The Philosophy of Mystery

NATURE AND MOTIVES OF GHOSTS. Notions of the Ancients regarding the nature of 6-17 Ghosts—Confidence of the Ancients in their appearance—Modern Incidents in illustration of real appearance—Qualities of Ghosts—Motives of Apparitions—Ancient and modern Stories

PROPHECY OF SPECTRES. Ancient spectral Prophecy—Modern Stories in 18-33 illustration of prophetic Spectres—Philosophy and Poesy of Shakspere—Holy influence of Spectral Visitations—Stories of apparently special influence of the Deity

ILLUSION OF SPECTRES. Reasons for early faith in Phantoms—Modern errors 34-51 regarding classic Superstitions—Shallowness and Fallacy of modern Incidents—Explanation of Ghost Stories by Coincidence—Incidents in proof of Coincidence—Proneness of intellectual Minds to credulity and exaggeration—Innocent invention of an incident at Bowood

PHANTASY FROM MENTAL ASSOCIATION. Influence of interesting localities—Definition of 52-66 a Phantom—An intense idea—Demonomania—Stings of Conscience—Curious effect of peculiar study or intense thought—Darkness and Obscurity—Romance of reality—A mysterious incident

PHANTASY FROM CEREBRAL EXCITEMENT. Second Sight—National propensity to the 67-79 Sight—Romance and Poetry of the Mountains—Morbid predisposition to Second Sight—Unearthly Visions on the eve of Dissolution—Glimpses of Reason in dying Maniacs

PHANTASY FROM CEREBRAL CONGESTION. Phantoms of intellectual Minds—Illusion of 80-88 Opium—Illustrations of Narcotic Influence

POETIC PHANTASY, OR FRENZY. Inspiration of Poesy and 89-100 Painting—Shakspere—Fuseli—Blake—Philosophy and Madness—Illusion of Tasso—Truth of Poesy—Splendid illusions at the onset of Mania—Melancholy constitution and decay of Poetic Minds—Letter of a Cheromaniac—Sensibility—Unhappy consequences of cherishing Romance—Fragment of John Keats

PHANTASY FROM SYMPATHY WITH THE BRAIN. Philosophy of Moral Causes—Effect of thought and 101-112 of the function of the Stomach in producing physical changes in the Brain—Stories in proof of this influence—Illusions from Derangements of Vision—Curious cases of ocular Spectra from peculiar conditions of the Eye

MYSTERIOUS FORMS AND SIGNS. Stories of Supernatural Appearances 113-122

ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF SPECTRAL ILLUSION. Credulity—Arrangement of Causes of Spectral 123-140 Illusion—Illustration of Atmospheric Illusions—Natural Phenomena—Fata Morgana—Schattenman of the Brocken—Romance of unlettered minds

ILLUSIONS OF ART. Monkish Impostures—Optical Toys—Spontaneous 141-146 Combustion

ILLUSTRATION OF MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS. Elemental Causes—Impositions at 147-154 Woodstock—Tedworth—Cock Lane—Subterranean Sounds—Currents of Air—Memnon—Phonic Instruments—Vocal curiosity in young Richmond

FAIRY MYTHOLOGY. Origin of Faëry—Legends of the Mythology of 155-165 various Climes—Cauld Lad of Hilton

DEMONOLOGY. Classic and Indian Mythology—Embodying of a 166-177 Demon—Stories illustrative of the Superstitions of Ireland and Cornwall—Legend of the Changelings—Poetry of Nature—Preadamite Beings

NATURE OF SOUL AND MIND. Psychology of the Greeks and of the 178-192 Moderns—Essence of Phrenology—Lord Brougham—Priestley—Paley—Johnson—Modes of Sepulture—Paradise—Atheism—Deity—Hindu Mythology—Senile Intellect