Philosophical Essay on Credulity and Superstition, and Also on Animal Fascination, or Charming (1849)
 
Published in 1849, this rare volume offers a remarkable window into 19th-century thought on belief, skepticism, and the unseen forces said to influence human and animal behavior. Philosophical Essay on Credulity and Superstition, and Also on Animal Fascination, or Charming explores the psychology of belief and the cultural roots of superstition, while also delving into the then-popular theories of “animal fascination”—a precursor to what would later be studied as hypnotism, mesmerism, and psychological suggestion.
The work reflects the intellectual climate of the mid-19th century, when science, philosophy, and folklore overlapped in the effort to explain mysterious phenomena. The author examines how credulity shapes human thought, why societies cling to superstition, and whether the power of fascination (or “charming”) over animals and people arises from natural laws, imagination, or mystical forces.
This book stands as both a study of human psychology and a cultural artifact of the era’s curiosity about the boundaries between rational inquiry and the supernatural. Today, it is prized by collectors for its intersection of philosophy, early psychology, and occult tradition.
Title: Philosophical Essay on Credulity and Superstition, and Also on Animal Fascination, or Charming
Publication Year: 1849
Subjects Covered: Superstition, Folklore, Belief Systems, Animal Fascination (Charming), Early Psychology, Mesmerism
Historical Context: A scholarly attempt to dissect the origins of superstition and examine the mysterious influence attributed to fascination and charm.
Now more than 175 years old, this volume provides a thoughtful and period-authentic exploration of how the 19th century grappled with questions of belief, skepticism, and the unseen powers that seemed to shape both human and animal behavior.
 
Full Table of Contents:
Section I: Mental Origin of Credulity and Superstitions, and its Influence on Ancient Society. 
Section II: Witchcraft 
Section III: Dreams 
Section IV: Ghosts 
Section V: Ecstasy and Trance
 Section VI: Empiricism And Quackery 
Section VII: Homeopathy
Section VIII: Mesmerism
Essay on Animal fascination / Charming
 
This Victorian Era book is a wonderful addition to your historical occult library.
 
206-page hardbound book (+36-page catalogue) 242 pages total.  The book has shelf wear, and the pages have age spots throughout.  The exterior spine has chips. There is a very old signature on the first page. See all photos. The book is fully intact.  This book also contains a unique sales catalogue attachment (in the back of the book) of “New Works and New additions of Standard Books” for by the New York publisher”
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