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CHAP. VII. Of the Power of the IMAGINATIVE FACULTY.

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THE Imagination is the strongest and most efficacious of all the Senses; for the Vivacity of all the others (mention’d in Sect. I. Chap. 5.) in some measure, depend upon it.

IT works upon, and affects, others as well as ourselves, and operates in the very Soul, as well as Body of Man; moving the Powers of all the Passions of the Mind.

AS it happens frequently by reason of the Similitude of things; that by seeing or imagining One to eat some sharp or sour Matter, or hearing it only mention’d, Another’s Teeth may be set on edge, and his Tongue wax tart; so by seeing One gape, Another often falls a yawning. In like manner, as the sight of any filthy Thing causeth Nauseousness; so the sight of Man’s Blood, makes many Persons fall a-swooning.

GUILLAUME de Paris writes, that he saw a Man, who at the SIGHT of a Medicine, went to Stool as oft as he pleas’d, tho’ it neither in Substance, Odour, or Taste, did affect him; but only by an Apprehension of a kind of Resemblance. Which is much the same Case of one in a Dream, who thinks he burns and is in a Fire, or as much tormented, as if he did really burn, tho’ far enough from any Substance of Fire; only because of a Resemblance apprehended by the Strength of IMAGINATION.

AND besides, this IMAGINATION hath not only such Power over the Body, but also over the very Soul of Man; which Power of the Soul, hath its respective Influence upon the Body: As Avicen remarkably describes a certain Man, who (when he pleas’d) could affect his Body with the Palsy.

IT is wonderfully related of Gallus Vibius, that he became Mad, not casually, but on purpose; for whilst he imitated Mad-Men, he so assimilated their Madness to himself by the Counterfeit, that he fell at last into real Madness.

St. AUSTIN mentions some Men, who could move their Ears; and others who could move the Crown of their Heads to their Foreheads, and replace them at Pleasure. He writes of Another also, who could sweat whenever he had a mind.

I have likewise known some Persons myself, who could weep and shed abundance of Tears at Will and Pleasure; others, who could bring up what they had swallow’d of any kind, as Gold, Silver, &c; and others again, who could so naturally imitate and express the Voices of Birds, Cattle, Dogs, &c; that they could not easily be distinguished.

YEA, and farther yet, many Learned Authors^[43] testify by divers Examples (of Cajetava, Æmilia, &c.) that Women have been turn’d into Men: Which some would persuade us to believe, to be an Effect of the Force of a vehement IMAGINATION, acting upon the Soul, with which it is of a near Affinity, beyond all the Power of Sense.

AS to this Point, I am no ways to question the Veracity of what so many excellent Men have confirmed; but (granting it to be so) I think we may find more probable Reasons for it, than all the Powers of IMAGINATION, how great soever and marvellous they may be: Whereof I shall mention That, which seems to be the most rational Cause; viz. An extinguish’d or latent forming Faculty^[44], which (however) sometimes has exerted itself again, like the Blazing of a raked or resuscitated Fire.

FOR as our Teeth take their Beginning in the Womb, but are perfected without, as Bartholomæus Eustachius teacheth; and as the Teeth, call’d Dentes sapientiæ, are generated, and break out, even after the 30th Year of our Age: So it may be, that the virile Genitals have been imperfectly begun in the Womb, and that this forming Faculty has only perfected them by little and little; so that at last they have sprung forth and appear’d, after shaking off the Pudendum. And consequently such Women as Those (upon Dancing-Bouts, or the like, when the Blood and natural Heat had been strongly exagitated) have turned into Men.

HOWEVER That be, I very well know that when the Soul is elevated and inflam’d with a fervent IMAGINATION, it may not only affect its own proper Body, but also That of Another.

FOR the Longing of a Woman that has conceiv’d, acts apparently upon Another’s Body, when it marks the Infant in her Womb with the Figure or Mark of the Thing long’d for: Besides, who knows not that one Body may be easily affected with the Vapours of another diseased Body? As is plain in Cases of Plague, Leprosy, and several other Distempers. Thus also in the Effluvia’s or Vapours of the Eyes, there is so great a Power, that they can bewitch and infect the Beholders about them; as the monstrous Catoblepas, and Cockatrice or Basilisk, kill People with their very Looks^[45]. So in like manner Witches by their intent Desire to hurt, have been thought to bewitch Persons most perniciously by their steady malicious Looks only, directed and inforc’d by IMAGINATION.

NOW this Force of IMAGINATION affecting other Bodies, holds good even among Brute-Creatures; as One bit by a Mad Dog, presently falls a-raging, and the Likeness of Dogs is clearly impressed upon his Urine. Moreover, by IMAGINATION in time of copulating, Peacocks and other Birds, impress a particular Colour upon the Wings, &c. of their Brood; and from hence it is, that the Curious may have store of white young-ones, by hanging the Places where they couple with white Linnen-Cloths, Papers, &c: As in Snowy Mountainous Countries we find always white Peacocks, Quails, Wolves, Hares, and other Creatures.

AND This holy Jacob^[46] was not ignorant of, when he used that ingenious subtile Stratagem of placing white-streaked Rods before Laban’s Flocks; which also answer’d effectually, in the Cattle’s producing their speckled and white spotted Young. In like manner by the same Experiment, the curious Admirers may be supply’d with Variety of spotted Birds, speckled Horses, Dogs, &c.

THE Mind also being inflam’d with a vehement IMAGINATION, may affect both the Soul and Body of Another: Which we need not wonder at, considering how much more powerful, fervent, and prevalent the Mind is in its Motion, than any exhaling Vapours; and that it does not want its proper and peculiar Mediums by which it may operate.

THIS (I think) is also evidently shewn from the many Miracles, which we find have been done by Prophets, Apostles, and other Holy Men; (not to mention those Wonders of Pythagoras, Apollonius, Empedocles, &c. which cannot come in Competition with the Others, being ascrib’d to Natural Causes): Whose Minds being firmly fix’d upon God, with full Intent for Good, affected both the Souls and Bodies of others, as well as Themselves, with what Divine Gifts, or other Blessings, they wanted.

HENCE it is that Philosophers advise, to shun the Society of wicked and impious Men; because their Souls, being full (as it were) of pernicious Rays, infect them who are near, with a resembling Contagion: As they enjoin likewise on the other hand, to keep and frequent the Fellowship of good and fortunate Men; because (by such a Proximity) they are diffusive of their own Good, and infuse it into Those about them. For as Bad of something bad, so Good of something good, always descends and adheres to the nighest; which virtually (like the Smell of Musk, or Assa-Fœtida) continues a long time its lasting Impression.

HERE might be indeed a great deal said upon the Efficacy of the Constancy of the Mind; but because I’ve already been too prolix on this Head, I shall only observe, that in all our Business and Applications, a strong IMAGINATION, zealous Affection, firm Hope, and stedfast Belief, are great Advantages, and necessary Helps. As some most excellent Physicians have experimentally verified this Notion, that a strong Belief, and constant Hope, together with the Love and Confidence of the Patient towards the Physician, conduce very much to the Recovery of Health, and sometimes perhaps more than the Medicine itself: Because the firm IMAGINATION of the honest Physician concurring (in effect) with the Medicine, and strongly hoping it will do him Good, he thereby influentially changes the Symptoms, and virtually alters the Qualities in the Body of the Sick; especially if the Patient reposes an entire Confidence in him, by which means he becomes mutually disposed to receive the Virtue of the Physician, as well as That of the Physick.

THE^[47]Arabian Philosophers join’d in this Opinion, establishing it for a Fundamental Maxim among them; that whatever the constant Mind affected with a fervent Desire, would be effected: As in the Case of the MIND of Him, who is vehemently in Love, whatever it affects, has an Efficacy to cause Love; and so in other such like Cases.

BUT however, to come closer to the IMAGINATION of the Pregnant Woman, who knows not that it affects the Infant in the Womb? Whence is it then that we have so many deform’d Persons, crooked Bodies, ugly Aspects, distorted Mouths, wry Noses, and the like, in all Countries; but from the IMAGINATION of the Mother; while she either conceives such shapeless Phantasms in her Mind, or while she frequently and intently fixes her Eyes upon such deform’d Persons or disagreeable OBJECTS? Wherefore it is very wrong, and highly imprudent in Women that have conceived, to please themselves so much in playing with Dogs, Squirrels, Apes, &c. carrying them in their Laps or Bosoms, and feeding, kissing, or hugging them, as I have both often heard, and seen with my own Eyes.

AND besides, the same is the Case, when the Natural Faculties are all at work in forming, or ripening the Fœtus; for if the Woman be surpriz’d at any sudden Evil, or frighted at any unseemly Sight, the Humours and Spirits presently retire downwards, and (as it were) abscond themselves in the Recess of the Womb: From whence immediately a strong IMAGINATION of the disagreeable Thing (whether seen or heard only) seizes her Mind; and the Forming Faculty (going on in the Interim) quickly impresses the Imaginary Idea of That thing heard off, or the Shape and Form of That thing seen, upon the Fœtus. The same is the Reason, that if a Mouse, Rat, Weazel, Cat, or the like, leaps suddenly upon a Woman that has conceived, or if an Apple, Pear, Plum, Cherry, &c. fall upon any part of her Body; the MARK of the thing (be what it will) is instantly imprinted, and will manifestly appear on the same Part, or Member of the CHILD: unless the Woman (in that very Moment) wipe That Part or Member, and move her Hand to some more remote, private, or convenient Place of the Body: which done, the MARK is actually averted, or at least stamped upon the other Part touch’d, where the deep Impression of the Mind, directs, and fixes the IMAGINATION; and whither the Forming Faculty (not so much by any Virtue of the simple Touch, as by Force of the strong IMAGINATION) infallibly converts it.

IN fine, having thus briefly defin’d, and variously described the Powers of IMAGINATION, I come in the next Place, more particularly, to treat of the Reasons of Similitude in Children.