by Edgar Allan Poe

WHATEVER doubt may still envelop the rationale of mesmerism, its startling facts are now almost universally admitted latter, those who doubt, are your mere doubters by profession - an unprofitable and disreputable tribe There no more absolute waste attempt to prove_, present day, that man, by mere exercise of will, can so impress his fellow, cast him into an abnormal condition, the phenomena resemble very closely those of death_, or resemble them more nearly than the phenomena of normal condition within our cognizance ; that, while state, the person so impressed employs only with effort, and then feebly, the external organs of sense, yet perceives, with keenly refined perception, and through channels supposed unknown, matters beyond the scope physical organs ; that, moreover, his intellectual faculties are wonderfully exalted and invigorated ; that his sympathies person so impressing him are profound ; and, finally, that his susceptibility impression increases with its frequency, while, same proportion, the peculiar phenomena elicited are more extended and more pronounced

- which are the laws of mesmerism in its general features - it supererogation to demonstrate ; nor shall I inflict upon my readers so needless demonstration ; to-day My purpose at present is very different one indeed impelled, even teeth of world of prejudice, to detail without comment the very remarkable substance of colloquy, occurring between sleep-waker and myself

I long habit of mesmerizing the person , ( Mr Vankirk,) usual acute susceptibility and exaltation mesmeric perception had supervened For many months he laboring under confirmed phthisis, the more distressing effects relieved by my manipulations ; and night of Wednesday, the fifteenth instant, summoned bedside

The invalid was suffering with acute pain region heart, and breathed with great difficulty, having all the ordinary symptoms of asthma In spasms such he had usually found relief application of mustard nervous centres, but to-night this attempted in vain

As I entered his room he greeted me with cheerful smile, and although evidently in much bodily pain, appeared , mentally, quite at ease

" to-night," , "not to administer to my bodily ailment, satisfy me concerning certain psychal impressions which, of late, have occasioned me much anxiety and surprise not tell you how sceptical hitherto been topic soul's immortality deny that there has always existed, very soul which denying, vague half-sentiment own existence But this half-sentiment at no time amounted to conviction With it my reason had nothing All attempts at logical inquiry resulted, indeed, in leaving me more sceptical than before I advised to study Cousin I studied him own works as in those European and American echoes The 'Charles Elwood' of Mr Brownson, for example, was placed in my hands it with profound attention Throughout it logical, but the portions which _merely logical were unhappily the initial arguments disbelieving hero book summing up it seemed evident reasoner even succeeded in convincing himself His end had plainly forgotten his beginning, like the government of Trinculo In short, not long in perceiving that if man intellectually convinced own immortality, never be so convinced mere abstractions been the fashion moralists of England, of France, and of Germany Abstractions may amuse and exercise, but take no hold mind Here upon earth, , philosophy, persuaded, will always in vain call upon us to look upon qualities as things The will may assent - the soul - the intellect, never

"I repeat, then, that I only half felt, and never intellectually believed But latterly certain deepening feeling, until it so nearly to resemble the acquiescence of reason, that it difficult to distinguish two enabled, too, plainly to trace this effect mesmeric influence better explain my meaning than hypothesis mesmeric exaltation enables me to perceive train of ratiocination which, in my abnormal existence, convinces, but which, in full accordance mesmeric phenomena, extend, except effect_, into my normal condition In sleep-waking, the reasoning and its conclusion - the cause and its effect - are present together In my natural state, the cause vanishing, the effect only, and perhaps only partially, remains

"These considerations have led me that some good results might ensue from series of well-directed questions propounded while mesmerized often observed the profound self-cognizance evinced sleep-waker - the extensive knowledge he displays upon all points relating mesmeric condition itself ; and self-cognizance deduced hints proper conduct of catechism "

I consented this experiment few passes threw Mr Vankirk mesmeric sleep His breathing became immediately more easy, and to suffer no physical uneasiness The following conversation then ensued: - V dialogue representing the patient, and P myself

P asleep ?

V Yes - no rather sleep more soundly

P [_After few more passes ] sleep now ?

V Yes

P How your present illness will result ?

V [_After long hesitation and speaking with effort ] die

P Does the idea of death afflict you ?

V [_Very quickly ] No - no !

P pleased prospect ?

V If I were awake like to die, but now no matter The mesmeric condition is so near death content me

P explain yourself, Mr Vankirk

V willing , but it requires more effort than able question me properly

P What then shall I ask ?

V begin beginning

P The beginning ! but where beginning ?

V beginning is GOD [_This was said in low, fluctuating tone, and with every sign most profound veneration ]

P What then is God ?

V [_Hesitating for many minutes ] tell

P God spirit ?

V While awake what you meant by "spirit," but now it seems only word - such for instance as truth, beauty - quality, I mean

P God immaterial ?

V no immateriality - mere word That not matter, at all - unless qualities are things

P Is God, then, material ?

V No [_This reply startled me ]

P What then is he ?

V [_After long pause, and mutteringly ] - but thing difficult [_Another long pause ] spirit, for he exists Nor is he matter, understand it But gradations of matter man knows nothing ; the grosser impelling the finer, the finer pervading the grosser The atmosphere, for example, impels the electric principle, while the electric principle permeates the atmosphere These gradations of matter increase in rarity or fineness, until we arrive at matter _unparticled - without particles - indivisible - one and here the law of impulsion and permeation is modified The ultimate, or unparticled matter, permeates all things but impels all things - and thus is all things within itself is God What men attempt to embody word "thought," is in motion

P The metaphysicians maintain that all action is reducible to motion and thinking, and latter origin former

V Yes ; and I now see the confusion of idea Motion action of mind - not of thinking The unparticled matter, or God, in quiescence, is (as nearly conceive it) what men call mind power of self-movement (equivalent in effect to human volition) is, unparticled matter, the result unity and omniprevalence ; how not, and now clearly see that never know But the unparticled matter, set in motion by law, or quality, existing within itself, is thinking

P me no more precise idea of what you term the unparticled matter ?

V The matters man is cognizant, escape the senses in gradation , for example, metal, piece of wood, drop of water, the atmosphere, gas, caloric, electricity, the luminiferous ether Now we call all these things matter, and embrace all matter in one general definition ; but , there no two ideas more essentially distinct than that which we attach to metal, which we attach luminiferous ether When we reach the latter, an almost irresistible inclination to class it with spirit, or with nihility The only consideration which restrains us is our conception atomic constitution ; and here, even, to seek aid notion of an atom, as something possessing in infinite minuteness, solidity, palpability, weight Destroy the idea atomic constitution and no longer to regard the ether as an entity, or as matter For want of better word term it spirit Take, now, step beyond the luminiferous ether - conceive matter more rare ether, ether is more rare metal, and we arrive at once ( of all the school dogmas) at unique mass - an unparticled matter For although admit infinite littleness atoms themselves, the infinitude of littleness spaces is an absurdity point - degree of rarity, at which, atoms are sufficiently numerous, the interspaces must vanish, mass absolutely coalesce But the consideration atomic constitution being now taken away, the nature mass inevitably glides into what we conceive of spirit clear, however, as fully matter as before The truth is, impossible to conceive spirit, since impossible to imagine not When we flatter ourselves that formed its conception, merely deceived our understanding consideration of infinitely rarified matter