[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.The case of Lurancy Vennum is perhaps as extreme acase of 'pos- [p.397] session' of the modern sort as one can find.[63] Lurancy was a young girlof fourteen, living with her parents at Watseka, Ill., who (after various distressing hystericaldisorders and spontaneous trances, during which she was possessed by departed spirits of a moreor less grotesque sort) finally declared herself to be animated by the spirit of Mary Roff (aneighbor's daughter, who had died in an insane asylum twelve years before) and insisted onbeing sent 'home' to Mr.Roff's house.After a week of 'homesickness' and importunity on herpart, her parents agreed, and the Roffs, who pitied her, and who were spiritualists into thebargain, took her in.Once there, she seems to have convinced the family that their dead Maryhad exchanged habitations with Lurancy.Lurancy was said to be temporarily in heaven, andMary's spirit now controlled her organism, and lived again in her former earthly home."The girl, now in her new home, seemed perfectly happy and content, knowing every person andeverything that Mary knew when in her original body, twelve to twenty-five years ago,recognizing and calling by name those who were friends and neighbors of the family from 1852to 1865, when Mary died, calling attention to scores, yes, hundreds of incidents that transpiredGet any book for free on: www.Abika.com THE PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY242during her natural life.During all the period of her sojourn at Mr.Roff's she had no knowledgeof, and did not recognize, any of Mr.Vennum's family, their friends or neighbors, yet Mr.andMrs.Vennum and their children visited her and Mr.Roff's people, she being introduced to themas to any strangers.After frequent visits, and hearing them often and favorably spoken of, shelearned to love them as acquaintances, and visited them with Mrs.Roff three times.From day today she appeared natural, easy, affable, and industrious, attending diligently and faithfully to herhousehold duties, assisting in the general work of the family as a faithful, prudent daughter mightbe supposed to do, singing, reading, or conversing as opportunity offered, upon all matters ofprivate or general interest to the family."The so-called Mary whilst at the Roffs' would sometimes 'go back to heaven,' and leave the bodyin a 'quiet trance,' i.e., without the original personality of Lurancy returning.After eight or nineweeks however, the memory and manner of Lurancy would sometimes partially, but not entirely,return for a few minutes.Once Lurancy seems to [p.398] have taken full possession for a shorttime.At last, after some fourteen weeks, comformably to the prophecy which 'Mary' had madewhen she first assumed 'control,' she departed definitively and the Lurancy-consciousness cameback for good.Mr.Roff writes:"She wanted me to take her home, which I did.She called me Mr.Roff, and talked with me as ayoung girl would, not being acquainted.I asked her how things appeared to her - if they seemednatural.She said it seemed like a dream to her.She met her parents and brothers in a veryaffectionate manner, hugging and kissing each one in tears of gladness.She clasped her armsaround her father's neck a long time, fairly smothering him with kisses.I saw her father just now(eleven o'clock).He says she has been perfectly natural, and seems entirely well."Lurancy's mother writes, a couple of months later, that she was"perfectly and entirely well and natural.For two or three weeks after her return home, sheseemed a little strange to what she had been before she was taken sick last summer, but only,perhaps, the natural change that had taken place with the girl, and except it seemed to her asthough she had been dreaming or sleeping, etc.Lurancy has been smarter, more intelligent, moreindustrious, more womanly, and more polite than before.We give the credit of her complete cureand restoration to her family, to Dr.E.W.Stevens, and Mr.and Mrs.Roff, by their obtaining herremoval to Mr.Roff's, where her cure was perfected.We firmly believe that, had she remained athome, she would have died, or we would have been obliged to send her to the insane asylum; andif so, that she would have died there; and further, that I could not have lived a short time with thecare and trouble devolving on me.Several of the relatives of Lurancy, including ourselves, nowbelieve she was cured by spirit power, and that Mary Roff controlled the girl."Eight years later, Lurancy was reported to be married and a mother, and in good health.She hadapparently outgrown the mediumistic phase of her existence
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
