The Penetralia; being Harmonial Answers to Important Questions

Boston: Bela Marsh, 1856. First edition. First edition. 8vo hardcover in blindstamped black cloth with spine lettered in gilt. 328 pp. About very good, shallow loss to the spine ends and wear at the bottom dge of the front cover. Occasional foxing to the text and two small newspaper clippings pinned to the rear endpaper. Andrew Jackson Davis (1826-1910) was a noted mid 19th century American spiritualist; after hearing a lecture on "animal magnetism" (hypnotism) in the lower Hudson Valley of New York, he claimed clairvoyant powers and eventually became known as "The Poughkeepsie Seer" and practiced magnetic healing with reportedly significant success. (Edgar Allan Poe was influenced, after hearing a Davis lecture, in the writing of "The Facts In The Case of M. Valdemar". He was an early supporter of the theory of evolution as opposed to creationism, was a seminal figure in the area of spiritualism, and esposed what was termed "harmonial philosophy". Ant early edition of "The Penetralia" is quite scarce and the first ediiton particularly so. Item #E19114

Price: $425.00

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