3<D George Redway's Publications. 



Crown Svo, pp. xiv. and 360, Cloth, "js. 6d. 



Posthumous Humanity ; 



A Study of Phantoms. 



BY ADOLPHE D'ASSIER, 



MEMBER OF THE BORDEAUX ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HENRY S. OLCOTT, PRESIDENT 

 OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



CONTENTS : Facts Establishing the Existence of the Posthumous Personality in Man- 

 Its Various Modes of Manifestation Facts Establishing the Existence of a Second 

 Personality in the Living Man Its Various Modes of Manifestation Facts Establishing 

 the Existence of the Personality in Animals, and concerning a Posthumous Animality 

 Fluidic Form of Vegetables Fluidic Form of Gross Bodies Character of the Posthumous 

 Being Its Physical Constitution Its Aversion to Light Its Reservoir of Living Force 

 Its Ballistic The Nervous Fluid Electric Animals Electric Persons Electric Plants 

 The Mesmeric Ether and the Personality which it Engenders The Somnambule The 

 Sleep-talker ;The Seer The Turning-table The Talking-table-^-The Medium Miracles 

 of the Ecstatics Prodigy of Magic The Incubus The Obsessing Spirit Causes of the 

 Rarity of the Living Phantom Causes of the Rarity of the Trans-sepulchral Phantom 

 Resemblance of the Spiritistic Phenomena to the Phenomena of the Posthumous Order 

 Lycanthropy Glance at the Fauna of the Shades Their Pre-occupations How they 

 Prolong their Existence The Posthumous Vampire. 



Truth says : " If you care for GHOST STORIES, DULY ACCREDITED, EX' 

 CELLENTLY TOLD, AND SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLAINED, you should read the 



translation by Colonel Olcott of M. Adolphe d'Assier's * Posthumous 

 Humanity,' a study of phantoms. There is no dogmatism so dogged and 

 offensive as that of the professed sceptic of the scientific sceptic especially 

 who ex vi termini ought to keep the doors of his mind hospitably open ; and 

 it is refreshing, therefore, to find such scientists as Wallace, Crookes, and M. 

 d'Assier, who is a Positivist, in the ranks of the Psychical Research host. 

 For my own part, though I have attended the seance of a celebrated London 

 medium, and there convinced myself beyond all doubt of his imposture, I no 

 more think that the detection of a medium fraud disposes of the whole 

 question of ghosts, &c., than that the detection of an atheist priest disposes 

 of the whole question of Christianity. Whatever view you take of this con- 

 troversy, however, I can promise you that you will find the book interesting 

 at least if not convincing. " 



"This collection of hopeless trash . . . Col. Olcott's notes are beneath 

 contempt ... a more piteous literary exhibition than the entire volume has 

 rarely come under our notice." Knowledge [?]. 



" An interesting and suggestive volume." New York Tribune. 



"The book is written with evident sincerity." Literary World. 



" There is no end to the wonderful stories in this book." Court Circular. 



"The book may be recommended to the attention of the marines." 

 Scotsman. 



'* A book which will be found very fascinating by all except those persons 

 who have neither interest nor belief for anything but what they can under- 

 stand." Manchester Examiner. 



