The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-10-30
Effects Of the Imagination.

Tn an essay entitled Notes on Ghusts
and Gobin>' in hls recently published VOL
ume, The Bordcr!and Of Science Richard
a. Proctor gives an instance of optical iilu-
sion experienced by himself, which aptly
illustrates the way in which belief in the
appearance Of a ghost might originate in a
superstI1ous age, or in any case where the
person experiencing the illusion happened
to have weak nerves or feeble wits. Mr.
Proctor mother had died some months be-
fore the time of which he wrteS,-he was
then Cambridge student, and the scene Of
the occurrence was his eJllege. Il had on
one evening been particularly, | may say
unreasonabiy, low-spirted. | had sat brood
ing for hours over dismal thoughts These
thoughts had followed me to bed, and
went to sleep Under their influence. | can
not remember my dreams-I did dream, and
my dreams were mclanchoIy-but although
| had perfectly clear remembrance OF their
tenor on first waking. they had passed alto
gether from recollection the next morning.
Ii is TO be noted, however. that ! was under
the influence of sorrowful dreams when
awoke. A this time the light of a waning
moon was shining into the room. | opened
my eyes, and saw without surprise or any
conscious feeling Of fear. my mother stand
ing at the foot Of the bed. She Was not in
her habit a. she lived bat clothed in white
samite, mystic, wonderful Her face was
pale, though not with the pallor of life her
expression sorrowful. and tears which glist-
eued in the moonlight stood in her eyes.
''And now a strange mental condition fol-
lowed. EIy reason told ne that | was de
ceyed by appearances, that the figure | saw
was neither my mothers spirit nor an un-
real vision. ! felt certain that | was not
looking at a phantom of the brain which
would show itself without, and felt equal
ly certain that no really existent spirit was
there before me. Yet the longer ! looked,
the more perfect appeared the picture. L
racked my memory to recall any objects in
my bedroom which could be mistaken for a
sirouded ghost, bat my memory was busy
recalling the features of the dead, and my
brairt against the action Of my wiz was
tracin" these features in the figure which
stood before me. The deception grew more
and more complete, until could have spoken
aloud as to Il living person. Meantime, my
mind had suggested, and at once rejected
the idea Of trick played me l,v one OF my
college friends. ] felt a perfect assurance
that whatever il was which stood before me,
il was not breathing creature ~eifreStrain-
Cd into absolute stiffness. How long | re-
mained gazing at tie figure | cannot reinem-
Der. but know that continued stcadia$tiy
looking at it until had assured myself that
Ito my mind, in its probably unhealthy con-
Gition) the picture was perfect in all respects
4 last | raised my head from the pillow,
intending to draw nearer to the mysterious
figure. Bat it was quite unnecessary, |
had not raised my head three inches before
the ghost was gone, and in its piace--or
rather, not iii its space bat FIVE or six feet
ia, ther away-hung my college surplice."
''Thc tears which giiStened in the moon
light" Mr.. Ptocter accounts for in this
way cover my surrlce had hung row.
ing balt and the si,vered buckles tpartly
concealed by the folds of the surplic-) shone
in tie moonlight