io8 PARACELSUS 



the houses of mortals, and becoming occasionally visible 

 and tangible to the physical senses, if the conditions 

 necessary for such a purpose exist. 



" One of these classes is made up of beings called 

 * phantasmata/ These ghost-like beings are * nocturnal 

 spirits/ having reasoning capacities similar to those of 

 man. They seek to attach themselves to men, especially 

 to such as have very little power of self-control, and 

 over whom they can gain power. There are a great 

 many kinds of such spirits, good as well as evil ones, 

 and they love to be near man. In this they are com- 

 parable to dogs, who are also fond of the company of 

 men. But man can profit nothing from their company. 

 They are empty shadows (shells), and are only an encum- 

 brance to him. They are afraid of red corals, as dogs 

 are afraid of a whip ; but the brown corals attract them " ^ 

 {Herbarius Theophrasti : Be Corallis). 



" Some people believe that such spirits can be driven 

 away with holy water and by the burning of incense; 

 but a genuine holy water cannot be had so long as no 

 man is found who is holy enough to be able to invest 

 water with an occult holy power, and the odour of in- 

 cense may sooner attract evil spirits than drive them 

 away; because evil spirits are attracted by things that 

 are attractive to the senses, and if we wish to drive them 

 away it would be more reasonable to employ disagreeable 

 odours for such a purpose. The true and effective power 

 against all evil spirits is the spiritual will. If we love 



1 Paracelsus recommends the wearing of red corals as a remedy against 

 melancholy. They are said to be ruled by the influence of the sun, while 

 those of brown colour are under the influence of the moon. The red ones 

 are disagreeable not only to Phantasmata, but also to Monsters, Incubi, 

 Succubi, and other evil spirits ; but the brown corals are agreeable to and 

 attract them. I know of some cases of melancholy, depression of mind, 

 hypochondria, &c., that have been successfully treated by the wearing of 

 red corals, while other articles employed for the same purpose had no 

 efiFect, and the cure could therefore not be attributed merely to the belief 

 of the patient. The ignorant will find it easier to ridicule such things 

 than to explain them. 



