Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

CHAPTER IX
COLLECTIVE HYPNOSIS
The Brass Plate
HALLUCINATIONS are one of the commonest forms
of self-deception, and are often extremely difficult
to explain or to account for. A cousin of mine, a
fleet surgeon in the navy all through the war, and
now working for the Admiralty, called last June,
and in course of conversation told me that a great
friend of mine, a Scotch physician who lived near,
had just taken Sir Victor Horsley's old house in
Cavendish Square. I was much surprised, and said
I had only seen him in Harley Street that day, and
had heard nothing of it, and I asked him how he
knew.
"Well," he said, "I was coming to you and
crossed through the Square, and saw a brass plate
on Sir Victor's old house, and out of curiosity I
went up and read it, and there was your friend's
name on his door-plate."
When he had gone away I went to see if it were
true. I found the house on the side of the Square
next to Oxford Street. The door and whole building
were dilapidated, and no sign of a brass plate anywhere.
I met the Scotch doctor, who said he had no
intention of moving from Harley Street, and never