wardly impressed, or arise from the inner hallucinations.

Extasy is a higher class, to which partic tive and religious minds are liable when t circumstances favourable to it. In this f the mind is augmented, especially the fanc to such a height that one is often tempte change of individuality, or the possession other powers. This form is that which prominent part in the whole history of ancients, and also that which, in mag excites the greatest interest at the present ways in which it is manifested will be sequel. The principal feature, in most ins poetic flight of the imagination, and a sp enthusiasm. These visions either proceed fancy, or from overflowing religious sourc however, follow from this that, in extasy powers of the mind are constant, or that a fect state is produced. The visions var convulsions with which they are usually ass are the religious manifestations certain. subject may sing hymns, at another he ma hibit the most frightful contortions of visa the inner form and constitution of the ima may be compared to the poet.

The ideas of glorious creations float befo the true artist in the utmost luxuriance. Madonnas like Raphael, if they did not how a species of extasy? The painter, Angelico fell into such extatic states during his artis in them, saw ideal pictures; and, acco (Mystic 1, 155), Michael Angelo is repor that no man could have painted such pictu seen the original."

66

Religious visions take place at longer in often confirmed, or even produced, by an national disposition or education. To th

cularly contempla hey are placed in Form the activity of y and imagination ed to believe in a and influence of plays the most magic among the netic phenonema, day. The various explained in the tances, is a certain ecies of religious from an intense es. It does not. - the augmented uniform and - as much as the ciated. Neither At one time the ✓ curse, and exIt is only in gination that he

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vaསVI པསVIVI༠, vHIཨཔཙ, ཨསས PIVIIIIpD VVIITVདས

gories. A certain difference is, however, produced by their national and historic positions as well as by the various forms of religion. Görres in his "Mystic" furnishes many and impressive examples, particularly of Christian estaticas. Such, for instance, are the visions and extasies of St. Catharine, St. Hildegard, St. Theresa, and others. One instance is given by Kieser, extracted from Orlandini, of St. Xaverius, a Jesuit. In the 17th century, Xaverius had urgently recommended a crusade against the pirates of Malacca. During the preparations, and even at the very time of the battle itself, Xaverius fell into an extatic state in which, at a distance of two hundred Portugese miles, he was, as it were, a witness of the combat. He foretold that the victory would be on the side of the Christians; saw that one vessel which sank, before the departure of the fleet, was replaced by another; described every minute particular of the battle, stated the exact hour, imagined himself in the midst of the struggle, and announced the arrival of the messenger on a certain day. Every particular of which was fulfilled in the most perfect

manner.

This is a specimen of clairvoyance in a Catholic priest. Another instance of hidden circumstances being seen, is given by Schubert (Berichte eines Visionärs, &c., 1837, p. 30), which took place in a simple, but very religiously inclined, gardener's daughter.

He says, "I know the history of a gardener's daughter who had the power of seeing visions; she was betrothed, but many obstacles stood in the way of the union. The continued anxieties, the long interval of uncertainty, made her very excited and delicate. When she was occupied with her work in the garden, it seemed to her as if she saw a pillar of smoke, in which stood a human form. This figure also appeared to her at night, when she was at rest and felt no dizziness in the head. It may, perhaps, be said that this dizziness, which arose from the blood, produced these phantoms. But the figure was not solitary, others came who

done. It may again be said, leeches v remedy, and would have banished all suc the girl was made a confidant by her inv many long-forgotten events and family ci were substantiated by reference to dee which many lay in Vienna; documents of living, and certainly least of all the gard the suburb, could have known anything may call this imposture, or chance. For say what they will; the communication made were such as a man might be sup one who approaches him in his last mome of his distant family. The gardener's things as were seen by Concorde in the C

Lastly, one step higher than extasy is true inspiration. In both of the last r shows that by his erect position, which into a region above the earth, he is enable prehend more than the most acute se animal; we perceive in him a velocity of the tornado, or lightning, is not to be co true completeness, and the most perfec human mind, is only shown in clairvoyance tion. The working and activity of religio particular, is the higher self-consciousn recurring changes and retrograding intern still seen in the lower stages. As the everything earthly, so does a weak body such inspirations, a superhuman power, in this earth are as mere playthings. The st by the holy enthusiasm, becomes a fiery and outward works of love and virtue humility and self-sacrifice! Fisher divides the inner senses into somnambulism, vision clairvoyance. Dreams form the lowest sta state of consciousness in the somnambulist or walks, or does various actions in his slee Clairvoyance is itself the highest stage of

These visions, which do not alone refer

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which also appeal to the organs of hearing, smell, taste, and feeling, will be treated with under the various sections to which they belong. We have already spoken of the poetic power (Phantisticon) according to its causes. Ghost-seeing is particularly distinguished by a very sensitive organization, a sensitive heart, and a delicate constitution, as well as a mind which accommodates itself rapidly to all circumstances. Secondly, a diseased state of the circulation and the nervous system, and often also of the stomach; inflammations and irritations of the brain and the organs of the senses: these are the principal sources of visions. Among these may be recounted delirium and monomania, where the intellect is entirely subject to the imagination. Thirdly, religious education and an inclination for deep reflection, an ascetic life and fasting: these are all favourable to visions. In many saints of the early Christian ages, and of many nations, these circumstances are evidently to be regarded as assisting causes. Fourthly, outward irritations and artificial means have continually been used. Among the former may be named the narcotics, wine, opium among the Orientals, the Soma of the Brahmins, the vapours arising from the Delphian chasm, which, according to Davy's investigations, was oxydized nitrogen gas; fumigation with incense in temples, sandalwood, aloe, mastic, saffron, sulphur, &c., and anointing the body with narcotic salves (witch-salve). Fifthly, we may also include the peculiar ceremonies, and inclination to fear and expectation, aroused by preparatory words, songs, and prayers.

According to these causes, visions may be placed in various classes. Those originating in an inner disposition of the mind towards veneration, belong to religion and the histories of the Saints already mentioned, and arise involuntarily without any outward application; but in magic visions, Demons are invoked by means of assisting substances. The sorcerer

raises and lays spirits, while to the religious enthusiast they appear voluntarily; in the latter it is rather a pleasant communion with a divine being, with which the Brahmin associates as with a friend; in the former, a species of hellish compulsion.

I feel that all my heart to thee is given;

Thou shalt appear, even though it cost my life!

To the timid, every mist rolls into a terrific giant shadow. To-day Venus appears to the lover as the majestic daughter of Jupiter, full of radiant beauty—

Quisquis amat ranam ranam putat esse Dianam ;"

To-morrow the Son of Erebus stands before him with the servants of darkness, with pain and sorrow, with enmity and contention.

When the outward senses are lulled to sleep by ceremonies and incense to give space to the inward extasy, their activity gradually flows to the latter.

Petrus de Albano (Elementa magica) describes the spirits appearing after an incantation, as shadows of the twilight and half-sleep, and as ideal forms of the sight and hearing under the shapes of men and animals-" quibus rite peractis apparebunt infinito visiones et phantasmata, pulsantia organa et omnis generis instrumenta musica. Post hæc videbis infinitos sagittarios cum infinita multitudine bestiarum horribilium." Opium produces visions of paradise and its pleasures, and it as well as other narcotics also occasion a sensation of flying, and being raised through the air. Such narcotics were mixed with the salves after anointing with which the witches rode to the Blocksberg on broom-handles and goats. Nitrogen gas produces delusions of all kinds of animals, frogs and fiery shapes; as, in intoxication, phantom worms and insects are seen. The northern seers produce extasy by noisy music and drums; the African savages by dances which produce dizziness, and in that state the former foretell the arrival of foreign ships, and the fortunes of their friends and relatives, and the latter behold all the houris and angelic hosts of the Mohammedan paradise.

A certain difference of form arises according as the visions are produced by subjective impressions of the inner senses, or by outward objects. Such are the visions of common dreams, of sleep-walking, of fever, of nervous affections, unstable and intangible; more regular are those of magnetic clairvoyance and the higher inspiration.

All visions which present themselves to the vision-seer may be classed as subjective expressions of the inner senses; for when the visions have a common and objective cause, many persons, though not all, may behold the same ideal