Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-04-03
ABOUT PHANTASMS.
PosT-MoRTEM ASPIRATIONS FROM THE
POINT OF VIEW OF A SCIENTIST.

Elliott Coues, the eminent expert in
physical science, to a writer for the
Washington Star. "No, do not believe
in ghosts in the popular sense of the
term, for the reason that the popular
sense has the least foundation, in fact,
and is as far as possible from any scien-
titic conception of what is properly
designated as a post-mortem apparition.
Besides, like Coleridge, have seen too
many ghosts of the popular type to take
any stock in them whatever.
81 have reason to know from my own
experience and observation that certain
post-mortem apparitions of persons
whose bodies have died do occasionally
make themselves preceptible 10 our
senses, apparently by an act of conscious
voliton on their part and for certain
definite purposes of their own. Ecclesi-
astical history is full of instances of
appearance by the dead to the living.
Ordinary history includes numberless al
legations of such occurrences. The en-
tire body of modern spiritualism turns
upon the pivotal fact of the continual
communication of the souls of the dead
with the living, whether usually, audi
bly,, tangibly or otherwise.
81 do believe in ghosts from the pure
} ly scientific point of view. We are not,
in fact, single and simple personalities.
There is in each of us an inner individu-
, atty of which we are seldom, if ever,
intellectually aware. | find as matter
of fact, that this inner individuality,
which, for convenience, will call the
soul is very little, if at all, affected by
, the physical condition of its environ
, ment on the material plane of existence.
f For example, it does not appear to be
subject TO the law of gravitation, which
we know to be universal in the physical
world. 1t is not capable of being me-
e chanically affected to its injury or bene-
, fit. 1t does not depend for its being
(. upon the organization of the body which
, it inhabits. Unlike our normal con-
J. seriousness, it is not a product or result
of the organization of the body. 1t
exists in its own nature, independent OF
: those chemical combinations which form
, our bodily structure. Nothing forbds
: the assumption that the soul may have
i antedated the body which it now inhab.
f its and there is not priori reason why
n it may not survive the dissolution of the
a latter. Should it so continue to exist
for even an hour after death, retaining
q consciousness, yolition and memory
a nothing forbids the assumption that il
u might manifest itself to us. Whether
- it ever does so or not becomes simply {
# question of evidence.
"Such evidence is abundant, conclusive
e and of kind which by the ordinary laws
s of human testimony should suffice to es
e tablsh the fact in any court of law. !
u very large number of alleged post-mor
, TEN apparitions have lately been subject
n ed to every possible test and scrutiny
with cross-eXaminatiOn of witnesses, ant
I psychica researchers have, in my judS
d ment, authoritatiyely and finally decided
20 some of these cases to be genuine, Now
1t as to the nature of the ghost of fact Il
" opposed to the ghost of fancy. Asid
IF from any question of mere subiectiv
Authorizations, which constitute the vas
Is majority of popular ghosts, | understan,
!. the genuine post-mortem apparition to b.
d the spiritual body of deceased person
A. sustaining and conveying his conscious
1t ness in the same manner that the physica
40 body sustalns and exhibits our menta
10 qualities. For, just as with the physca
IL eye we only see one another's physca
81 bodies, so is the spiritual body only to b
discerned by the spiritual sense of liy
he ing person. Inasmuch as this spiritua
sense is rarely operative in Il living pei
- son, actual apparitions are rare. Henc
Il. also the nearly universal denial of thei
at occurrence. For, as have said, it is bu
X seldom during our life in the body tina
~, the senses of the soul come into consciou
operation.
n "A premonition of an apparition whic
pe, is presently TO be perceived is usual
given by a sensation technically Gale
I'd the ghost chill This is a symptom {
u a change in the magnetic state of til
n. body, during which change the threshol
n. of consciousness is shifted to the exter
es of rendering possible a conscious pc
80 ception of something ordinarily invisible
We The change is almost always very brie
he usually lasting but few seconds. du
ing which the manifestation occur
l.. With the return of the individual to o.
IS binary consciousness the apparitio
r. necessarily disappears, usually leavin
as the percipient in grave doubt as to whetl
~, ~ err or not he has been the subject of a
is hallucination. This doubt, howeve
may be done away with by subsequent
he ascertaining through ordinary channe
~, of information that an occurrence-sal
vii the death of the person whose spiritu;
pit body has thus appeared-took place at