Subjective Sensations and Illusions. 825 



This peculiarity continued three days and then ceased gradually, the 

 objects by degrees changing their position, first to the horizontal and 

 then to the erect. " 



Sir David Brewster, in "Natural Magic, " gives an account of Mrs. 

 A. , an intelligent lady of vivid imigination, who was the subject of a 

 number of remarkable illusions. Some of these occurred when she ap- 

 peared to be in ordinary health, but the most notable happened when 

 her health was weak from bronchitis and bad digestion. The first oc- 

 curred about the year 1820, when undressing after a ball, she heard her- 

 self called by name repeatedly and unaccountably. Ten years after, she 

 heard what she was sure was her husband's voice calling her loudly, dis- 

 tinctty and repeatedly to come to him. She opened various doors to find 

 where he was, but without success, as he was not near the house at the 

 the time, and had not called her. Shortly after this she saw the figure 

 of her husband, which stood by the fire, gazing at her, and afterwards 

 moved off to the window where it disappeared, after remaining visible 

 four or five minutes. The figure appeared so solid and real as to con- 

 ceal the objects behind it. A short time after this, January, 1830, she 

 saw the apparition of a cat, and she was so sure it was real, that when 

 requested by her husband, who was present and who knew it to be an il- 

 lusion, to touch it, she pursued it about the room till it disappeared un- 

 der a chair. She was convinced as to its true nature when the real cat 

 was brought from another room. A month after this she saw the ap- 

 parition of a friend who was in Scotland and in perfect health. She saw 

 the image in a glass as if the figure were looking over her left shoulder, 

 her eyes meeting those of the image. She gazed at it some minutes and 

 noticed its drapery, which was a shroud. On turning to look for the 

 figure behind her, she saw nothing, and it had also disappeared from the 

 glass when she turned to that again. Twice after this she saw appari- 

 tions of deceased friends; once the sister of her husband whom she 

 saw seated in a large easy chair holding a handkerchief in one hand; it 

 remained about three minutes. At another time she saw the figure of a 

 deceased friend move across the room and take a seat by the fire-place. 

 Knowing its illusory character, Mrs. A. crossed the fire-place and sat 

 down in the chair occupied by the figure, which then vanished. For 

 some hours preceding some of these visions, she had a peculiar sensation 

 in the eyes, which went off when the apparition disappeared. 



In 1857, Mr. Adrian Stokes, of Liverpool, was one night awakened 

 by his wife calling out, "Oh! Adrian, there's Agnes!" Agnes was 

 her only sister, and she thought she saw her sitting on an ottoman at 

 the foot of the bed. She felt frightened at first, but recovering herself 

 she reflected that if the figure were real it would be reflected in a mirror 

 which was in view from the bed. Turning her eyes toward it, sure 



