A New Theory of Trance . 
[January, 
76 
be understood by the human mind ; therefore we were coun- 
selled to join ourselves to the idols of our ignorance, and 
let them alone. But how far, we would ask, should we 
have advanced in civilisation had such advice been fol- 
lowed ? We believe that by adopting true scientific method 
in such investigations as the one now under consideration 
the mysteries of Trance and the phenomena ascribed to 
Spiritualism will ultimately be unravelled. Let us see how 
far Dr. Beard’s new theory contributes to this much-to-be- 
desired end. 
The nature of trance is, he contends, a functional disease 
of the nervous system, in which the cerebral activity is 
concentrated in some limited region of the brain, with sus- 
pension of the activity of the rest of the brain, and conse- 
quent loss of volition. It is the prime requisite of a 
scientific hypothesis that it should account for all the 
phenomena embraced under the department to which it 
applies. The hypothesis that trance is a morbid state, 
consisting in a concentration of the cerebral force in some 
limited region of the brain, the activity of other portions 
being meanwhile suspended, seems to account for all the 
real phenomena of this state, all its different forms and 
stages. 
Trance, like other functional nervous diseases, may be 
induced either physically or psychically. 
Among the physical causes are injuries of the brain, the 
exhaustion of protracted disease or of starvation, or of over 
exertion, anaesthetics, alcohol and many drugs, and certain 
cerebral diseases. Ordinary sleep may act as an exciting 
cause, as is illustrated in the somnambulistic form of trance. 
Under the psychical causes are included all conceivable 
influences whatsoever, that may powerfully excite any 
emotion or group of emotions. 
For the sake of convenience of description Dr. Beard 
divides trance into four varieties — the spontaneous, the self- 
induced, the emotional, and the intellectual trance. In strict- 
ness these varieties may to a certain extent include each 
other, and in using these terms this fact should be borne in 
mind. Thus, the intellectual trance is spontaneous, al- 
though the majority of the cases of spontaneous trance are 
not also intellectual. The self-induced trance may be partly 
emotional, but it is not entirely so. 
A typical form of spontaneous trance is natural somnam- 
bulism, or sleep-walking — a term which is vaguely used by 
many writers to include all phases of trance, excepting 
those which are produced by performances of mesmerisers, 
