The Law of Psychic Phenomena

INTRODUCTORY.
Necessity of a Working Hypothesis.The Newtonian Hypothesis.The Atomic Theory.A Psychological Hypothesis necessary.Theories of Hypnotism and Mesmerism.Spiritism.Mental Therapeutics.Liébault's Law of Suggestion.Duality of Mind.A Working Hypothesis for Psychology formulated.Its Three Terms.

DUALITY AND SUGGESTION.
The Doctrine of the Trinity of Man.The Greek Philosophy.The Early Christian Fathers.Hermetic Philosophy.Swedenborg.Duality in Modern Philosophy."Objective" and "Subjective" Minds.Their Distinctive Differences and Modes of Operation.The Subjective Mind a Distinct Entity.Illustrations from Hypnotism.Suggestion.Auto-Suggestion.Universality of the Law of Suggestion.

REASONING POWERS OF THE TWO MINDS DIFFERENTIATED.
The Subjective Mind incapable of Inductive Reasoning.Its Processes always Deductive or Syllogistic.Its Premises the Result of Suggestion.Illustrations by Hypnotism.Hypnotic Interview with Socrates.Reasons from an Assumed Major Premise.Interview with a Philosophic Pig.The Pig affirms the Doctrine of Reincarnation.Dogmatism of Subjective Intelligence.Incapable of Controversial Argument.Persistency in following a Suggested Line of Thought.

PERFECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND.
Confirmed by Hypnotic Phenomena.Opinions of Psychologists.Sir William Hamilton's Views.-Observations of Dr. Rush.Talent for Poetry and Music developed by Abnormal Conditions.Talent for Drawing evolved by Madness.Resuscitation of Knowledge in the Insane.Extraordinary Feats of Memory during Illness.A Forgotten language recovered.Whole Pages of Greek and Hebrew remembered by an Illiterate Servant Girl.Speaking in Unknown Tongues explained.The Result of the Operations of Natural Law. Practical Illustrations.Reasons for Limitations of Subjective Power.Its Practical Significance.Its Application to the Solution of Problems of Insanity.The Mental Phenomena of "Genius."Napoleon Bonaparte.Shakspeare.Poets.Artists.Macaulay's Estimate of Poets and Poetry.Dangers of Subjective Control.Lord Byron.Socrates' Estimate of Poets.His Recognition of the Subjective Element in Poetic Composition.Occasional Inconveniences.Unconscious Plagiarism.Observations of Holmes.Improvisation.Solution of the Shakspeare-Bacon Problem.The Subjective in Art.Madness in Art.Great Orators.Webster.Clay.Patrick Henry.Incidents.Practical Conclusions.

PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE.
Three Sub-classes of Mental Phenomena.Mathematical Prodigies.Musical Prodigies.Measurement of Time.Distinction between Results of Objective Education and Intuitive Perception.Zerah Colburn, the Mathematical Prodigy.The Lightning Calculator.Blind Tom, the Musical Prodigy.The Origin and Uses of Music.East Indian Fakirs.Measurement of Time.The Power possessed by Animals.Illustrative Incidents.Hypnotic Subjects.Jouffroy's Testimony.Bernheim's Views.Practical Observations.The Normal Functions of Objective Intelligence.The Limitations of Subjective Intelligence pertain to its Earthly State only.Its Kinship to God demonstrated by its Limitations.Omniscience cannot reason inductively.Induction is Inquiry.Perception the Attribute of Omniscience.Conclusions regarding the Power of the Soul.

EFFECTS OF ADVERSE SUGGESTION.

The Subjective Mind Incapable of Controversial Argument.A Sceptical Audience demoralizes it.The Presence of an Avowed Sceptic prevents Successful Exhibition of Subjective Phenomena.Labouchere and Bishop.The Royal Academy of Medicine.Its Offer to Clairvoyants.Failure to earn Reward.Harmonious Conditions required by Spiritists.The Seybert Commission.Trance-Speaking Mediums.How demoralized.Adverse Suggestion the Cause of Failure in All Cases.Possible Lack of Telepathic Conditions in Bishop's Case.General Conclusions.Failure Consistent with Honesty of Mediums.

Dettagli