The Law of Psychic Phenomena. Thomson Jay Hudson

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      Table of Contents

       CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY.

       CHAPTER II. DUALITY AND SUGGESTION.

       CHAPTER III. REASONING POWERS OF THE TWO MINDS DIFFERENTIATED.

       CHAPTER IV. PERFECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND.

       CHAPTER V. SUBJECTIVE MEMORY (continued).

       CHAPTER VI. PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE.

       CHAPTER VII. EFFECTS OF ADVERSE SUGGESTION.

       CHAPTER VIII. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM.

       CHAPTER IX. HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM (continued).

       CHAPTER X. HYPNOTISM AND CRIME.

       CHAPTER XI. PSYCHO-THERAPEUTICS.

       CHAPTER XII. PSYCHO-THERAPEUTICS (continued).

       CHAPTER XIII. A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS.

       CHAPTER XIV. A NEW SYSTEM OF MENTAL THERAPEUTICS (continued).

       CHAPTER XV. THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM.

       CHAPTER XVI. THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM (continued).

       CHAPTER XVII. THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM (continued).

       CHAPTER XVIII. THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM (continued).

       CHAPTER XIX. THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM.

       CHAPTER XX. PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD.

       CHAPTER XXI. SUSPENDED ANIMATION AND PREMATURE BURIAL.

       CHAPTER XXII. PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.

       CHAPTER XXIII. THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST.

       CHAPTER XXIV. THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRIST (continued).

       CHAPTER XXV. THE SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST.

       CHAPTER XXVI. THE MISSION OF CHRIST; FUTURE REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS.

       CHAPTER XXVII. DEDUCTIONS FROM VARIOUS ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL.

CHAPTER I.

      INTRODUCTORY.

       Table of Contents

      Necessity of a Working Hypothesis.—The Newtonian Hypothesis.—The Atomic Theory.—A Psychological Hypothesis necessary.—Theories of Hypnotism and Mesmerism.—Spiritism.—Mental Therapeutics.—Liébault's Law of Suggestion.—Duality of Mind.—A Working Hypothesis for Psychology formulated.—Its Three Terms.

      Substantial progress in any science is impossible in the absence of a working hypothesis which is universal in its application to the phenomena pertaining to the subject-matter. Indeed, until such an hypothesis is discovered and formulated, no subject of human investigation can properly be said to be within the domain of the exact sciences. Thus, astronomy, previous to the promulgation of Kepler's Laws and the formulation of the Newtonian hypothesis of gravitation, was in a state of chaos, and its votaries were hopelessly divided by conflicting theories. But the moment Newton promulgated his theorem a revolution began which eventually involved the whole scientific world. Astronomy was rescued from the domain of empiricism, and became an exact science. What the Newtonian hypothesis did for astronomy, the atomic theory has done for chemistry. It enables one skilled in that science to practise it with a certainty of results in exact proportion to his knowledge of its principles and his skill in applying them to the work in hand. He knows that if he can combine hydrogen and oxygen, in the proportion of two atoms of the former to one of the latter, water will be the result. He knows that one atom, or part, of oxygen and one of carbon combined under heat will produce carbonic oxide—a poisonous gas; that the addition of another atom, or part, of oxygen will produce carbonic anhydride (dioxide)—a harmless gas; and so on throughout the vast realm of chemical combinations.

      The fact that the literal correctness of a given hypothesis is not demonstrable except by results, in no wise militates against its value in the domain to which it belongs. Indeed, it would cease to be a hypothesis the moment it were demonstrated. Newton's theorem is undemonstrable except from its results. Its correspondence, however, with every known fact, the facility with which astronomical calculations can be made, and the precision with which every result can be predicted, constitute a sufficient demonstration of its substantial correctness to inspire the absolute confidence of the scientific world. No one would hesitate to act in the most important concerns of life—nay, to stake his very existence—upon calculations based upon Newton's hypothesis. Yet there are not found wanting men who deny or doubt its abstract correctness. Volumes have been written to disprove it. But as no one has yet discovered a fact or witnessed a phenomenon outside of its domain, the world refuses to surrender its convictions. When such a fact is discovered, then, and not till then, will there arise a necessity for revising the "Principia." It is a trite and true saying that one antagonistic fact СКАЧАТЬ