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A review by beaconatnight
Mesmeric Revelation by Edgar Allan Poe
3.0
In the history of science the discovery of magnetism is quite remarkable. Naturalist were struck by certain observable phenomena (like the behavior of compasses) that lead to the postulation of magnetic fields which themselves are not perceivable with our senses. In the 19th century only few educated men would deny the existence of these fields, especially after the famous experiment conducted by Hans Christian Ørsted demonstrated the relationship between magnetism and electricity.
It's a curious quality of the scientific method that once a theoretical entity is firmly established it can be used to explain new observations. The German doctor Franz Mesmer proposed that similar fields proceeded from living beings and that they could be leveraged for healing and diagnosis in form in hypnosis. The theory was variously dubbed animal magnetism or mesmerism and modern-day readers might be surprised to learn that it was highly influential during Poe's lifetime.
As the title explicitly suggests, it figured prominently in his "Mesmeric Revelation" (1844). While many of its premises are dubious to say the least, the narrator remarks to the contrary that in his present day no one would deny mesmerism. Notwithstanding, the philosophical dispute about life after death and the nature of God remains fascinating to this day.
The story depicts a conversation that a hypnotist (as the mesmeric practitioners were called) has with his consumptive patient. If I understand the setting correctly, then this suggested state of mind allows the patient deeper self knowledge and he is able to communicate his experiences to his doctor. The doctor, who is the narrator of the story, is forthright with the reader that he couldn't save the man. Still, as magnetism keeps his consciousness alive beyond the threshold of death, he is able to give unique testament of the other side.
While the short story presents itself as a fictional tale, with themes familiar from Poe's general oeuvre, it does take the exchange of reasons and arguments seriously. Or maybe that's not an accurate way to put this. The dying himself admits that he tried to solve the existential mysteries by use of reason and by reading the philosophers of his day (Victor Cousin is explicitly mentioned). He came to the conclusion that no arguing would ever convince him about the immortality of the soul one way or another. What he now experiences is first-hand insight into the metaphysical realm.
Naturally, the doctor takes up this opportunity to prompt him about many of the issues that bothered the great minds. They talk about the nature of matter and how even the Mind was matter in another sense. He claims to have discovered that the individual Mind was undividable matter and that all animals (including humanity) were thoughts in the Mind that was God (a theme that recurs in "The Power of Words"). He argues that the idea of inferiority of matter as compared to the spiritual was a misunderstanding based on misconceived notions.
He also talks about the nature of our existence. He likens men to caterpillars and portrays death as the painful metamorphosis to another plain of existence. In this analogy the human individual somehow possessed two bodies, but that only the form after death was what eventually matters. In his current mesmeric consciousness he was already aware of what we would see after this transition and that we will be able to witness the things as they are in themselves. Suffering was somehow the necessary prerequisite for the happiness to come.
As you might have realized, it's very esoteric stuff. Much of it reads like Scholastic theology. It's still entertaining, though, for its coherence and the noticeably darker touch. However, it was still a bit dull, as fascination with metaphysics hinges on the assumption that reason somehow compels us to ask questions that our limited minds cannot answer. Yet, Mesmerism would cheat the finiteness of human existence and disparage divine questions to the easily answerable.
P.S.: As far as I'm concerned, the philosophical spirit was the essence of the tale. If you are more interested in the external circumstances of the conversation, you'll find it described in more detail in Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar".
It's a curious quality of the scientific method that once a theoretical entity is firmly established it can be used to explain new observations. The German doctor Franz Mesmer proposed that similar fields proceeded from living beings and that they could be leveraged for healing and diagnosis in form in hypnosis. The theory was variously dubbed animal magnetism or mesmerism and modern-day readers might be surprised to learn that it was highly influential during Poe's lifetime.
As the title explicitly suggests, it figured prominently in his "Mesmeric Revelation" (1844). While many of its premises are dubious to say the least, the narrator remarks to the contrary that in his present day no one would deny mesmerism. Notwithstanding, the philosophical dispute about life after death and the nature of God remains fascinating to this day.
The story depicts a conversation that a hypnotist (as the mesmeric practitioners were called) has with his consumptive patient. If I understand the setting correctly, then this suggested state of mind allows the patient deeper self knowledge and he is able to communicate his experiences to his doctor. The doctor, who is the narrator of the story, is forthright with the reader that he couldn't save the man. Still, as magnetism keeps his consciousness alive beyond the threshold of death, he is able to give unique testament of the other side.
While the short story presents itself as a fictional tale, with themes familiar from Poe's general oeuvre, it does take the exchange of reasons and arguments seriously. Or maybe that's not an accurate way to put this. The dying himself admits that he tried to solve the existential mysteries by use of reason and by reading the philosophers of his day (Victor Cousin is explicitly mentioned). He came to the conclusion that no arguing would ever convince him about the immortality of the soul one way or another. What he now experiences is first-hand insight into the metaphysical realm.
Naturally, the doctor takes up this opportunity to prompt him about many of the issues that bothered the great minds. They talk about the nature of matter and how even the Mind was matter in another sense. He claims to have discovered that the individual Mind was undividable matter and that all animals (including humanity) were thoughts in the Mind that was God (a theme that recurs in "The Power of Words"). He argues that the idea of inferiority of matter as compared to the spiritual was a misunderstanding based on misconceived notions.
He also talks about the nature of our existence. He likens men to caterpillars and portrays death as the painful metamorphosis to another plain of existence. In this analogy the human individual somehow possessed two bodies, but that only the form after death was what eventually matters. In his current mesmeric consciousness he was already aware of what we would see after this transition and that we will be able to witness the things as they are in themselves. Suffering was somehow the necessary prerequisite for the happiness to come.
As you might have realized, it's very esoteric stuff. Much of it reads like Scholastic theology. It's still entertaining, though, for its coherence and the noticeably darker touch. However, it was still a bit dull, as fascination with metaphysics hinges on the assumption that reason somehow compels us to ask questions that our limited minds cannot answer. Yet, Mesmerism would cheat the finiteness of human existence and disparage divine questions to the easily answerable.
P.S.: As far as I'm concerned, the philosophical spirit was the essence of the tale. If you are more interested in the external circumstances of the conversation, you'll find it described in more detail in Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar".