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1

This¡¡brings¡¡us¡¡without¡¡any¡¡break¡¡to¡¡the¡¡consideration¡¡of¡¡veridical¡¡apparitions¡¡and¡¡hallucinations¡¡and¡¡finally¡¡to¡¡haunted¡¡houses¡£¡¡We¡¡all¡¡know¡¡that¡¡the¡¡phantasms¡¡of¡¡the¡¡living¡¡and¡¡the¡¡dead¡¡have¡¡now¡¡a¡¡whole¡¡literature¡¡of¡¡their¡¡own£»¡¡a¡¡literature¡¡which¡¡owes¡¡its¡¡birth¡¡to¡¡the¡¡numerous¡¡and¡¡conscientious¡¡enquiries¡¡conducted¡¡in¡¡England£»¡¡France£»¡¡Belgium¡¡and¡¡the¡¡United¡¡States¡¡at¡¡the¡¡instance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Society¡¡for¡¡Psychical¡¡Research¡£¡¡In¡¡the¡¡presence¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mass¡¡of¡¡evidence¡¡collected£»¡¡it¡¡would¡¡be¡¡absurd¡¡to¡¡persist¡¡in¡¡denying¡¡the¡¡reality¡¡of¡¡the¡¡phenomena¡¡themselves¡£¡¡It¡¡is¡¡by¡¡this¡¡time¡¡incontestable¡¡that¡¡a¡¡violent¡¡or¡¡deep¡¡emotion¡¡can¡¡be¡¡transmitted¡¡instantaneously¡¡from¡¡one¡¡mind¡¡to¡¡another£»¡¡however¡¡great¡¡the¡¡distance¡¡that¡¡separates¡¡the¡¡mind¡¡experiencing¡¡the¡¡emotion¡¡from¡¡the¡¡mind¡¡receiving¡¡the¡¡communication¡£¡¡It¡¡is¡¡most¡¡often¡¡manifested¡¡by¡¡a¡¡visual¡¡hallucination£»¡¡more¡¡rarely¡¡by¡¡an¡¡auditory¡¡hallucination£»¡¡and£»¡¡as¡¡the¡¡most¡¡violent¡¡emotion¡¡which¡¡man¡¡can¡¡undergo¡¡is¡¡that¡¡which¡¡grips¡¡and¡¡overwhelms¡¡him¡¡at¡¡the¡¡approach¡¡or¡¡at¡¡the¡¡very¡¡moment¡¡of¡¡death£»¡¡it¡¡is¡¡nearly¡¡always¡¡this¡¡supreme¡¡emotion¡¡which¡¡he¡¡sends¡¡forth¡¡and¡¡directs¡¡with¡¡incredible¡¡precision¡¡through¡¡space£»¡¡if¡¡necessary¡¡across¡¡seas¡¡and¡¡continents£»¡¡towards¡¡an¡¡invisible¡¡and¡¡moving¡¡goal¡£¡¡Again£»¡¡though¡¡this¡¡occurs¡¡less¡¡frequently£»¡¡a¡¡grave¡¡danger£»¡¡a¡¡serious¡¡crisis¡¡can¡¡beget¡¡and¡¡transmit¡¡to¡¡a¡¡distance¡¡a¡¡similar¡¡hallucination¡£¡¡This¡¡is¡¡what¡¡the¡¡S¡£¡¡P¡£¡¡R¡£¡¡calls¡¡¡¨phantasms¡¡of¡¡the¡¡living¡£¡¨¡¡When¡¡the¡¡hallucination¡¡takes¡¡place¡¡some¡¡time¡¡after¡¡the¡¡decease¡¡of¡¡the¡¡person¡¡whom¡¡it¡¡seems¡¡to¡¡evoke£»¡¡be¡¡the¡¡interval¡¡long¡¡or¡¡short£»¡¡it¡¡is¡¡classed¡¡among¡¡the¡¡¡¨phantasms¡¡of¡¡the¡¡dead¡£¡¨

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2

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