Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-03-29
VERMONT, MI EsDAY

tourths of all the ghost casey M ever occurred,
if those, to whom they thus oie0red, would ex-
ercise the same frmness AM Perseverance they
do in ordinary matters, in eSi ming into the facts
and attendant circumstances \
But the other quarter, OF that class of appari-
tons not included in the foregoing remarks, still
remains to be disposed of; ana tAstasz involves
far more difficulties than the one we hRye thus
far only attempted to perfo7n, And assuming,
as we think we should, tina. then is class of
apparitons, for which natural objects have not
been mistaken, and which are zen, indeed, under
circumstances bartender thisAipssiBleSwe will
proceed to account for them in tIeway which, to
us, has ever appeared the mos satisfactory.
We deem il wholly unphilofaica to suppose
the natural eye, formed on see matter in
some of its various forms az AS,ions, can re-
ceive upon the retina any 70 tlvat.ghch
is nut matter, ind n-
palpable. IndcedN4 70 US
to involve an absurdity which no scientific man
can, for moment, entertain. In what princi-
pie, then, are we to explalt the class of appar-
tons now under consideration? Walter Scott,
in his most interesting vPrk on Demonology,
seems inclined to attribute the seeing of these
apparltons, the existence OIL which he readi-
ly admits, to the action of dlstempered vision,
or physical arrangement OF some of the visual
organs, citing sundry very curious instances to
confirm this position This may be so but we
confess the solution never satisfied us. 1t seems
strange that this diseased action of the eye
should exhibit itself once and no more. fit did
more than once, it would soon apprse the indi-
yidual concerned, and his friends, of the state
of his vision; and the sights be saw would cease
to be marvels. Besides, we DO not understand
how the natural eye, though it may be 50 deran.
red as to distort the images received from mate
rial objects, can yet receive images of any knt
without something palpable for its action. We
believe the case admits Of more simple solu
ton. We believe these ASPIRATIONS proceed
wholly from the action of tntmind, unaided BY
the natural eye that the lind may conceive
an idea, anil punt the fora q image Of its con
cepton so strongly and wildly, as entirely t.
overpower the action of the eye, though the per
, son may all the while bgie'e it is the natura
! eve which is conveying that mage to his mind
> or, at least, so vivldIy, that It is utterly imposs
BILE for him to fell wh4th@ the image that er
| crosses him Is conveyed by The physical eye {
! the mental one and tint tits no more than ma
: ural for him 10 believe he las received the in
l preston through the usual rgand Of perceptio
t Thus we believe ghosts to b wholly creatures
}, the mind, however confdet those seeing the
t may be that it is otherwise, Nor do we see tn
$ it is indispensibly necessary for this, that SUI
h person should be in stntet high nervous c
st.,sassa,, Or IN ot' one III ire deli
: inm tremens, of one pnlf l1v derauued by f
,, yer or other disease. Thck Int sometimes com
l. and goes more explicably IN the lightning al
IS the winds, defying all the, es of association
e account for its source, an acting upon us wi
% fearful intensity; and we not see why, Il
d healthy and undisturbedI cough perhaps Il
II often than the others, malnot occasionally
y subject 10 these overpowerig FANTASIES. But
n it is no laughing matter WIN they are so.
N In our next number we vii take up the su
Is iect of dreams.