Sketches of the Philosophy of Apparitions or, An Attempt to Trace Such Illusion to Their Physical Causes

Samuel Hibbert

• Publisher: White Press
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN:
  9781473342811
• Print ISBN:
  9781473334588
• Subtopic: World History

First published in 1825, this book explores the evidence for the existence of ghosts and attempts to prove that they are nothing more than products of the mind. With fascinating historical information and references to popular ideas of the time, "Sketches of the Philosophy of Apparitions" will appeal to those with an interest in ghosts and related beliefs. Contents include: "The Opinions Entertained Regarding the Credibility of Ghost-Stories", "The References of Apparitions to Hallucinations, &c.", "The Opinions Entertained that ghosts were Eternal Ideas, or Astral Spirits", "The Opinions Entertained that Ghosts were Attributable to Fancy or Imagination", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality edition designed for a modern audience.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Dedication
• Preface
• Contents
• Part I. Sketches of Certain Opinions, Ancient and Modern, which have been Entertained on the Subject of Apparitions
• Part II. The Particular Morbid Affections with which the Production of Phantasms is Often Connected
• Part III. Proofs that the Objects of Spectral Illusions are Frequently Suggested by the Fantastic Imagery of Superstitious Belief
• Part IV. An Attempt to Investigate the Mental Laws which Give Rise to Spectral Illusions
• Part V. Slight Remarks on the Modifications Which the Intellectual Faculty Often Undergoes During Intense Excitements of the Mind
• Part VI. Summary of the Comparative Degrees of Faintness, Vividness, or Intensity Subsisting Between Sensations and Ideas, During their Various Excitements and Depressions
• Notes