As there are, undeniably, many examples of hallucinatory appearances of persons in perfect health and ordinary circumstances, the question has been asked whether there are more cases of an apparition coinciding with death than, according to the doctrine of chances, there ought to be.  Out of about 18,000 answers to questions on this subject, has been deduced the conclusion that the deaths do coincide with the apparitions to an extent beyond mere accident.  Even if we had an empty hallucination for every case coinciding with death, we could not set the coincidences down to mere chance.  As well might we say that if “at the end of an hour’s rifle practice at long-distance range, the record shows that for every shot that has hit the bull’s eye, another has missed the target, therefore the shots that hit the target did so by accident.” {92} But as empty hallucinations are more likely to be forgotten than those which coincide with a death; as exaggeration creeps in, as the collectors of evidence are naturally inclined to select and question people whom they know to have a good story to tell, the evidence connecting apparitions, voices, and so on with deaths is not likely to be received with favour.

One thing must be remembered as affecting the theory that the coincidence between the wraith and the death is purely an accident.  Everybody dreams and out of the innumerable dreams of mankind, a few must hit the mark by a fluke.  But hallucinations are not nearly so common as dreams.  Perhaps, roughly speaking, one person in ten has had what he believes to be a waking hallucination.  Therefore, so to speak, compared with dreams, but a small number of shots of this kind are fired.  Therefore, bull’s eyes (the coincidence between an appearance and a death) are infinitely less likely to be due to chance in the case of waking hallucinations than in the case of dreams, which all mankind are firing off every night of their lives.  Stories of these coincidences between appearances and deaths are as common as they are dull.  Most people come across them in the circle of their friends.  They are all very much alike, and make tedious reading.  We give a few which have some picturesque features.

IN TAVISTOCK PLACE {93}

“In the latter part of the autumn of 1878, between half-past three and four in the morning, I was leisurely walking home from the house of a sick friend.  A middle-aged woman, apparently a nurse, was slowly following, going in the same direction.  We crossed Tavistock Square together, and emerged simultaneously into Tavistock Place.  The streets and squares were deserted, the morning bright and calm, my health excellent, nor did I suffer from anxiety or fatigue.  A man suddenly appeared, striding up Tavistock Place, coming towards me, and going in a direction opposite to mine.  When first seen he was standing exactly in front of my own door (5 Tavistock Place).  Young and ghastly pale, he was dressed in evening