Note 136 — Chapter VII · PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD

Certain statistics as to these time-relations are given by Edmund Gurney as follows (Proceedings S.P.R., vol. v. p. 408): "The statistics drawn from the first-hand records in Phantasms of the Living as to the time-relation of appearances, etc., occurring in close proximity to deaths, are as follows:—In 134 cases the coincidence is represented as having been exact, or, when times are specifically stated, close to within an hour. In 104 cases it is not known whether the percipient's experience preceded or followed the death; such cases cannot be taken account of for our present purpose. There remain 78 cases where it appears that there was an interval of more than an hour; and of these 38 preceded and 40 followed the death. Of the 38 cases where the percipient's experience preceded the death (all of which, of course, took place during a time when the "agent" was seriously ill), 19 fell within twenty-four hours of the death. Of the 40 cases where the percipient's experience followed the death, all followed within an interval of twenty-four hours, and in only one (included by mistake) was the twelve hours' interval certainly exceeded, though there are one or two others where it is possible that it was slightly exceeded."