Spirit Manifestations Examined and Explained

defense of the spirit-manifestations, and given the subject the weight and sanction of his judicial name, and even resigned his seat in consequence, as Judge of the Supreme Court, and as the doctrine is gradually assuming a more imposing attitude before the public, so I feel in duty bound to listen to the solicitations of my friends, and publish this humble effort of mine in the hope that it may do good. And though sensible that errors may be detected and pointed out, yet I am fully satisfied that the THOUGHT—the leading Idea involved in the work—is in accordance with nature and truth, and this is all that I feel myself bound to defend against any attack that may be made.

J. B. DODS.

DEDICATION...

INTRODUCTION.

Pago
..3

.5.

LECTURE I.

PUBLIC OPINION OF SPIRIT-MANIFESTATIONS AND

MEDIUMS STATED AND CONSIDERED...... ....13-26

The author urged to explain the spirit-manifestations- They

are not produced by the agency of departed spirits, are not
a humbug, but the effect of a natural cause- Three classes
of minds—the credulous, the skeptical, and those who
calmly investigate-Origin of rappings in the family of Mr.
Fox, March, 1848-Intelligence discovered; the a-b-c pro-
cess, rapping and writing mediums; they are sincerely hon-
est—The mysterious nature of the subject-The public
divided into believers and skeptics; both are in errur; the
manifestations may be true if not caused by spirits--The
character of its mediums and advocates : their respectability,
their number; rapidity with which the doctrine is spread-
ing-Periodicals in its defense-It portends a new revelation,

LECTURE II.

INVOLUNTARY RAPPING HOW PRODUCED, AND THE

FORCE OF HABIT ARGUED

....27-40

Two points to be considered, viz. : Motion and intelligence

connected with it-Nervous impressibility through passivity,

and the result-The state of the two brains; the involuntary

nerves electrically charged more than the voluntary is the

cause of electro-magnetic sounds being given off-Case of

the Seeress of Prevorst, and Miss Slaughter, of Virginia-

Case of a lady reported in Professor Silliman's Journal who

gave off electric sounds - Mediums produce sounds in a sim-

ilar manner-Sound is propagated and conducted— The force

of habit; the stuttering boy; the performer on the piano; he

plays by instinct.

LECTURE III.

INVOLUNTARY MOTION IN GENERAL CONSIDERED.41-53

Involuntary motion among the Greeks, Romans, Druids, and

savage tribes—The Pythian priestess and spinning dervishes

-Dr. Babbington's account—The cat-mewing nuns; the

biting nuns-Barclay's account of Quaker tremblings and

shakings; a Quaker lady in Salem, Mass.-Seeress of Pre-

vorst-Dr. Stone on the progress of fanaticism-The devil-

PAGB
chase, marble-playing, and stick-riding—The jerks among
converts—The spirit-rapping mania is from the same origin
as all other involuntary motions.

LECTURE IV.

THE INSTINCTS OF MAN AND THE INVOLUNTARY

POWERS OF HIS MIND CONSIDERED, AND THE

INTELLIGENCE CONNECTED WITH SPIRIT-MANI.

FESTATIONS EXPLAINED

-54-71

Every part of the human system is double; the brain is
double, and the mind that pervades is double; the cerebrum,
or front brain, considered; the cerebellum, or back brain,
consideredThe office of each as the organ of the mind; the
front brain contains the voluntary powers of the mind, such
as thought and reason—The back brain contains the invol-
untary powers of the mind, such as instinct and intuition
- The senses involuntary-Instinct itself considered in
brutes and in men-Pope on instinct; creatures have both
reason and instinct; man has both-Presentiments-All the
intelligence in spirit-manifestations is from the involuntary
power of instinct-The medium has no will in writing-
Clay-Webster; their communications-Writing in Hebrew,
* Greek, German, French, and Indian languages.

LECTURE V.

THE INSTINCTS OF MAN; HIS INVOLUNTARY POW-

ERS OF MIND AND THE INTELLIGENCE CONNECTED

WITH THE SPIRIT-MANIFESTATIONS CONTINUED. 72-96

Mesmerism, psychology, and catalepsy rouse instinct into
action; in one of these states mediums must be-Seeress of
Prevorst-What constitutes a good medium; false mediums
---Psychological impressions and experiment stated-Fits-
The whole subject of the spirit-manifestations brought to
the test-Proof that it is psychology or mesmerism under
the energy of which the whole is done-Objections stated
and met in every form-Contradictions pointed out—How
tables are tipped, moved, and raised-Mediums appeal to
Scripture-The angel announcing the birth of Christ to
shepherds ; the splendor of the scene—The transfiguration,
The angel in Gethsemano-The crucifixion and resurrection.

LECTURE VI.

THE INSTINCTS OF MAN-HIS INVOLUNTARY POW.

ERS OF MIND, AND THE INTELLIGENCE CONNECTED

WITH THE SPIRIT-MANIFESTATIONS, CONCLUDED 97-113

Man is capable of double consciousness; if not, where do

spirits get the power to communicate-Positive proof that

PAGB
man has instinct and intuition in the back brain-Mesmer-
ism proves it-The involuntary power never reasons, but
knows; through this, God has inspired men-From the
instincts of the lower animals man has obtained his first idea
of the arts and improvements-History testifies it, and poets
sing it-By instinct the medium writes; by it the somnam-
bulist walks safely where he could not by reason when awake

- Mesmerism and psychology useful in their place; not
needed to make a new revelation of moral truth-Mr. Davis
and the Bible-Swedenborg and the Bible.

LECTURE VII.

THE BIBLE CAN NOT BE SUPERSEDED BY A NEW

REVELATION OF MORAL TRUTH-THE MAGNAN.

IMITY OF CHRIST..

......114-129

Improvements may be made in the arts and sciences, but

not in moral truth - The moral precepts of Christ-Mr.

Davis' description of other planets and their inhabitants is

no revelation of moral truth-The globe contains more of

natural science than man can learn; the Bible more of moral

truth than man has yet practiced-Christ's revelation tran.

scends all others-Christ came from heaven and knew man's