopted these modes of expressing its action .
The popular author of “Literary Hours” has given in one of his works
an interesting biographical sketch of Sir Robert Steele. Af-ter referring
to his repeated seasons of riot and revelry, of his de-terminations and
repentances etc., he thus describes him. “His misfortune, the cause of
all his errors, was not to have clearly seen where his deficiencies lay;
they were neither of the head nor of the heart, but of the volition. He
possessed the wish but not the power of volition to carry his purposes
into execution.”
It has been remarked of Burns, that the force of that remarkable poet
lay in the power of his understanding and the sensibilities of his heart.
Dr. Currie in his life of Burns makes use of the follow-ing language. “He
knew his own failings and predicted their con-sequences; these melancholy
forebodings were not long absent from
his mind; yet his passions carried him down the stream of error and
swept him over the precipice he saw directly in his course. The fa-tal
defect of his character lay in the comparative weakness of his vo-lition,
which governing the conduct according to the dictates of the understanding
entitles it to be denominated rational.” [1:11:111
Professor Upham, in his philosophy informs us of a celebrated writer,
who in giving directions to his son as to the manner of con-ducting with
foreign ministers, uses the following language. “If you engage his heart,
you have a fair chance of imposing upon his un-derstanding and determining
his will.” Shakespeare, the great philosopher of the human understanding,
says in the second scene of Hamlet,
It shows a will most incorrect to heaven, A heart unfortified, An understanding
simple and unschooled.
BOOKLET I (CONTINUED)
ORIGIN OF KNOWLEDGE
The daily observation of every individual will result in the belief
of different states of the mind. We often speak of the natural oper-ations
of the mind, its natural state etc., which is only that condi-tion or standard
nearest which a great majority of minds have resemblance. We also speak
of the excited condition, the excited and deranged state. It is said with
much truth, that every man is blest with some peculiarities entirely his
own, that no two men are pre-cisely alike in all respects. Now as we deviate
from the great stan-dard or natural state, mind becomes excited or morbid
and insane. And all these different states or different temperatures of
the mind are produced from strong impressions, made under peculiar circum-stances.
We are susceptible of sensations, governed and controlled by them under
all circumstances. These direct all our conduct throughtout the whole life.
The life of man is a succession of sen-sations or impressions which induce
him to act in one capacity or another. His capabilities are enlarged, as
these impressions are
numerous and powerful, or limited, as they are rare and light. All great
minds are susceptible to the highest degree. His mind is most powerful
and gigantic whose impressions are stamped upon the in-tellect [1:13:131
with an indelible mark. This fact resolves the mys-tery of memory and explains
the system of reasoning. We are the receptacles of successive impressions.
Every step the mind takes in its progress of thought is marked with a new
impression. Every be-ginning, every progress and every conclusion results
in a new impression .
It is a very natural question among students to enquire, how the mind
acquires knowledge from external objects. We will illustrate the process
in this manner. An object is presented through the senses and the mind
perceives, then is immediately impressed with the idea of that object,
or receives the impression which the presentation of the object makes.
This is the starting point and the mind immedi-ately desires to possess
or reject the same according to the charac-ter of the impression, or, at
least, to know what constitutes the object. Now as the mind in this case
is dependent upon the senses to convey a knowledge of the object to itself,
or rather to place it-self in immediate communication with the object,
its attention and action is solely directed by the impression received.
To an untaught or unlearned mind the presentation of an object would leave
an im-pression but it is possible that action would here cease, unless
it should receive other impressions than that merely [1:14:14] of the object.
But present the same object to a well-trained mind, and it gives an impression
which is immediately followed by a successive train of impressions and
ideas, giving rise to innumerable subjects of thought and contemplation.
But, to the untaught mind, present a second object and a second impression
is communicated, which is immediately followed by the first. Then comes
a comparison or an impression of the difference of the two. And so a succession
of objects presented, multiplies the number of impressions which fol-low,
in a ten fold ratio. The principle of association, which is a suc-cessive
train of impressions, is set in operation and keeps the mind ever on the
stretch.
Thus the mind goes on its voyage of successive thoughts, arising from
the presentation of one object or from some strong impres-sion produced
in some manner, through the organs of sense. Lan-guage is the expression
of ideas or impressions and this is perhaps
the great source by which mind communicates with mind through the sense
of hearing. The conversation among our friends is the method, by language,
of expressing ideas or impressions which produce similar ideas and impressions
upon those to whom the con-versation is directed. If you describe a scene
you have witnessed in some distant country, giving different lights [1:15:15]
and shades as the impressions follow each other on your mind, bringing
before another individual one grand view of the whole transaction, you
give rise to impressions in the mind of your listener, which upon the prin-ciple
of association, carries him back to a hundred different scenes of a similar
character with each of which are associated ten thou-sand impressions,
which are similar to those communicated at the place of transaction. Two
men pass an old castle. Each receives an impression from the presentation
of the object. It will remind one of some old ruins of a castle which he
saw a thousand miles distant, and whatever transpired or what he witnessed
at the time he saw it. The other perhaps will be reminded of some legend
or old story which he read in his boyish days where lords and knights and
ladies were made its inhabitants and visitors, about which are associated
the days of chivalry and love. How differently are these two in-dividuals
affected by the appearance of the old castle. Each mind receives the starting
point from the same source and then arise all these impressions entirely
different in their course, yet equally rapid in their succession. A succession
of ideas arises according to the previous acquisitions of each mind and
these diverging trains are pursued until another subject presents itself
which breaks up this course of thought. Then [1:16:16] mind takes a different
route and receives its new train of ideas or impressions. Here, too, it
pursues its course, nor does it cease its wanderings until it receives
a stronger impression from some other external object. It then sets off
again in another direction and passes rapidly over a numerous train of
ideas, succeeding each other on the principle of association.
I will illustrate the manner of acquiring the first impression by presenting
an apple. It appears to the mind or rather the mind per-ceives it to be
a substance, then of spherical dimensions. Here are two impressions given.
If I exercise the sense of touch I shall learn the same facts. It feels
round like itself. I convey another impres-sion by the sense of smell.
I taste of it, and here is a third impres-sion. As the sight, feeling,
smell and taste of the object affects me
pleasantly or unpleasantly, I am impressed to take or reject the fruit.
These are the means by which we acquire knowledge. Not in so rapid a succession
as I have described, because, before we can pronounce the character of
any object, we must have learned a language and the different modes of
expressing its appearance to those who un-derstand the language we employ.
Thus it is by testimony we receive much of our information. At first,
it is difficult to believe what we are not accustomed to witness [1:17:171
ourselves. Yet as the mind becomes enlightened and un-derstands the principle
upon which it is received, it yields its confi-dence and adopts this method
of obtaining knowledge. An individual, who should be told that upon some
parts of our globe constant night prevails for a certain number of months,
and upon some other parts of the same globe constant day reigns for the
same length of time, would not be very likely to believe it, unless such
an anomaly could be explained upon principles which would carry con-viction,
by a comparison of all the knowledge he possesses upon the subject. Thus
it is that mind is set in motion by the presentation of external objects.
Before it is thus moved, it is a mere blank, possess-ing certain inherent
powers which will only exhibit themselves by the exercise of some moving
power. “The mind,” says Professor Up-ham, in his work on Mental Philosophy,
“appears at its creation to be merely an existence, involving certain principles
and endowed with certain powers, but dependent for the first and original
develop-ment of those principles and the exercise of those powers on the
con-dition of an outward impression. But after it has been once brought
into action, it finds new sources of thought and feeling in itself.”
Having, therefore, all these inherent powers to acquire its knowledge
is in proportion to the impressions [1:18:181 it has received from external
objects and internal operations. If you present a subject of conversation
to a well trained mind, stored with impressions or knowledge, you have
started a point which sets in motion the whole ocean of mind, educated
from the past, and leads to endless discussions. But should you present
the same topic to an untaught or partially-disciplined mind, you would
start the current of thought, it is true, but that current would soon cease,
or rather could not be very extended because the subjects of thought or
the whole amount of knowledge possessed by the individual is limited.
I have spoken of the natural mind and the way of acquiring knowledge
through the bodily senses only. But there are other means of communication
by which impressions are conveyed to the mind.
If the spiritual being be independent of matter, why cannot we communicate
with it without the aid of the bodily senses? It is to this subject I would
now call your attention. The mind itself obeys the laws which its Creator
first laid down, and we are not to sup-pose any strange anomaly in its
outward exhibitions is contrary to the original design. The great Law-giver
possesses all wisdom and is the fountain-head of all perfection. The mind
is not a creative ex-periment of his, himself being [1:19:19] ignorant
of what results will follow. If these strange phenomena of the mind, which
are exhibited in the different states of excitement, are exceptions to
the common rule, we must attribute to the Great Mind imperfection and human-ity
or a direct interposition to stay the great laws which were first given
to suppress and bewilder ignorant and dependent man. But to my mind, it
does not appear consistent with the wisdom of God that so extended an interference
would be personally made to coun-teract first principles which are displayed
in this age of mesmeric light. It must be that all these strange appearances
are reconcilable with eternal laws. And we are to look to these alone for
a proba-ble and clear solution. The same laws govern the mind, when in
its natural state and susceptible of impressions through the five senses
as when in its excited and unnatural condition or under the influence of
Neuaric[?], Phrenomagnetic, Mesmeric or Somnambulic in-fluence. The only
difference is this, in the method of conveying im-pressions to the mind.
Give the impression, whether through the senses or otherwise, and the same
correspondent results follow. If I make an impression upon the mind of
a beautiful landscape by pointing it out to the natural eye, it is the
same as though I made the same impression upon that mind [1:20:20] while
in an excited or mesmeric state. The view is real and pleasing in one case
as in the other, to the mind that beholds it. It is as much an existence
before the mind, when the impression without the material object is made,
as when the impression with a presentation of the real landscape to the
natural eye is given.
We shall here give a brief outline of what appears to be the con-dition
of mind when in an excited or mesmeric state. Susceptibility
is in its highest state of action and the operator seems to control
the direction of thought if he chooses or can so impress the mind with
influences as to govern its action in a measure. This point is no doubt
gained by some powerful impression produced by the operator upon the mind
of the subject. This condition can be produced by other influences than
an individual mind. A fright by suddenly coming upon some external object
will often produce a similar state of mind. Intense thought and excruciating
pains produce this excited state and some times sets the mind in action,
when it is enabled to exhibit the same phenomena as when induced by an
individual operator. We shall have occasion in the progress of our work
to refer to cases which arise from unknown impressions upon the mind, producing
hallucination, insanity, dreaming, somnambulism, spectral illusions etc.
[1:21:21]
This excited state of the mind, called by some, the magnetic, mes-meric
and congestive is no doubt produced by a powerful impres-sion of the operator
upon the mind of the subject, concentrating or drawing the whole attention
to one influence. No set rules can be given by which this influence can
be exercised because the same ef-forts will produce different results upon
different minds; yet no doubt every mind has its portal of access and could
we know where that is, or the way and manner of approaching it, we could
produce impressions so powerful upon every mind as to subdue the action
of the bodily senses and communicate directly with it. The doctrine, therefore,
of powerful “magnetizers” (as they call themselves) that only a more powerful
capacity or higher order of intellectual vigor can subdue a weaker mind
and produce the excited or mesmeric state is idle as the wind. These higher
orders of intellects with strong sen-sibilities are more capable of being
brought to the contemplation of one individual subject and receiving the
most powerful impressions, if you can discover the accessible road to their
sensibilities. If you can produce an impression upon such a mind as will
overcome all his prejudices towards you or your science and acquire his
undivided confidence, you will then excite the mind into this spiritual
state of action [1:22:22] and he will readily read your own thoughts. Indeed
I have been led to the conclusion that the highest powers of genius have
been the results of excited minds, upon the principles I have
laid down, and that they are but the inspiration of this spiritual ac-tion.
What is it that contributes so much to distinguish Homer and Demosthenes,
Virgil and Cicero, Milton, Tasso, Shakespeare and the whole host of great
men who lived in ancient and modern times! It must have been this excited
state during which poetry and elo-quence and the highest achievements of
mind were left, as lights of their genius, to live through all coming time.
Eloquence, which holds the multitude in breathless silence or sways them
hither and thither, produces the controlling impression upon each mind
which in its turn impresses and influences the other exciting a low degree
of the mesmeric state. It is, in fact, a principle by which we are all
more or less governed in all our pursuits.
The high degree of excitement, called clairvoyant, gives the mind freedom
of action, placing it in close contact with every thing. There is nothing
remote or distant, past or future; everything is present and discoverable.
It only requires direction, and the subject is before it.
[1:23:23]
It is enabled to discover and describe countries and cities, moun-tains
and plains, rivers and oceans, inhabitants and animals on dis-tant parts
of the globe. The mind will pass into the depths of the earth or rather
looks through all matter, all space and all time, giving its character,
its condition and its result. Call its attention to any sub-ject however
remote and it is present to the mind. These ideas, I have thrown out in
relation to mind in its highest state of excitement, are not the result
of a vivid imagination or the productions of a speculat-ing mind, but the
effect of experiments, repeated at different times and on various occasions.
They are facts, which stand out beyond all contradiction—all cavil! And
we are not to pass them as a freak of nature or as the result of contradictory
laws. It must be the highest state of action to which the mind has arrived,
giving tes-timony of the great powers with which it is created, yet controlled
by its natural laws. We must not, therefore, account for this won-derful
development upon the supposition of exceptions to general rules, but upon
the continuation of great and undeviating principles.
BOOKLET II
THE DIFFERENT DEGREES OF EXCITEMENT OF MIND,
TAKEN UP IN THEIR ORDER AND DISCUSSED
1st. Dreams and Their Causes
The peculiar state of the mind usually called dreaming is explaina-ble
upon the principles laid down in our premises, namely, that im-pressions
are conveyed to the mind by some other process than through our bodily
senses. We may fall to sleep under a deep im-pression of some transaction
which has actually occurred, and the mind, having long been under the most
powerful action of thought in connection with the transaction, will yield
up the access through its natural body and receive its impressions directly
upon itself. In other words, the mind becomes in a degree mesmerized and
is then capable of producing all the phenomena for both in dreaming, which
it would, if it were actually thrown into that state by an individual second
power. The principle of association or impression succeed-ing impression
by which the mind is controlled, both in its natural and excited state,
is the law, which always governs. The mind always acts from impressions
received when it acts at all; and, when in this state, is not regulated
exclusively by surrounding objects because it is as susceptible of impressions
from objects at a vast distance as those immediately around it. For time,
space, distance and matter are no [2:2:33] impediments to its action. Give
it direction towards any subject, and everything connected with it is present.
The dream-ing state does not differ from the mesmeric, only as it is produced
by another method than what is commonly called magnetic.
We submit, therefore, the following accounts of individuals of what
actually passed in their minds, taken from different authors, together
with the usual explanations, and shall endeavor to account for them upon
such principles as we believe to govern mind.
Dr. Abercrombie, who has philosophized much upon mind relates to us
many interesting anecdotes which he had accumulated from observation and
by the assistance of his friends.
An instance is mentioned of a gentleman and his wife, who were actually
dreaming upon the same subject at the same time, in the following language.
“It happened at the period, when there was an alarm of French invasion,
and almost every man in Edinburgh was a soldier. All things had been arranged
upon the expectation of the
landing of the enemy, the first notice of which was to be given by a
gun from the castle, and this was to be followed by a chain of sig-nals
calculated to alarm the country in all directions. Further, there had been
recently in Edinburgh a splendid military spectacle in which five thousand
men had been drawn up in Prince’s Street, fronting the castle. The gentleman,
to whom the dream [2:3:34] occurred and who had been a zealous volunteer,
was in bed between two and three o’clock in the morning when he dreamed
of hearing the signal gun. He was immediately at the castle, witnessed
the proceedings for dis-playing the signals and saw and heard a great bustle
over the town from troops and artillery assembling in Prince’s Street.
At this time he was roused by his wife, who awoke in a fright in consequence
of a similar dream connected with much noise and the landing of the enemy
and concluding with the death of a particular friend of her husband’s,
who had served with him as a volunteer during the war.”
The Dr. attributed all this remarkable occurrence to a noise produced
in the room above by the fall of a pair of tongs which had been left in
an awkward position etc. But how it should happen, that the tongs should
have produced similar trains of thought in two different individuals by
the noise of a fall is more than I can understand .
One would suppose that the noise would have been conveyed to the mind
by the bodily senses, giving a true impression of its ori-gin or at least
would not have resulted in impressions so foreign to the real cause. The
true explanation seems to be this. Both minds, no doubt, passed into the
sleeping state, partially excited upon the alarm of the French invasion
etc. and were in the mesmeric sleep and in communication with each other,
capable [2:4:35] of giving and receiving impressions. The fall of the tongs
might have affected the mind of one or both. It would not be necessary
to affect more than one. The train of association is started in this highly
excited state by an impression which could not have been given through
the bodily senses. The impression received is immediately followed by other
impressions connected with the subject upon which the mind was most intent
during the waking state. And being in communi-cation with the other, conveyed
similar impressions. Thus both minds were led along in mutual connection,
receiving real impres-sions but arising from (as we would say in the waking
state) false causes .
Another instance is mentioned in which dreams are produced by whispering
in their ears. The particulars of one case are given in the papers of Dr.
Gregory and were related to him by a gentleman who witnessed them. The
subject was an officer in the expedition to Louisburg in 1758 and while
in this state was a great source of amusement to his associates and friends.
“They could produce in him any kind of a dream by whispering in his ear,
especially if this was done by a friend with whose voice he was familiar.
At one time they conducted him through the whole progress of a quarrel
which ended in a duel; and when the parties were supposed to be met, a
pistol [2:5:36] was placed in his hand, which he fired and was awakened
by the report. On another occasion they found him asleep on the top of
a locker or bunker in the cabin where they made him believe he had fallen
overboard and exhorted him to save himself by swimming. He immediately
imitated all the motions of swim-ming. They then told him that a shark
was pursuing him and en-treated him to dive for his life. He instantly
did so, with so much force, as to throw himself entirely from the lockers
upon the cabin floor, by which he was much bruised and awakened of course.
After the landing of the army at Louisburg, his friends found him one day
asleep in his tent, evidently much annoyed by the cannonading. They then
made him believe, that he was engaged when he expressed much fear and showed
an evident disposition to run away. Against this they remonstrated, but
at the same time increased his fears by im-itating the groans of the wounded
and dying; when he asked, as he often did, who was down, they named his
particular friends. At last they told him that the man next [to] himself
in the line had fallen, when he instantly sprang from his bed, rushed out
of the tent and was roused from his danger and his dream together by falling
over the tent ropes.”
[2:6:37] Upon being aroused, he could not recollect anything which
had transpired and had only a confused feeling of fatigue.” [No opening
quotation marks.—Ed.]
We can account for these experiments only upon the excited state of
the mind being capable of receiving impressions from another source than
through the senses. The whispering in the ear was only whispering to the
mind, the sense of hearing being, no doubt, in-active, and all the impressions
of the quarrel were actually produced
upon his mind and not through the sense of hearing by the direc-tion
of those around him. In the case of swimming, a strong impres-sion of a
shark was made upon his mind and in the excited state it appeared real—was
actually seen as much [such?] as though every circumstance had transpired
as it appeared in the natural state; and all these impressions were the
result of mind acting upon mind— impressions conveyed by the minds of those
around him, directly to his mind, making precisely the same result, as
though he had in his waking state fallen overboard and was pursued by a
shark.
In this excited state of the mind, called by philosophical writers
the dreaming, every act of the past may be called up by some direct-ing
power or by successive impressions. Dr. Abercrombie has related some incidents
among his acquaintances [2:7:38] which will illustrate this principle.
“The gentleman who was the subject was at the time connected with one of
the principal banks in Glasgow and was at his place at the teller’s table,
where money is paid, when a person entered demanding payment of a sum of
six pounds. There were several people waiting, who were, in turn, entitled
to be attended before him; but, he was extremely impatient and rather noisy;
and, being besides a remarkable stammerer, he became so annoying that another
gentleman requested my friend to pay him his money and get rid of him.
He did so, accordingly, but with an expression of im-patience at being
obliged to attend to him before his turn, and thought no more of the transaction.
At the end of the year, which was eight or nine months after, the books
of the Bank could not be made to balance, the deficiency being exactly
six pounds. Several days and nights were spent in endeavoring to discover
the error but without success, when at last my friend returned home much
fa-tigued and went to bed. He dreamed of being at his place in the bank,
and the whole transaction with the stammerer, as now detailed, passed before
him in all its particulars. He awoke under a full impression that the dream
was to lead him to a discovery of what he was anxiously in search of [2:8:39]
and soon discovered, that the sum paid to this person in the manner now
mentioned had been neglected to be inserted in the book of interests, and
that it ex-actly accounted for the error in the balance.” The Dr. acknowledges
this to be a very remarkable case and not to be explained upon any principles
with which he is acquainted. All the rules by which
philosophers have accounted for experiments as wonderful as this, here
fail him. Had he witnessed the experiments which have been given by subjects
under the excited or mesmeric state, he could have accounted for the mystery.
In this state, the mind may be said to be before a map on which is written
the past, present and the future—only needs direction to some definite
point to disclose every act of our lives. The error in the books had been
a constant cause of excitement and his mind had been so highly wrought
up as to pass into the mesmeric state and under the impression of discovering
the error. All the transactions during the past year were before him with
the books and he was thus enabled to detect the error. This no doubt was
a species of the clairvoyant state of mind.
The author of Waverly [novels by Sir Walter Scott] has given an interesting
anecdote, considered by him authentic. “Mr. R. of Bowland, a gentleman
of landed property in the Vale of Gala, was prosecuted for a considerable
sum, the accumulated arrears of teind [2:9:40] (or tithe) for which he
was said to be indebted to a noble family, the titulars (lay impropriators
of the tithes). Mr. R. was strongly impressed with the belief that his
father had, by a form of process peculiar to the laws of Scotland, purchased
these lands from the titular, and therefore, that the present prosecution
was ground-less. But, after an industrious investigation of the public
records and a careful enquiry among all persons who had transacted law
busi-ness for his father, no evidence could be recovered to support his
defense. The period was now near at hand when he conceived the loss of
his lawsuit to be inevitable, and he had formed his determi-nation to ride
to Edinburgh the next day and make the best bargain he could in the way
of compromise. He went to bed with this reso-lution and, with all the circumstances
of the case floating in his mind, had a dream to the following purpose.
His father who had been dead many years appeared to him, he thought, and
asked him, why he was disturbed in his mind. In dreams men are not surprised
at such apparitions. Mr. R. thought that he informed his father of the
cause of his distress, adding that the payment of a considera-ble sum of
money was the more unpleasant to him because he had a strong consciousness
that it was not due, though he was unable to recover any evidence in support
of his belief. ‘You are right my son,’ replied the paternal shade. ‘I did
acquire right in these teinds,
for payment of which you are [2:10:41] now prosecuted. The papers relating
to the transaction are in the hands of Mr. ______, a writer (or attorney),
who is now retired from professional business and re-sides at Inveresk,
near Edinburgh. He was a person whom I em-ployed on that occasion for a
particular reason, but who never on any other occasion transacted business
on my account. It is very pos-sible,’ pursued the vision, ‘that Mr. ______
may have forgotten a matter which is now of a very old date; but you may
call it to his recollection by this token, that when I came to pay his
account, there was difficulty in getting change for a Portugal piece of
gold and that we were forced to drink out the balance at a tavern!’ Mr.
R. awoke in the morning, with all the words of his vision imprinted on
his mind, and thought it worth while to ride across the country to In-veresk,
instead of going straight to Edinburgh. When he came there, he waited upon
the gentleman mentioned in the dream, a very old man; without saying anything
of the vision, he enquired whether he remembered having conducted such
a matter for his deceased father. The old gentleman could not at first
bring the circumstance to recollection; but on mention of the Portugal
piece of gold, the whole returned upon his memory; he made an immediate
search for the papers and recovered them—so that Mr. R. carried [2:11:42]
to Edinburgh the documents necessary to gain the cause, which he was on
the verge of losing.”
This incident was explained by Dr. Abercrombie that the son, no doubt,
had heard his father relate all these circumstances at some prior time
and that he had entirely forgotten them, but that the anxiety of mind upon
the subject produced in the dreaming state, some circumstance, which led
to discovery of what his father had previously told him. This may be a
satisfactory explanation to those who believe it, yet I apprehend all would
not be fully satisfied. This we believe might have occurred in this manner.
The mind had be-come extremely excited, in the waking or natural state,
upon the sub-ject of the lawsuit and as sleep insensibly came upon him,
the mind immediately passed into the excited or mesmeric state, when it
would be enabled to recall the past and ascertain all about the facts from
communication with the mind of the Attorney at Inveresk or from actually
beholding the papers etc. Even this explanation, to me, is not satisfactory,
although I have no doubt of the capabilities of the
mind to have discovered it upon the principle above; yet why should
we not admit the real appearance of his father’s spirit and that a communication
of “mind with mind” developed the facts as related. I will simply remark
here that there is no question of the fact that individuals under this
[2:12:43] highly excited state of mind may communicate with the spirits
of their deceased friends. We shall re-late some experiments which have
transpired, proving conclusively this spiritual communication in another
part of this work.
We find recorded in some work on mental philosophy, the fol-lowing
anecdotes. “A gentleman of the law in Edinburgh had mis-laid an important
paper relating to some affairs on which a public meeting was soon to be
held. He had been making a most anxious search for it for many days; but
the evening of the day preceding that on which the meeting was to be held
had arrived, without his being able to discover it. He went to bed under
great anxiety and disappointment and dreamed that the paper was in a box,
appropri-ated to the papers of a particular family with which it was in
no way connected; it was accordingly found there the next morning. Another
individual, connected with a public office, had mislaid a paper of such
importance that he was threatened with the loss of his situation if he
did not produce it. After a long and unsuccessful search, under intense
anxiety, he also dreamed of discovering the paper in a particular place,
and found it there accordingly.”
The minds of these two individuals no doubt passed into the clair~.
voyant state, when they were able to behold with the mind’s eye, the condition
and position of the various papers. And so intent was their [2:13:44] mind
upon the discovery, or the joy which followed the discovery in the mind
produced so strong an impression, as to be recollected after the mind was
aroused from the dreaming state, which is not uncommon under certain circumstances.
We will remark here that no doubt the mind is in active opera-tion
during our sleeping hours and passes rapidly along the highway of thought,
yet is not conscious of it by us in our waking state. Nor is this position
contradicted by the fact that we do occasionally recollect our dreams.
We seldom have any recollection of our dreams unless some very striking
impression which causes pleasing emotions or startling fear or excessive
sorrow is left upon the mind. And however much the mind might think while
the bodily senses are
wrapped in slumber, we should have no cognizance of such thoughts unless
something peculiar and effective should occur. In our wak-ing moments as
we pass along our streets, we seldom notice objects which are common and
in their place; but if anything new is in-troduced and strikes us with
emotions of pleasure or pain, we no-tice and recall it at some future time.
In passing familiar objects, the mind, no doubt, recognizes them; but the
impressions are slight and other immediate objects occupy our attention,
and we are not aware that we have passed them, yet we could not argue that
we have not passed them because they did not make strong impressions, so
as to be recollected; nor can we reject the doctrine that the mind is ever
watchful and never slumbers; but even when our bodily senses are at rest,
it goes on in thought recollecting only what [2—14:45] is most striking
and peculiar in its progress. But we know [?] upon the ceaseless and constant
action of the mind, when the bodily senses are at rest, by the excited
or mesmerized condition which is (if you please) the dreaming state. The
subject seldom recollects what has transpired during his sleeping state,
unless you produce a very powerful impression which is followed by the
emotion of pleasure or pain to a very high degree. Then it is enabled to
recall what was intimately connected with those emotions, and those only.
I have no doubt, that the two cases of dreaming and mesmerizing are con-trolled
by similar laws and that they are alike in constantly occupying the mind,
although we recollect only those ideas which are most powerfully presented
and which appear to be connected with some strong emotion.
We have witnessed a great number of experiments upon subjects
.in the excited or mesmeric state which demonstrate what I have ad-vanced
in regard to impressions. Every subject can be so powerfully impressed
as to recall the thought in his waking moments while of ordinary transactions
no idea is retained. These experiments prove both the similarity of states
of mind in the dreaming and mesmeric; and also, that our powers of mind
are never at rest.
Mr. Combe mentions a singular dream of an individual, that he had committed
murder, and that the murder was actually commit-ted two years after. Another
case of a clergyman who visited Edin-burgh, residing not far from that
city, and while sleeping at an inn, dreamed that he saw his own dwelling
on fire and his child in the
past or present and probably would not be remembered unless con-nected
with some powerful emotion. The committal of murder in one case produced
a most powerful impression upon the mind of the actor and was therefore
recollected in his waking moments . The burning of the house, in which
those most dear to the clergyman and the imminent danger of his child,
no doubt summoned up all the emotions of the heart and left an impression
which confirmed his belief that the scene of the dream was actually taking
place. Simi-lar experiments have been witnessed in the declarations of
mesmeric subjects, and scenes which transpired weeks and months and years
after were beheld with all the vividness and reality as though they were
the events of yesterday. [2:17:48]
We have collected a few more facts, illustrative of the power of the
mind under excitement, dreaming and mesmerism. .
A gentleman in Scotland was affected with aneurism of the popliteal
artery and was under the care of two eminent surgeons and the day was fixed
for operation. About two days previous to the time set by the surgeons,
his wife dreamed that a change had taken place in the disease, in consequence
of which the operation would not be required. Upon examination of the tumor,
the next morning it was found that the pulsation had nearly ceased and
it finally recovered itself. A lady dreamed that an aged female friend
of hers had been murdered by a dark servant and the dream occurred more
than once. The impression was so strange that she actually went to the
house of the lady, to whom it related and prevailed upon a gentleman to
watch in the adjoining room the following night. About 3 o’clock in the
morning footsteps were heard on the stairs and the gentleman left his place
of concealment and met the servant carrying up a basket of coal in which
a strong knife was found concealed. Being questioned as to where he was
going with his coal he replied in a con-fused manner, to mend his mistress’
fire, which was not very prob-able in the month of July and at three o’clock
in the morning.
Another lady dreamed that her nephew was drowned with some young companions
with whom he had engaged to sail the follow-ing day, and the impression
was so strong that she prevailed upon him not to join his companions, who
went on the excursion and were all drowned. A lady, who had sent her watch
to be repaired and a long time having [2:18:49] elapsed without its return,
she dreamed
excited state readily receive impressions from false causes. But we
do not design here to say how this train of thought originated but probably
from strong mental excitement in his waking moments, leading to the train
which occurred in his dream. There can be no question but that one mind
here was governed by the other and therefore both dreams would occur at
the same time and upon the same subject. [2:20:5 1]
The stories of second sight are also explainable upon the same principle
laid down in our preceding work. Anxiety and constant thought upon subjects
connected with our interests will sometimes lull us into a mesmeric or
dreaming state in which we can behold many scenes, sometimes real and sometimes
fictitious.
The mind is excited into the clairvoyant state and is then enabled
to perceive objects without the bodily senses. The principle of sight is
in the mind, and in our natural state, that principle develops it-self
through the eye. In the excited state it is developed independent of the
eye, acting directly upon the object.
A gentleman sitting by the fire during a stormy night, while his domestics
are upon the lake and exposed to the ravages of the storm, fails to sleep
(in mesmeric sleep) under the excitement of their ab-sence. The mind is
immediately present with the boat and discovers every transaction which
befalls the company. If the boat is capsized, he sees it; if it is to return
safe, he beholds it. But we are told that under such circumstances, we
should expect a disaster and that the mind, falling to sleep with all the
picture of their danger before it conjured up by its imagination, would
naturally dream their loss. And if the boat returns, nothing more is thought
of the dream; if she is lost, these revive all the circumstances as they
transpired in the sleeping moments! I grant that such might occur or rather
hap-pen but presume the instances of chance [2:21:52] would not be numerous
enough to account for all the stories of second sight. If the mind is regulated
at all by laws, we do not see the reasons of so many exceptions, especially
as I contend, all these dreaming phenomena cannot be satisfactorily explained
upon other principles than what we have laid down. There is, however, a
question which would naturally suggest itself in relation to the impressions
we receive while in this excited, dreaming state. What we dream will not
always come to pass. This does not militate against that doctrine we
have laid down, but will only confirm what we have before declared in
relation to the power of impressions to regulate our thoughts. We will
illustrate our subject in this manner. Suppose an individual, whose mind
has been long upon one subject in which he finds him-self deeply interested.
While having his mind intently fixed under ordinary excitement with all
his external faculties in action, he ar-rives at certain conclusions which
he believes to be correct and a strong impression is made governing the
further action of the mind in relation to the subject. Now this conclusion
may not be correct, yet the individual would be firm in his position. A
wrong impres-sion, arising some where in the process of reasoning, has
led to a wrong conclusion. Now if the individual could detect the first
false step, he would correct the conclusion and vindicate truth. This is
the natural operation of mind under ordinary excitement. Now place a subject
in the dreaming or mesmeric state, and it becomes far more susceptible
of impressions than before. It is, therefore, even more liable to receive
a wrong impression from some external cause or in-ternal emotion than in
its [2:22:53] natural state, and therefore, all of these false dreams may
be accounted for on this principle. An in-dividual passing into this excited
state may have, in his waking mo-ments, impressed upon his mind something
as having actually taken place which had not and did not transpire, with
such power, as that the impression would control the mind and be led to
an endless num-ber of false conclusions which the facts in the case did
not warrant. This is when the mind is led astray and does not receive impressions
from facts but from preceding impressions. And that mind cannot distinguish
the false from the true cause, unless in the course of its progress, it
is led to reconsider or review the whole scene with the idea of getting
the facts and giving a true statement. The mind can act from facts or rather
receive its impressions from facts, and when this is the case, will always
develop true results.
We shall mention only a few cases of what is usually called dreams
and pass to another division of our subject. The following incident is
related by Dr. Abercrombie who was acquainted with all the par-ticulars
and fully vouches for their accuracy.
“Two ladies, sisters, had been for several days in attendance upon
their brother who was ill of a common sore throat, severe and pro-tracted,
but not considered as attended with danger. At the same
time one of them had borrowed a watch of a female friend, in con-sequence
of her own being under repair; this watch was one to which particular value
was attached on account of [2:23:54] some family associations, and some
anxiety was expressed that it might not meet with any injury. The sisters
were sleeping together in a room com-municating with that of their brother,
when the elder of them awoke in great agitation, and having roused the
other, told her that she had had a frightful dream. ‘I dreamed,’ she said,
‘that Mary’s watch stopped and that when I told you of the circumstances,
you replied, much worse than that has happened, for ______‘s breath has
stopped also,”—naming their brother who was ill. To quiet her agi-tation
the younger sister immediately got up and found the brother sleeping quietly,
and the watch, which had been carefully put by in a drawer, going correctly.
The following night the very same dream occurred, followed by similar agitation,
which was again composed in the same manner, the brother being again found
in quiet sleep, and the watch going well. On the following morning soon
after the family had breakfasted, one of the sisters was sitting by her
brother while the other was writing a note in an adjoining room. Then her
note was ready for being sealed, she was proceeding to take out [ ] the
watch alluded to, which had been put by in her writ-ing desk; she was astonished
to find it stopped. At the same instant she heard a scream of intense distress
from her sister in the other room; their brother, who had still been considered
as going on favourably, had been seized with a sudden fit of suffocation,
and had just breathed his last.”
BOOKLET III
I have frequently alluded to the capacities of mind, acting in its excited
state, independent of matter. This can be clearly proved by a subject under
the mesmeric influence. The mind is then present with all things and needs
only to be directed and the object is be-fore it. Distance and space are
nothing, and therefore, no time is required to pass the mind from one object
to another. It is so in our waking thoughts. The mind is occupied with
only one thing at a time and when it is directed to a new object of thought,
the direction and the attention pass at the same instant. Nor does it require
any longer
time or any other further effort to think of an object in the Chinese
Empire than those nearest us. But the mind in our natural state de-pends
upon the five senses for its external information and forms all its ideas
of things through them. But in the excited state, it receives no impressions
through the organs of sense, but every ob-ject, which. acts at all, acts
directly upon the mind or is presented by the influence of another mind.
Instances of dreaming are now on record in which this principle is fully
illustrated—Smilliel[?] in his Natural History relates a case of a medical
student of the Univer-sity of Edinburgh, who was accustomed to dream and
be aroused from the same cause that produced the first impression. We also
no-tice instances of the following character . A gentleman dreamed that
he had enlisted as a common soldier, joined his regiment, deserted, was
apprehended, carried back, tried, condemned to be shot, and at last led
out for execution. After all these preparations, a gun was fired and he
awoke with the report and found that a noise in [3:2:56] the adjoining
room had both produced the dream and awaked him. Dr. Gregory mentions a
case in which a gentleman, who had taken cold from sleeping in a damp place,
was liable to a feeling of suffo-cation when he slept in a lying posture;
and this was always accom-panied with a dream of a skeleton which grasped
his throat. On one occasion, he procured a sentinel, giving him directions
to arouse him whenever he was disposed to sink down, as these dreams never
oc-curred when he slept in a sitting position. He began to sink away, and
upon his being aroused instantly, found fault with his attendant for not
having aroused him immediately as he had been in a strug-gle with the skeleton
for a long time before he awoke. “A friend of mine,” says Dr. Abercrombie,
“dreamed that he had crossed the Atlantic and spent a fortnight in America.
In embarking on his return, he fell into the sea, and having awoke from
the fright, dis-covered that he had not been asleep above ten minutes.”
“Count Lavaliette,” says Professor Upham, “who was some years since
condemned to death in France, relates a dream, which occurred during his
imprisonment, as follows. ‘One night while I was asleep, the clock of the
Palais de Justice struck twelve and awoke me. I heard the gate open to
relieve the sentry, but I fell asleep again immediately. In this sleep,
I dreamed that I was stand-ing in the Rue St. Honore at the corner of the
Rue de l’Echelle. A
melancholy darkness spread around me, all was still, nevertheless a
low and uncertain sound soon arose. All of a sudden I perceived at the
bottom of the street and advancing towards [3:3:57] me a troop of cavalry~
the men and horses however, all flayed. This hor-rible troop continued
passing in a rapid gallop, and casting fright-ful looks at me. Their march,
I thought, continued five hours; and they were followed by an immense number
of artillery and wagons, full of bleeding corpses, whose limbs still quivered;
a disgusting smell of blood and bitumen almost choked me. At length the
iron gate of the prison, shutting with great force, awoke me again. I made
my repeater strike; it was no more than midnight so that the horrible phantasmagoria
had lasted no more than two or three minutes— that is to say, the time
necessary for relieving the sentry and shut-ting the gate. The cold was
severe and the watchword short. The next day, the turnkey confirmed my
calculations.’’”
These experiments all confirm the doctrine of the rapidity of thought,
that no time, as we are accustomed to measure it, is re-quired for transactions
which would occupy months and years in their performance. Yet the mind
lives in these short periods required to pass upon such scenes, apparently
the whole time it would require to perform them. The mind in its dreaming
or excited state will pass from country to country, from shore to shore,
mountain to moun-tain in rapid succession, feeling that it has actually
passed over a space of time sufficient to have accomplished all these distances
. Un-der such influences, the mind would perform a pilgrimage to Mecca,
experience all the particulars of the passage of the Rubicon, visit St.
Petersburg and Moscow and be engaged in a whaling voyage in the Pacific
Ocean—all in rapid succession. [3:4:58] Impression follows impression and
results and conclusions follow as rapidly as they are produced. It is true
that the mind compares every transaction of thought with its knowledge,
previously attained. And it is thus de-ceived in the measure of time when
it does not, through the or-ganized body, perform its thoughts. It has
no other method by which to calculate than such as is derived from previous
knowledge.
Somnambulism is another state of mind as laid down by differ-ent philosophers.
It is only another condition of excited mind by which all the impressions
are received by another process than that [of] the bodily organs, by which
the subject is induced to walk and
perform bodily and mental labor. This condition of mind is really the
dreaming or excited state and explainable upon the same prin-ciples as
other dreams. But the difficulty in explanations given by those who have
written upon the subject is the misconception of its cause mixing up the
action of the mind under such excitement with its action through the bodily
senses. I do not intend to convey the idea that the mind may not act partly
from one cause or condition and partly from the other. It does so act,
and this no doubt is the cause of many impressions which the mind in its
dreaming state is constantly receiving. Their confusion in explanations
arises from the argument being drawn from the knowledge received through
the bodily senses alone, not mentioning to [3:5:59] explain the phenomena
arising from an independent state. If facts alone, sub-ject to the laws
which govern mind, were to furnish a basis, it is not possible to explain
these two conditions, natural and excited on other principles than those
which have governed us throughout this work.
Somnambulism is then a species of mesmerism and a subject may be so
controlled as to perform the same experiments we shall give, selected from
different works.
“A young nobleman,” says Dr. Abercrombie, “living in the citadel of
Breslau, was observed by his brother, who occupied the same room, to rise
in his sleep, wrap himself in a cloak and escape by a window to the roof
of a building. He then tore in pieces a mag-pie’s nest, wrapped the young
birds in his cloak, returned to his apartment and went to bed. In the morning
he mentioned the cir-cumstances as having occurred in a dream, and could
not be per-suaded that there had been anything more than a dream, till
he was shown the magpies in his cloak.’”
“A farmer in one of the counties of Massachusetts had employed himself,
some weeks in winter, threshing his grain. One night as he was about closing
his labors, he ascended a ladder to the top of the great beams in the barn,
where the rye which he was threshing was deposited, to ascertain what number
of bundles remained un-threshed, which he determined to finish the next
day. The ensuing night about two o’clock he was heard by one of the family
to rise and go out. He repaired to his barn, being sound asleep [3:6:60]
and unconscious of what he was doing, set open his barn doors, ascended
the great beams of the barn where his rye was deposited,
threw down a flooring and commenced threshing it. When he had completed
it, he raked off the straw and shoved the rye to one side of the floor,
and then again ascended the ladder with the straw and deposited it on some
rails that lay across the great beams. He then threw down another flooring
of rye which he threshed and finished as before. Thus he continued his
labors until he had threshed five floorings, and on returning from throwing
down the sixth and last, in passing over part of the haymow, he fell off
where the hay had been cut down about six feet, on the lower part of it,
which awoke him. He at first imagined himself in his neighbor’s barn, but
after groping about in the dark for a long time, ascertained that he was
in his own, and at length found the ladder on which he descended to the
floor, closed his barn doors which he found open, and returned to his house.
On coming to the light, he found himself in such a profuse perspiration
that his clothes were literally wet through. The next morning on going
to his barn, he found that he had threshed, during the night, five bushels
of rye, had raked the straw off in good order and deposited it on the great
beams and care-fully shoved the grain to one side of the floor, without
the least cons-ciousness of what he was doing, until he fell from the hay.”’
[3:7:61]
We recollect of reading an account of a clergyman who had been long
contemplating the writing of a sermon upon a certain passage of the Scripture,
which required deep thought. He arose from his sleep during the night and
entirely wrote out the whole discourse in a most lucid and convincing reasoning
and language and returned to rest. On the following day, [he] could recollect
nothing of the transaction, but the different heads of the subject connected
with dreaming. Upon going to his study, he was surprised to find the whole
discourse in writing, neatly executed in his usual form of writ-ing sermons.
Another instance came under our own observation, in the western part
of Maine, of the gentleman farmer who during the month of August in one
of his night walks, arose and taking his scythe went into his field and
actually mowed down a half acre of his best wheat, returned the scythe
to its usual place and returned to bed. He awoke the next morning and recollected
nothing of the transaction, but remarked that he had a singular dream of
taking his scythe and mowing an acre of his wheat instead of reaping it
as was his usual
method. He was loath to believe what he witnessed with his own eyes,
the grain in the swath and that it had been done by his own hand. It no
doubt would have been charged upon some of his good neighbors had not some
of his own household witnessed the whole transaction. [3:8:62]
Philosophers have confessed their inability to explain satisfactorily
these strange phenomena—and then by undertaking to show in what possible
manner it might all happen, mystify what was before mys-terious. We do
not learn from them how it is possible for one to see at all under any
circumstances without the bodily organ of sight; and much less have they
proved to us the power of seeing without eyes and in Egyptian darkness.
“There is,” says Prof. Upham, “a set of nerves which are understood to
be particularly connected with respiration and appear to have nothing to
do with sensation and muscular action. There is another set which one knows
to possess a direct and important connection with sensation and the muscles.
These last are separable into distinct filaments, having separate func-tions,
some being connected with sensation merely and others with volition and
muscular action. In sensation, the impression, made by some external body,
exists at first in the external part of theorgans of sense and is propagated
along one class of filaments to the brain. In volition and voluntary muscular
movement, the origin of action, as far as the body is concerned, seems
to be the reverse, commenc-ing in the brain and being propagated along
other and appropriate nervous filaments to the different parts of the system.
Hence it sometimes happens, that, in diseases of the nervous system, the
power of sensation is in a great measure lost [3:9:63] while that of motion
fully remains; or, on the contrary, the power of motion is lost while that
of sensation remains. These views help to throw light upon the subject
of somnambulism. Causes, at present unknown to us, may operate through
their appropriate nervous filaments to keep the muscles awake, without
disturbing the repose and inactivity of the senses. A man may be asleep
as to all the powers of external per-ception, and yet be awake in respect
to the capabilities of muscu-lar motion. And aided by the trains of association
which make a part of his dreams, may be able to walk about and to do many
things without the aid of the sight or hearing.”
It cannot be possible that the explanation given by the professor
was satisfactory to himself. For it would be one of the greatest ex-periments
of chance ever known or thought of for a man to rise from his sleep and
go to his barn and climb to the great beams, throw down his bundles of
grain, thrash them and rake up the straw etc., etc., and follow up this
course of business without seeing or without the power of sight. But the
explanation given above admits that such transactions might happen without
“sight or hearing.” No one has ever undertaken to explain them upon the
supposition that they do really see and perform all these muscular actions
by the aid of the visual powers of mind.
There is another experiment referred to by the professor as not having
been reached by any of his previous statements and [3:10:64] explanations;
and he considers that they may form an exception to the usual appearances
in somnambulists but of a marked and ex-traordinary character. “There are
few cases,” he says, “(the recent instance of Jane Rider in this country
is one), where persons, in the condition of somnambulism, have not only
possessed slight visual power, but perceptions of sight increased much
above the common degree. In the extraordinary narrative of Jane Rider,
the author in-forms us, that he took two large wads of cotton and placed
them directly on the closed eyelids, and then bound them on with a black
silk handkerchief. The cotton filled the cavity under the eyebrows and
reached down to the middle of the cheek and various experi-ments were tried
to ascertain whether she could see. In one of them a watch inclosed in
a case was handed to her and she was requested to tell what o’clock it
was by it; upon which, after examining both sides of the watch, she opened
the case and then answered the ques-tion. She also read, without hesitation,
the name of a gentleman, written in characters so fine that no one else
could distinguish it at the usual distance from the eye. In another paroxysm,
the lights were removed from her room and the windows so secured that no
object was discernible, and two books were presented to her when she im-mediately
told the titles of both, though one of them was a book which she had never
before seen. In other experiments, while the room was so darkened that
it was [3:11:65] impossible, with the or-dinary powers of vision to distinguish
the colors of the carpet, her eyes were also bandaged. She pointed out
the different colors in the hearth rug, took up and read several cards
lying on the table,
threaded a needle and performed several other things which could not
have been done without the aid of the vision. Of extraordinary cases of
this kind, it would seem that no satisfactory explanation, (at least no
explanation which is unattended with difficulties), has as yet been given.”
This last case with the remarks is extracted from Upham’s Men-tal Philosophy
Vol. 1, page 214. He expresses no difficulty in ex-plaining how the farmer
of Massachusetts could do his thrashing in the midst of darkness and without
the power of sight, but is will-ing to acknowledge his inability to explain
the method of seeing in the case of Jane Rider. To us, it appears that
they may both be ex-plained upon the same principles, that they are nearly
parallel cases and can be accounted for in no other way than by the principles
we have laid down, namely, that in the excited, dreaming or somnam-bulistic
subject, impressions are conveyed to the mind without the aid of the bodily
organs, and that the faculties of the mind are act-ing in direct communication
with objects—that the mind sees, hears, tastes, smells and feels, without
the eyes, ears, tongue, nose and hands. And that precisely the same impressions
may be conveyed to the mind directly without these organs as could be with
them.
[3:12:66]
A case of somnambulism is related by Dr. Gillett of Connecticut. The
subject was a lady of Wapping, near East Windsor, Conn., who was, while
in this state, able to thread her needle, perform her domestic labors,
read a book upside down with great fluency, tell the time by a watch held
near her head and know what her friends were doing in any part of the room,
at any moment etc., etc. This condition of mind was supposed to result
from her weakness and ill health. She was afterwards cured of these spasms
by the influence of mesmeric operations. The case of Yarneli, a lad born
in Buck’s County, Pennsylvania, is a striking instance of somnambulism
or excited state of mind. He could perceive persons and their conduct,
however remote, by simply resting his hands upon his knees and his head
upon his hands. He was frequently questioned by wives, whose husbands were
gone to sea and had been absent a long time, and would give the correct
information as to their place and conduct. He would often direct where
stolen goods were found and describe the persons who had taken them. Other
instances might be named
of the same class, proving the most extraordinary power of the mind
while in this excited state.
One remark, before we close this part of our subject. The cases of
somnambulism which we have referred to are conditions of mind precisely
like those in the mesmeric state. Every action which trans-pired in the
accounts above may be produced by a subject under the mesmeric [3:13:671
influence. This places the question, beyond a doubt, that the different
conditions of the mind are all governed by similar laws and explainable
upon such principles as we have laid down. We have taken for examples,
such ancedotes and incidents as are familiar to almost every individual
who has paid close atten-tion to the philosophy of the mind, such as are
found in various authors who have explained these phenomena according to
their ideas of mind; but we have endeavored to explain them upon other
principles. We proceed now to a further illustration of our position upon
the theory of mesmerism. [3:14:68]
MESMERISM
Anton Mesmer, a Swiss Physician, about the year 1750 was dis-tinguishing
himself by his philosophical writings. From some cause or other, he left
his native country and appeared in France in 1778. Soon after his arrival,
he introduced the new science of Animal Mag-netism, which has since been
sometimes called Mesmerism from its supposed discoverer. The phenomena
exhibited by Mesmer under the influence of his new science had been familiar
in one form or other to the inhabitants of the world so far back as history
extends; yet he claimed the honor of discovering its powers and its laws.
He introduced the doctrine of the “magnetic fluid” and was accustomed to
magnetize trees by whose power in turn subjects were thrown into the magnetic
state etc. I believe it has generally been conceded by all who have succeeded
him and who have claimed much honor for having advanced the science, that
Mesmer first operated with the Animal fluid. In the year of 1784, the subject
of Animal Magnetism excited much interest in Paris and the King was finally
induced to direct a committee of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Paris
to give the subject a thorough consideration and report their opinion of
its merits. The American Philosopher, Dr. Franklin, was then Ambassador
at the Court of France and was appointed a member
of this committee. It appears during the progress of their investiga-tions
that two principles were to be decided. First, whether the ex-periments
were really performed as they appeared or were they a species of deception
practiced by collusion, contact or by previous practice. Second, whether,
if there [3:15:69] should be no deception practiced, there is sufficient
evidence from the facts developed to establish a theory of “Magnetic Fluid”
through which all these strange appearances of the mind were exhibited.
The committee decided that there was not sufficient evidence exhibited
to show that the phenomena called Magnetic were caused by the action of
a fluid, as had been contended by the disciples of Mesmer. This settled,
with them, the second part of their enquiry. The results, however, and
the facts witnessed, were more difficult to reject. They were thought to
be “singular and wonderful’” and were finally attributed to the power of
the imagination. The mysterious influence of ‘mind over mind,’ was readily
conceded; yet they supposed the medium to be (not a magnetic fluid), but
“Imagination.” We find no fault with this report except in the term used
as its cause, namely, the “Im-agination,” believing that even the facts
disclosed before the honor-able committee were such as to require another
expression. If I imagine a picture or scene, it will not appear real to
me. I might cre-ate images corresponding to certain names which would be
given them, but there would be no belief on my part of the real existence
of such created images. The poet may rely upon his powers of im-agination
and portray in measured verse ideal existences which please and amuse,
but should he portray what he believed to exist or knows to exist just
as he would describe any fact, no one would contend that the work [3:16:70]
was a species of imagery, but a re-lation of facts by the author, or at
least, what was believed to be true by him. Milton, in Paradise Lost has
displayed the highest powers of the imagination, but we do not presume
he believed himself relat-ing simple facts, which actually transpired according
to the descrip-tion he has given. Yet to some minds who have read this
work of genius and have a belief and a conviction of the reality of his
im-agery, it is with them a matter of fact. Imagination can have no per-manent
effect over the conduct of an individual, because an impression produced
upon the mind by an imaginary cause ceases to control him, the moment he
is conscious of this fact. If I should
read an account of some wonderful event in the columns of a newspaper
and I believed it to be a fact, there would be no imagi-nation upon my
part, although the whole scene might be the work of the editor’s imagination.
It would be imagery to him, but real-ity to me. Now the committee did not
pretend that collusion or consent of action produced such results as were
exhibited before them, but that it was by some unknown mystery, the influence
of “Imagination.”
It must be admitted at the present day that all subjects act from impressions
and that they really believe in the reality of the cause of these impressions,
else they would not appear so sincere or would not be sincere. If it were
the result of the imagination, it would in-deed be a species of polite
deception because a subject could not be supposed to act sincerely and
know at the same time [3:17:71] that it proceeded from false causes and
that he was deceiving himself. The operator, or rather the controller of
the mind of a subject in the mesmeric state, may produce impressions upon
the recipient, from false causes; yet those causes would be real to his
subject and produce the same results as though every impression were the
result of a real cause. A mesmerizer may imagine a book before the sub-ject
and the subject will see and feel it, although no book be in a room; that
is, the same impression is made upon his mind by the mind of the operator
as though a book had really been placed be-fore him. The operator thinks
or imagines the book, but the sub-ject receives a real impression and acts
as though the object was before him. I have frequently amused myself with
experiments of this nature, fully demonstrating the effect of imagination
produc-ing real impressions upon the subject. I have handed Lucius, my
subject, a six inch rule and imagined it to be twelve inches. He would
immediately divide the rule into twelve inches by counting. Present him
with the rule and ask him how many inches it contains and he would answer
correctly unless, by the operation of my mind I should produce an impression
that it contained twelve inches. I have first asked him to tell me how
long it was and he would answer me cor-rectly. I would then ask him to
look again, and then I would imagine [3:18:72] any length I please and
he would answer me according to the impression I produced by my imagination
or thought. So in regard to other impressions which I would cause to be
made upon
his mind, always producing the same results as though the real ob-ject
were presented. I understand the term, imagination, as em-ployed by the
honorable Committee, to refer to the subject and not the operator—that
it is a result of the imagination of the subject. Our remarks above, we
think, explain precisely how much the im-agination has to do with this
subject, believing as we do that the mes-merized mind acts from impressions
regulated by the same laws as when impressions are made by the communication
of the bodily senses. In the experiments we have named, and no doubt it
was so before the Committee, whatever imagination has to do with the ex-periments
at all is confined, not to the subject but to the operator or individual
who is in communication with the subject.
We believe the Committee had good and conclusive evidence against the
theory of a fluid and we are equally unbelieving in the imagination as
being the result of all they witnessed. We are aware that much, very much,
appears at first view to be the power of im-agination; but a further investigation
into the results will prove that with the mesmeric subject, there is no
such power as imagination.
There was an interesting experiment which was performed [3:19:73] before
the Committee at Paris of this nature. A tree was magnetized, as the operator
supposed, and the subject was to be led up to it and the magnetic fluid
would pass into him and throw him into the magnetic state. This was performed
several times with per-fect accuracy. But the Committee finally hit upon
this method. In-stead of taking him to the magnetized tree, he was led
up, blindfold, to one not magnetized and quite as mysteriously fell into
the mes-meric condition. This proved to the Committee, as it must to every-one,
that in fact one tree possesses the same principle and quantity of magnetism
as the other, which the operator had acted upon; or that neither of them
was impregnated with magnetism but that some other cause, called by the
Committee imagination, produced the mesmeric sleep. Query, was this imagination!
The subject in the first instance believed that he was led to the magnetized
tree, which was true, and there could not have been imagination about this.
In the second instance he was led to the natural tree, but he believed
it to be magnetized and of course the same impressions and the same results
would follow, if you reject the magnetic fluid. Every circum-
stance to the subject would be the same in both experiments, and if
like causes produce like effects, it could not be the result of a mag-netic
influence because one tree was magnetized and the other was not and the
impressions being real in both cases could not have af-fected the imagination.
Imagination supposes something not real. These impressions, from which
the subject acts, are real and not im-aginary to him. [3:20:74]
If the reply is that imagination produced both results, we answer that
every thing which makes an impression upon the mind is, then, the result
of the imagination. All the impressions we receive are im-agined, and man’s
whole conduct is nothing but a series and suc-cession of imaginations.
If I direct my subject to do a certain thing at such a time, inform-ing
him what that is and the result I wish to produce, and nothing further
is said or thought about the direction until the time arrives, and should
the subject by his own voluntary act do according to my direction, is it
the result of his imagination? If on the other hand, I desire him to do
something at a certain time, but do not commu-nicate to him my desire,
and he should without further cause per-form the very act I wished, would
it be the power of his imagination? If these are all the result of imagination,
every thing which surrounds us exists only in imagery and the world is
ideal. The system of Ber-keley concerning the non existence of matter and
that material ex-istences are but images etc.—might be well adopted; and
to carry up the science a little further, Hume, with his creations of images
and impressions, would be the pattern philosopher of the images of men!
We are rather disposed to confine the use of the word imagina-tion
to its proper definition and not to confound it with realities. We must
therefore reject both the “magnetic fluid” and the “im-agination” as being
the cause of the phenomena called mesmeric. We embrace a doctrine which
both the Committee and the followers of Mesmer do not deny, namely, the
influence of mind over mind, not through the medium of a “fluid” or the
“Imagination” [3:21:75] but by direct contact with and action upon mind.
We shall now proceed to examine the theory of a “Fluid” and to show
what deception those who have adopted and advocated the
theory have practiced upon themselves. It has been remarked, (and with
what truth our readers will hereafter decide), that Animal Mag-netism is
a stupendous humbug, that it is a species of polite decep-tion held up
to the community as something strange, wonderful and real—a delusion played
upon the credulity of honest citizens by art-ful and designing operators.
The facts resulting from experiments, in this enlightened age, cannot be
refuted; but I am aware that the oddity and unreasonable methods of accounting
for them by the writing and lectures of the advocates of a Fluid theory
are so incon-sistent with many experiments performed by the followers of
Mes-mer, themselves, that not only the animal fluid, but all the strange
phenomena of mind, arising from the mesmeric state, are rejected at once
and passed over to the grave of delusion.
But the rejection of facts should be more carefully done, than of falsehood.
Nor should we give up the whole facts because the sys-tem of explanation
is inconsistent and absurd. It is not really the community who are so essentially
humbugged as those who adopt and defend the “Fluid Theory.” They are really
deceived, suppos-ing they have the agency of a fluid when, in fact there
is no fluid about the experiments. Their belief, however, enables them
to per-form their experiments and they [3:22:76] proceed as though they
were really doing something by its agency. If they should adopt the theory
of solids instead of fluids, it would be quite as reasonable and they might
perform all the experiments which they now perform with the fluid, or reject
both and then all the experiments can be better performed which could be
performed by “fluids and solids.”
The Rev. Chauncey Hare Townshend A.M. late of Trinity Hall, Cambridge
has published a volume of some four hundred pages, en-titled Dispassionate
Inquiry into Mesmerism. It is on the whole a very interesting work, and
serves rather to amuse than to instruct and direct the enquirer after truth.
His experiments were good and expressed in beautiful language and with
scientific terms. But the error of all his labor was in the first impression
from a false cause. He was a believer in the magnetic fluid and endeavored
to bring all the facts he discovered under its agency. Like the Religionist
who first writes out his creed and then bends every possible principle
he can discover in the Bible to support a fabric which he has, himself,
designed, he appears to be more intent upon settling the question
of a fluid agency and bending all his experiments to support his Theory
than to branch out in opposition and undertake to prove the falsity of
his position. [3:23:77]
On page 276, Book fourth, we find the following principle laid down.
“First, I affirm that, productive of the effects called mesmeric, there
is an action of matter as distinct and specific as that of light, heat,
electricity or any other of the imponderable agents, as they are called;
that, when the mesmerizer influences his patient, he does this by a medium,
either known already in other guise, or altogether new to our experience.
“What proofs, it will be asked, can I bring forward to this asser-tion?
I answer, such proofs as are considered available in all cases where an
impalpable, imponderable medium is to be considered; facts, namely, on
certain appearances, which, bearing a peculiar character, irresistibly
suggest a peculiar cause.
“Let us take only one of these. Standing at some yards distant from
a person who is in the mesmeric state, (that person being per-fectly stationary,
and with his back to me), I, by a slight motion of my hand (far too slight
to be felt by the patient through any distur-bance of the air) draw him
towards me as if I actually grasped him.
“What is the chain of facts which is here presented to me? First, an
action of my mind, without which I could not have moved my hand; secondly,
my hand’s motion; thirdly, motion produced in a body altogether external
to, and distant from myself. But it will at once be perceived, that, in
the [3:24:78] chain of events, as thus stated, there is a deficient link.
The communication between me and the distant body is not accounted for.
How could an act of my mind originate an effect so unusual?” Here then
follows the explanation . “That which is immaterial, cannot, by its very
definition, move masses of matter. It is only when mysteriously united
to a body that spirit is brought into relationship with place or extension,
and un-der such a condition alone, and only through such a medium, can
it propagate motion. Now, in some wondrous way spirit is in us in-corporate.
Our bodies are its medium of action. By them and only by them, as far as
our experience reaches are we enabled to move masses of foreign matter.
I may sit and will forever that yonder chair to come to me, but without
the direct agency of my body, it must
remain where it is . All the willing in the world cannot stir it an
inch . I must bring myself into absolute contact with the body which I
desire to move. But in the case before us, I will; I extend my hands; I
move them hither and thither and I see the body of another person—a mass
of matter external to myself, yet not in apparent contact with me—moved
and swayed by the same action which stirs my own body. Am I thence to conclude
that a miracle has been per-formed, that the laws of nature have been reversed,
that I can move foreign matter without contact or intermediate agency?
Or must I not rather be certain, that, if I am able to sway a distant body,
it is by means of some unseen lever, that volition is employing some [4:1:140]
thing which is equal to a body, something which may be likened to an extended
corporeity which has become the organ of my will?”
BOOKLET IV
Here we have the experiment and the explanation. Let us examine the
reasoning. First, “that which is immaterial cannot by its very definition
move masses of matter.” “I must bring myself into ab-solute contact with
the body which I desire to move.” The person at a distance is then brought
into “absolute contact” by the agency or electricity. He “wills, extends
his hands and moves them hither and thither” and the patient at a distance,
being in actual contact with him by this electric agency, extends his hands,
moves them hither and thither etc. The body or arm and hand of the patient
is moved by the mind of the operator just as it acts in his body, elec-tricity
being the medium of communication as though the body of the operator, his
mind, and the body of the patient are one person. Now if electricity or
any other fluid can so connect mind and mat-ter, I do not see why we may
not connect ourselves with the chair in the supposition above and mind
with its new [?] organ of con-tact will cause the chair to move, on the
same principle of connec-tion as the body of the patient. Mind, no doubt,
has equal power to connect itself with a chair as with any other material
body by the agency of electricity. The body of the patient, without his
mind, or acting independent of his own will, as it must, if it were moved
by the mind of the operator, would [4:2:41] be like every other material
thing and susceptible of action upon it by another mind to the same
degree, as the chair, being no more or less. And if he proves to you that
the motion of the patient’s hands is from the same mind as the motion of
the operator’s through the agency of electricity, I will as conclusively
prove that by the same agent your minds may be in “ab-solute contact” with
any, or all, material bodies and that you can as easily move the universe
of matter by the mind, as the body of one man. But was not the experiment
really performed? We answer, yes, without electricity or any other fluid—not
by the mind of the operator acting on the body of the patient, but upon
his mind. It was mind acting upon mind. The proposition laid down by the
Rev. gentleman, that immateriality cannot move masses of materiality does
not apply to destroy the influence or action of mind, being im-material,
over immaterial mind. We trust we have shown, by such experiments as have
been introduced into the former part of this work, the great laws by which
such facts are produced, that mind in the excited or mesmeric state is
present with everything—that space, distance and material objects are no
impediments to its action—that it is susceptible of impressions from other
minds and will act under such impressions as it receives. Suppose, then,
the operator is impressed to extend his hand; that impression is immedi-ately
made upon the mind of his patient and all the organs of his body, being
under this control of his mind, act in conformity to the impression. The
distance from the patient is no obstacle [4:3:142] because mind, acting
directly without the medium of the bodily senses, knows nothing of space
and distance. It only requires direc-tion and it is present with the object.
If electricity be the “lever” by which the operator moved the arm of the
patient, as asserted by the Rev. Mr. Townshend, we would ask where the
fulcrum rests by which he gets his power. It might be answered that it
rests where the fulcrum of the globe’s foundation was supposed to—upon
the
. ,,
“back of an enormous tortoise.
We will say further, that the experiment above could have been performed
without the motion of the hand of the operator, by his willing the patient
or impressing his mind to extend the hand. So that all that is necessary
to be done in such experiments is to give an im-pression to do an act upon
the mind of the subject and the result immediately follows .
“A friend of mine at Cambridge,” says the Rev. Mr. Townshend, “was susceptible
of being influenced by myself but transiently and imperfectly, while on
the other hand, he was at once and invaria-bly brought into the mesmeric
state by being subjected to the action of a young fellow student, who (as
to the rest) used no art in his manipulations and merely imitated rudely
my proceedings and gestures.” Also the following is extracted from his
work on mes-merism. “E.A.,” whom I could mesmerize in a few seconds, was
operated upon for an hour by another person, who in other cases had displayed
immense mesmeric power without experiencing any effect whatever.” [4:4:143]
Here are two cases directly opposite in their character. The first could
only be partially operated upon by an experienced and powerful magnetizer;
but a fellow student could throw him into the mesmeric sleep without exercising
the least ef-fort to pass the fluid. If it had been a fluid, he, who knew
best how to direct it, of course would magnetize better than one who neither
knew how nor used effort but only imitated the actions of a mes-merizer.
The second case proves conclusively that the fluid, by which Mr. Townshend
and the powerful magnetizer operated upon their subjects, and of course
it must be the same, did not produce a result when under the control of
one, which it did under that of the other, upon the same subject. If it
was a fluid why did not the same results follow from the same causes. Both
were powerful magnetizers and of course knew how to use and direct the
fluid.
From facts like these Mr. Townshend concludes that it is not the power
of the magnetizer, but the “proportions between the respec-tive strengths
of mesmerizer and patient which insures success and that the less or more
on either side would indifferently prevent a per-fect result.” So that
he has ventured to predict that in the progress of this science, a “neurometer,
or instrument to ascertain the ner-vous power of a person, might give to
mesmerism that precision which science requires.” We fear however that
he advanced beyond what we shall ever realize from the fluid theory that
his mind had probably been exhilarated by a surcharge of electricity, which
ena-bled him to predict [4:5:144] an event, which, if it ever transpires,
we think, must be very far distant in the future.
We have endeavored in every portion of our work to keep dis-tinctly
in view the theory of “mind acting upon mind,” not through
a medium, because we see no necessity of an agent different from itself,
but by direct action. To those who are partial to a theory of fluid and
are sincere and, as they say, conscious of the fact, we will remark that
on the whole, we differ but little from them, save in the fluid. They are
obliged to admit that it is often all “mind acting upon mind”’; yet all
the followers of Mesmer must complicate this operation by intermixing it
with some imponderable agent, as though immateriality cannot act upon immateriality
without the agency of matter. If “mind acts upon mind” at all, (and we
con-tend it does) without the agency of the bodily senses, we see no rea-son
why it may not act directly, carrying the influence home to the very soul
of the subject, as well as to wield the lever of a fluid to make an impression,
or to mount its thoughts astride of a streak of electricity to be conveyed
to the mind of the subject. It is a little sur-prising to us, however,
that some of the “Doctors”’ of mesmerism have not put their theory to the
test, not by always supposing that a fluid is necessary, but by experimentising
without the fluid in such cases as could not have been possible for any
fluid to pass. Had this been the case, the theory of a fluid would have
been abandoned long ago; for it would have been ascertained that all [4:6:145]
the fluid which really exists is in the mind of the operator, being like
Ber-keley’s composition of matter, made up of ideas, impressions etc.
Mesmerism was introduced into the United States by M. Charles Poyen,
a French gentleman, who did not appear to be highly blest with the powers
of magnetizing to the satisfaction of his audience in his public lectures.
I had the pleasure of listening to one of his lectures and pronounced it
a humbug as a matter of course. And that his remarkable experiments, which
were related, were, in my belief, equally true with witchcraft. I had never
been a convert to witch-craft, nor had ever had any personal interviews
with ghosts or hob-goblins and therefore considered all stories bordering
on the marvelous as delusive.
Next came Dr. Collyer, who perhaps did more to excite a spirit of enquiry
throughout the community than any who have succeeded him. But the community
were still incredulous and the general ec-centricity of his character no
doubt contributed much to prejudice the minds of his audience against his
science. He, however, like all those who had preceded him on both sides
of the water, must have
a long handle to his science, namely, a subtle fluid of the nature of
electricity. So contrary to all experience did all the facts, elicited
from his experiments, appear in connection with the laws which govern electricity,
that almost [4:7:147] every man of science would reject both theory and
facts without a moment’s consideration. However, the perseverance of the
Dr. overcame, in part, some of the prejudices and he at last drew out of
a committee in the city of Boston an acknowledgement of the facts, although
they refrained from any expression of their opinion as to their occasion.
?Collyer was, like all others, satisfied as to the fluid—and noth-ing
could be accomplished without producing a current upon the subject or surcharging
him with a quantity of the electric fluid. In a work published by him in
1842 [?] although he is still the advo-cate of the fluid, yet he rejects
the doctrine of Phreno Magnetism, neurology etc. as introduced and defended
by Dr. Buchanan and LeRoy Sunderland. The same course, which enabled him
to detect the fallacy of their theories, would have led him, upon pursuing
the subject a little further, to have rejected entirely his whole theory
of a fluid. He would have looked to another cause of all this phenome-non.
From testimony, now before the community, there is no doubt that Collyer
performed the first phreno-magnetic experiments in this country and that
the honor, if there be any, of the discovery should be yielded to him.
It is a matter of little consequence to the com-munity who shall wear the
wreath of honor, but we prefer to see the peacock dressed in his own plumage
and not bear the shame of a naked plucking by his neighboring fowl. [4:8:147]
Dr. Buchanan and the Rev. LeRoy Sunderland have claimed the distinguished
honor of discovering the sciences of “Neuarics [?]“ and Phreno Magnetism.
These two sciences (so called), although claimed as distinct, are really
regulated by the same laws; not the laws of a “nervous fluid” or of “electricity”
but by the same great laws as govern all minds in the excited or mesmeric
state—”Mind acting upon mind.” It is the direct influence of the operator
upon the subject which produces such results. The exciting of particular
organs in the brain by the nervous fluid or by electricity is the prin-ciple
of these sciences. That is, Dr. Buchanan actually fills up these different
organs of the brain or such of them as he chooses, which produces an overaction
of these organs. This is done by contact of
the fingers upon these bumps of the head. Dr. Collyer has given a few
examples. The following experiments were given before the citizens of Canandaigua,
New York.
ON JOHN PARSHALL
Touching organ of
‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘
Caution
Firmness
‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ Acquisitiveness
“ “ “ Combativeness
“ “ “ Philoprogenitiveness
“ ‘‘ ‘‘ Mirthfulness
“ “ ‘‘ Destructiveness
“Feels like fighting” “Firm as a rock” “Smiles and laughs” “Great fear’”
“Like fighting” “Like singing” “Feels well, is kindly
disposed” [4:9:148]
ON OSCAR NILES
Touching organ of Caution
“ “ “ Benevolence
“ “ ‘‘ Mirthfulness
“ “ “ Veneration
“ “ “ Self-esteem
“Desires to laugh” “Desires to fight” “Desires to sing” “Desires to
walk” “As big as any one”
The examples above show conclusively that there is no truth in the
theory. There is no correspondence between the organs touched and the effects,
except in a few instances. This would always be the case unless something
actually occurred beside the passage of the “fluid’” into the organ to
be excited. I have personally tried hundreds of experiments~ all going
to prove not ~only that there is no such thing as exciting different locations
of the head, but that there is no “fluid” at all. I can perform, and have
done it repeat-edly, the same experiments as have been done by Dr. Buchanan
or LeRoy Sunderland without being near my subject or by contact with any
other part of the body than the head. The fingers or toes of any subject
are quite as susceptible of excitement from the “fluid” and of producing
all the remarkable phenomena and passions of the mind, as the head.
Phrenoiogists have laid down only thirty-four different organs; but
in the rapid march of the science under the excitement of the “ nervous
fluid” or [4:10:149] electricity, the number of organs has
suddenly increased to upwards of two hundred. What a rapid stride in
the progression of the science of Phrenology! And among these new organs
are Felony, Drunkenness, Idiocy, Insanity etc., etc. What doties [dotards
or dotties?] must have been such philosophers as Gale and Spurein? who
after devoting their whole lives in care-ful observation could discover
only thirty four organs in the brain, when these lights of modern genius
came puffing by on their fluid cover [?], upsetting every thing which lay
before them and only stop-ping to gather a new recruit of “electricity”
after having passed over two hundred newly discovered organs in the space
of six months.
The science of “Neurology,’” as defended by Dr. Buchanan in a course
of lectures delivered in the city of New York about two years since, has
been most admirably criticized by a correspondent of the “Magnet,” a work
edited by LeRoy Sunderland, who was the great champion of Phreno Magnetism.
We take pleasure in giving the whole communication showing, as we think,
some of the absurdi-ties there advanced [?]. (From the Magnet No. 8. January
1841 . Copy the correspondence signed C.) [It is not copied here by Quimby.—Ed.]
[4:11:150]
The excitability of the human brain by “nervauric[?] influence” will
soon be, if it is not already, an exploded idea. There cannot be anything
in it. Not that I suppose the experiments which Dr. Bucha-nan professed
to perform were not performed. But on the contrary, I have performed the
same class of experiments and am constantly repeating them upon different
individuals with whom I meet daily. Nor do I intend to charge any deception
upon Dr. Buchanan, designedly practiced upon the community. It is a matter
of belief, no doubt, with him and so believing, he could not perform his
ex-periments without attributing them to the very cause he has selected.
But if he should believe it sympathy alone he might behold the same results
on abandoning all fluids, he could operate so as to produce the same phenomena
by the direct influence of his mind upon the mind of his patient. They
are a class of Mesmeric results performed without a fluid, neuauric[?1
muscular, magnetic, galvanic or elec-tric. It was the impression, which
his mind made on the mind of his patient. In order to make an impression
it will be necessary for any one to have full confidence in the means he
uses, or no impression will follow.
Phreno-Magnetism is the same thing in principle as neurology and the
remarks we have made upon Neuaur [?] are quite applicable to Phreno-Magnetism.
There is no question but certain feelings and conditions of mind corresponding
to Benevolence, Neuration, Self-esteem, Combativeness, etc. [4:12:15 1]
may be excited in the mind, but that these organs as laid down by phrenoiogists
are magnetized, electrified, galvanized or neuaurised[?] is idle to the
wind. Experi-ments will always fail if the operator does not understand
the loca-tion of these organs, which is conclusive proof against the theory
of a fluid and the exciting of particular organs. The subject too, might
also, were he acquainted with Phrenology, do much to an-swer the particular
touches of the operator upon different parts of the head; but when the
operator and the subject are both unskilled in the science, the experiment
will always correspond with the con-dition of the mind of the operator.
Another fact, which I have ob-served among different operators, is that
no two locate these organs corresponding to what they wish to show, in
the same place. Some locate the organ of “ejection” near caution, others,
near benevo-lence, and others in different places—all going to show that
“there is nothing in a location.”
We venture the assertion, that whatever action is produced upon the
brain at all, during this excited state, results rather from the mind of
the subject, whose impressions are received from the mind of the operator
.
The Rev. Mr. [John Bovee] Dods [Quimby spells it Dodds.—Ed.] of Boston,
Mass., we believe, deals more extensively in the Magnetic Fluid than any
other magnetizer . We have examined his work upon the subject of Mesmerism
and can but smile at proofs so conclusively drawn in support of his theory.
A careful reading of the whole work [4:13:152] is a comfortable electuring[?]
into a talkative sleep end-ing in ethereal and sublime explanations above
the capacity of or-dinary men. We were some what at a loss to determine
whether the Rev, gentleman was most profuse in his language or his fluid!
We do not doubt his sincerity in support of his fluid, but must wonder
at his credulity. It is a strong proof of the wanderings of an excited
mind connected with a strong belief of the means by which wonder-ful results
are produced.
If we were to take up all the points in his theory and discuss them,
we fear our pages would be too voluminous for ordinary purposes and
that few would be inclined to pursue the investigation. Dods, like all
others who believe in the fluid theory, supposed that some-thing must be
the medium of communication between mind and mind and between mind and
matter separate from the bodily senses, and he has at once brought in the
aid of a subtle fluid which per-vades all nature.
To introduce the whole theory as it is contended for by most of those
who have gone before me, I make the following extract from a pamphlet published
in the city of Boston A.D. 1843 entitled “The History and Philosophy of
Animal Magnetism”’ and dedicated by the author to Robert H. Collyer M.C.
etc.
(Copy chap. Fourth) [Quimby does not reproduce it.—Ed.]
And who, after such an array of distinguished names would differ from
their established theory! All these men were powerful Mag-netizers and
many of them of the first order of talent [4:14:153] but we fear a little
inclined to speculate upon a theory, rather than to elicit facts aside
from theory. We are satisfied that they all believed in the Fluid, but
what its character is remains to be settled among them; as it seems, no
two agree to allow it the same name or charac-ter. If this “elastic, invisible
ether pervading all Nature”” causes all these phenomena, it is a God-like
power, second only to its Author. That it should operate so mysteriously,
sometimes magnetizing in-dividuals by contact and at others, passes through
the space of one hundred miles and surcharges the patient and induces the
mesmeric state—now made to reside in a letter, and again concealing itself
in a tumbler of water, passing to the trunk of a tree—and from all these
passing out upon a particular individual and inducing the magnetic sleep.
If I could possibly believe in the “Fluid Theory’” it would be far more
marvelous and astonishing to trace out such laws as must govern this “invisible
ether” than the experiments which follow. Or perhaps it may be a principle
without the pale of the law, govern-ing itself under the direction of the
operator, in part, at some times and at others, entirely at its own control.
Some of the theories of the old Philosophers who wrote upon the subject
of the Soul appear to us rather speculative. Fire and other imponderable
agents so called were made not the connecting link of Soul and body, but
Soul itself. Tracing the analogy of their ideas
down to those of the Fluid System, we cannot see why this Fluid might
not be the Soul itself. It is the means, we are taught, through which the
mind acts and we are to suppose of course that it cannot act at all, except
through the fluid, when the bodily senses are closed. It may then [4:15:154]
be either the soul* itself or a necessary ap-pendage, without which although
Soul might exist, it could not act or give any evidence of its existence.
The same Author, from whom we have quoted the “Fluid Theory,”’ makes
the following remarks in defense of his Theory against the powers of Imagination.
“We disapprove this charge at once,’” (that it is all the work of Imagination)
“by the fact that a person, who has been magnetized several times, can
be thrown into the magnetic sleep by the magnetizer when he is at a distance
of half a mile, and at a moment when the person to be acted upon shall
not even suspect it. This has been done successfully by a person who did
not even know where the subject of his operations was at the time he made
the attempt.”’ Now upon the principle of a Fluid to be “directed upon the
brain of the subject” how is it possible that direc-tion can be given,
when the operator is ignorant of the location of his subject; and how is
it possible that this fluid can be made to pass through so great a distance?
If the experiment above alluded to has been performed, could it have been
done by the “Fluid”? If, by a “Fluid”’ how could the operator so direct
it as to strike upon the brain of the subject, when he was ignorant of
his situation. How could he give effectual direction without knowing where
to direct! And then the “Fluid”” is to pass through the space of half a
mile be-fore it can act upon the subject. If such an experiment as the
above can be performed (and we know personally it can) with the fluid and
not without it, we certainly must assign the power of intelligence to the
“Fluid” and it being commanded by the mind of the operator, to go in search
of his subject and induce sleep etc. [4:16:155] obeys its master. Such
experiments as the above prove one of two things; namely, either, that
there is no Fluid by which a communication is effected between mesmerizer
and mesmerized, or that this Fluid is an intelligent being, capable of
thought itself. We contend that there
*Here and many other places it is far from clear whether capitalization
is intended, especially with the letter S/s.—Ed.
is no Fluid in the case. If others believe there is, and that it is
capable of receiving intelligence and obeying commands, we are not account-able
for such belief; but we leave [to] the community, who read and think the
sole [?] of judging, which Theory, Fluid or no Fluid ap-pears the most
consistent.
I have performed a similar experiment upon my subject, Lucius, at a
distance, sometimes knowing where he was and sometimes not knowing. Yet
I did not use any fluid to my knowledge. We have, in another part of this
work alluded to the experiment of the magne-tized trees—the experiments
before the Committee at Paris, France, in proof that no Fluid was in the
tree and communicated to the sub-ject. I will again repeat the experiment
in substance. The subject was blindfold and led up to a magnetized tree
and immediately fell into the magnetic sleep. Being again blindfold, was
without his knowledge, led up to a tree not magnetized and also fell into
the magnetic sleep, proving conclusively that there was the same virtue
in the magnetized and the natural tree.
There is another class of subjects introduced by magnetizers in proof
of a magnetic fluid. Some are in the habit of giving their sub-jects a
magnet by which they are thrown into the magnetic sleep. This experiment
is explained by attributing the power to the mag-net of communicating the
Fluid to [4:17:156] the subject etc. I have repeatedly magnetized subjects
by any little metallic article present-ing it to them, after having imbued
it with the “Fluid.”’ I have also performed the same experiment by passing
to them a similar article not imbued with my Fluid and it produced the
same results. I took two combs belonging to two ladies present and magnetized
one of them, that is, went through all the ceremony of magnetizing it and
the other I only took and passed back to the lady without any oper-ation
upon it, and both ladies were thrown into the magnetic sleep by these combs.
The lady who received the comb not magnetized was ignorant of that fact
and on the contrary believed it magnetized. Per-kin’s metallic points are
celebrated among mesmerizers and were considered sacred proofs of the fluid
Theory. Yet after they had their run, some cunning wag introduced wooden
points so neatly coun-terfeiting the metallic in their appearance that
they would effect the same results upon a patient as the genuine points.
I recollect a young man who in company with Dr. Cutter, the famed lecturer
in this part
of Maine, visited this place and being an easy subject to mesmer-ize,
as a matter of defense, against the influence of powerful mag-netizers,
carried with him a magnet, believing it to be a safe preventive against
all magnetic power. When armed with his mag-net, no one could magnetize
him, but without it, almost any one could induce sleep.
If, by some artful management we could have induced him to be-lieve
his magnet absent, although it might have been concealed about him, we
venture to say that he would have been quite as easily oper-ated upon,
as if his magnet had really been [4:18:157] absent. The truth is that it
was a matter of belief with the subject and he governed himself accordingly.
If I could induce him to believe that magnetism or the magnet had nothing
to do with mesmerism or the excited state of mind called mesmeric, then
the charm of the mag-net would be broken. The Rev. Mr. Dods has become
so confident of a fluid medium of mind and its similarity to electricity
that he has found it convenient and perhaps companionable to carry about
with him when upon his tours of lecturing, an Electric Machine and I believe
he makes it an associate or assistant in throwing subjects into the magnetic
state. If this Fluid be electricity, we do not see why Mr. Dods could not
with his machine surcharge a whole audience with a few turns of the handle
by placing them in contact with its power.
We have witnessed the experiments of persons standing upon a glass
stool and receiving a surcharge of electricity so that sparks might be
seen to emit from various parts of their body, yet we saw no signs of magnetic
sleep. Now if this Fluid be electricity, it does appear to me that the
Electric Machine would be the very first power by which subjects could
be magnetized.
While in the city of Boston about one year since, I met with a friend
who began to question me as to the tricks I am playing in Magnetism, and
as we continued our conversation some time, he suddenly turned his head
and after a few moments pause charged me with an attempt to magnetize him!
I did not let him know, but it was so; in truth however, I did not think
of it until after he named it. I state this experiment to show that I did
not [4:19:158] designedly use any fluid, indeed, could not have given direction
to any; but the result upon my friend was just the same, no doubt, as though
I had
really sat down with the intention of performing an operation. This
was the belief which he exercised in his mind, that I was trying my powers
upon him and he became excited and partially yielded. I do not think I
exerted any power to control him, yet he felt a power which he believed
proceeded from me and it began to induce the mesmeric state into which
he was passing.
A friend of mine, a powerful magnetizer who called on me not long since,
operated upon a young lady in my family and threw her into the mesmeric
sleep. He was a firm believer in the Magnetic Fluid and every thing was
done according to the law supposed to govern it. I began to exercise the
power of my mind over the subject and she would readily obey me. Desiring
her to come to me, she immedi-ately turned her head and was about to rise
when her operator, ob-serving the movement, began to cut off the fluid
with his hand so as to shut out the power I was gaining over her. I ceased
trying to impress her mind with the desire of coming to me and she turned
back . During the same sleep I exercised a control over her which was observed
by the operator, and when he discovered it, awoke her, saying it was very
dangerous mixing up the fluids of different mag-netizers upon the subject
at the same time. I could not induce him to go on with his experiments,
and was obliged to [4:20:159] do what I could to show that there was no
danger from mixing up fluids etc. or that all the danger arising in the
case would be from the fear and belief of the mesmerizer. I then performed
a few experiments and requested him to exercise all his fluid power to
counteract them. I am unable to say whether the fear of “disturbing the
fluid” did not prevent him from making an effort, for all my experiments
succeeded.
Steel and various kinds of metal are supposed to have powerful influence
over subjects in the mesmeric sleep. Experiments have been introduced to
prove the supposition. Some operators cannot exer-cise their magnetic powers
if they have about them steel or silver. This is also a matter of belief.
If an operator believes he cannot make an impression upon his subject while
this or that metallic substance is about him, then as a matter of course,
he will not; but remove what he thinks is the difficulty and then mind
acts in full faith and produces a full and decided expression.
I recollect that when I first began to magnetize, I had all this hor-rid
fear about the influence of metal, steel, silver etc. upon the sub-jects
and being a full believer then in the Fluid Theory, supposed some strange
connection in all metallic substances with the magne-tized subjects. Having
on a certain occasion put my subject into sleep after surcharging him with
the fluid, a young lady present held he[r] scissors pointing directly towards
the head of the subject. Upon my first observing it, I was excited, fearing
some bad result. The im-pression was conveyed to [4:21:160] the mind of
the subject and all the consequences I feared would result, followed. This
to my mind, at that time, was conclusive proof of the power of certain
metallic substances, highly magnetic, upon a subject.
I have had very many excellent experiments in Phreno-Magnetism, exciting
the organs by pointing a steel rod pointed at one end to the supposed location,
believing the fluid passed out of myself through this rod into the organ.
When I held the sharp point of the rod towards the organ the subject would
immediately arouse and answer to the direction; but if I held the blunt
end, it would not affect him. This to me, as I was trying my experiments
to prove whether there was any fluid or not, was strong testimony in favor
of the fluid sys-tem. I had supposed there must be some agent to bring
out such results and immediately embraced the theory adopted by most mag-netizers,
for want of something better. Having adopted, as a mat-ter of belief, an
agent by which I could bring about this excited state of mind, I had assigned
it certain laws such as I knew to govern elec-tricity. I had all the faith
to produce a result when I directed the pointed end to the organ I wished
to excite; but when I reversed the point and presented the blunt end, I
did not suppose for an instant that the excitement would follow. So the
results corresponded with my own feelings. I have witnessed the same experiments
performed by other magnetizers and they always advance such facts as I
have named as conclusive proofs of a fluid Theory. Since I have aban-doned
the fluid Theory, I find no difficulty in using either end [4:22:161] of
the steel rod or use no rod at all and placing myself at a respectable
distance from the subject, can produce the same results as I did when the
steel rod and fluid Theory were the only means of my operation.
When in the city of Boston with my subject, one of the most powerful
magnetizers put my subject into the magnetic sleep and proceeded with his
experiments in phreno-magnetics to convince me that the organs were excited
by a fluid. He remained in contact with the subject and directed his fluid
with the points of his fingers. I was sitting in the room at some distance
from the scene of operation and exerted myself to counteract the impression
given by the operator. The operator’s experiments all failed although he
was in contact with the subject and as he supposed was filling up his head
with the elec-tric or magnetic fluid.
I also entertained the same idea with other magnetizers about the condition
of the atmosphere as being favorable or unfavorable to successful experiments.
I could always, under this belief, succeed better in fine clear weather.
Indeed, my experiments seldom suc-ceeded in a dull and cloudy atmosphere.
I had been giving some very interesting experiments during one evening
and did not know but the atmosphere was clear and bright as when I entered
the hail. At the close of the experiments I was astonished to learn that,
for the last two hours, during the time of my best experiments, the at-mosphere
had been cloudy and that rain had been falling. This cir-cumstance [4:23:162]
was one of the first which led to the rejection of the Fluid Theory.
I believed in the power to mesmerize a tumbler of water which, upon
being drunk, would throw the patient into the magnetic sleep, and have
often amused my audience by this simple experiment. I supposed I did iml~ue
the water with some new virtue and this was also the belief of the subject,
and the results followed as I had an-ticipated. The experiment o? the silk
handkerchief has been one I have performed repeatedly. I ~would magnetize
the handkerchief and pass it to the subject and it would induce the mesmeric
sleep. I was so confident in the fluid theory and that silk would affect
its oper-ation, that on one occasion when I had put my subject to sleep
and a lady was sitting nearby dressed in silk, his hands and feet were
ex-tended towards her dress. These simple facts all went to confirm me
in the belief of the fluid theory. Yet I have been compelled to re-ject
them all and I find there is no difficulty in producing the same results
with a tumbler of clear water as when I have surcharged it with magnetic
fluid, or with a silk handkerchief in its natural state
as when magnetized. And I can with all safety allow ladies to sit near
my subject, in silk apparel, without any fear of distracting his slumber
.
I have magnetized a cedar twig and given it to my subject and he would
immediately pass into the magnetic state. I have also given him other articles
and told him I had magnetized them, although I had not, yet he would pass
into sleep as before. We might multiply [4:24:1631 simple cases of this
class to a very great number but all of them would terminate as those I
have mentioned. I have per-formed them with the fluid and have done the
same without it.
It has sometimes been supposed that subjects are not susceptible of
influence from the operator only in the sleeping state. This is not so.
Dr. Buchanan, although a devoted advocate of the fluid, has given many
experiments, in proof of a controlling power which the operator may have
over the subject. It is, with me, my daily prac-tice to perform most of
my experiments when the subject could not know in his waking moments my
wishes, while to all appearance he is not influenced by any one. I have
frequently extended my power to impress upon the mind of some person in
my presence a wish to do something, keeping distinctly in my mind what
I would have him do. And the subject would soon do the very act which I
had wished to bring about. I have frequently operated upon a subject in
his wak-ing state producing certain feelings in him corresponding to my
own; have relieved pain in hundreds of instances to the benefit and hap-piness
of persons under my influence; have relieved headache, pain in any part
of the body. As I was writing a few sentences above, an individual called
on me and stated that his foot was very painful to him, and if I could
ease the pain and adding that he did not believe I could, that he would
not deny the fact and should be a believer in Mesmerism. I operated upon
his foot and relieved the pain. He acknowledged the fact and began, he
said, to be a little more serious.
BOOKLET V
Another individual present, who began to ridicule the fact and made
some strong remarks against any power I might exercise over him, desired
me to make a simple experiment upon his foot and leg. I immediately wrote
upon a piece of paper not letting any one know
the writing and laid it down upon the table and told him I had writ-ten
upon that paper what kind of a sensation I would produce upon his foot
and leg. I commenced the operation and in about two minutes, he said his
foot and leg began to prickle and felt as though it was going to sleep.
I handed him the paper and he read just what he had felt. Some have replied
to similar experiments above, that they were the results of Imagination.
We reply that the subject did not know what kind of a sensation we should
produce and there-fore could not imagine in the case. To him it was a reality,
because he felt the prickling sensation and did not imagine that I was
going to produce it. I have frequently taken persons and endeavored to
produce a warm or cold sensation upon their limbs without their knowledge
and have succeeded in bringing about my wishes.
A certain physician, who was a complete skeptic and perhaps more in
a jocose manner than otherwise, invited me to visit one of his patients.
I complied, and after looking at the patient and fixing her attention upon
me, took the physician out [or “one”?] side and told him what sort of a
sensation I would produce upon her. We returned to her and I commenced
impressing her mind with the same feeling I had named to the physician.
She immediately complained of being cold and trembling, which was the very
feeling I had been trying to produce. The physician I presume will [5:2:116]
recollect the circumstance and vouch for the fact. We might fill up our
pages with hundreds of experiments, similar to those we have given, and
all performed in the same manner.
Perhaps my readers may at this point enquire in what manner all these
simple experiments are performed. It is simply this. I first get the attention
of my subject, endeavoring to exclude all other external influences and
drawing their mind to myself. I then work up the sen-sation I wish to produce
upon my subject in my own mind and it is immediately communicated to that
of the subject and a correspon-dent feeling will be the result. It is the
simple process of mind act-ing upon mind. It is necessary to draw the attention
of the subject to myself in order to receive the impression because no
one could receive impressions from external objects unless he should give
his attention to them. The public speaker makes it the first object to
gain the attention of his audience and then proceeds to reason out the
whole subject, and they are also prepared to go on with the
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