Phantasms of the Living, Vol. I

Our modern knowledge of hypnotism, hysteria, and hystero-epilepsy A historical diagnostic term for cases of hysteria accompanied by seizure-like symptoms. allows us to account for many phenomena previously attributed to demonic possession—treating them not as fact or fraud, but as bona fide Original: "bonâ fide" (genuine/in good faith). hallucinations . . . . 117-118

Meanwhile, there is absolutely no direct, first-hand, independent testimony for the more bizarre and incredible marvels . . . . 118

The better-attested cases are precisely those that, if genuine, might be explained as telepathic; however, the current evidence is not strong enough to support a definitive conclusion . . . . 119

§ 3. The evidence for telepathy in this work contrasts sharply with the evidence that supported belief in magical occurrences. It comes mostly from educated individuals who were not predisposed to accept the reality of these phenomena. Furthermore, the phenomena are not strongly associated with popular beliefs or habits of thought, unlike, for example, alleged apparitions of the dead. Still, we must not assume on these grounds alone that the evidence is trustworthy . . . . . 120-122

§ 4. Errors can arise from various sources. An error of observation may result in a mistake of identity. A stranger in the street might be mistaken for a friend who has died at that moment, leading to the false claim that a phantom appeared. Yet this hypothesis could only apply to a tiny minority of the cases that follow . . . . 123-125

Error of inference is not a major danger, as the telepathic evidence concerns only what the percipient seemed to see or hear, not their interpretation of it . . . . 125-126

§ 5. More important are errors of narration, caused by the tendency to make an account edifying, graphic, or startling. In first-hand testimony, this is somewhat balanced by the narrator's desire to be believed, which has less influence when the narrator is not personally responsible, such as in the sensational anecdotes found in newspaper gossip . . 126-129

§ 6. Errors of memory are more insidious. If a witness views facts through a specific speculative or emotional lens, their memory may adjust the facts to fit that view, adding or dropping details to create a harmonious narrative. Even without bias, the mere effort to clarify what has become dim may fill in the picture with incorrect detail, or the desire to simplify may invest the event with a false clarity . . 129-131