The object happens _not_ to be there, that is all." {0a} We are not here concerned with the visions of insanity, delirium, drugs, drink, remorse, or anxiety, but with "sporadic cases of hallucination, visiting people only once in a lifetime, which seems to be by far the most frequent type".

"These," says Mr.James, "are on any theory hard to understand in detail.

They are often extraordinarily complete; and the fact that many of them are reported as _veridical_, that is, as coinciding with real events, such as accidents, deaths, etc., of the persons seen, is an additional complication of the phenomenon." {0b} A ghost, if seen, is undeniably so far a "hallucination" that it gives the impression of the presence of a real person, in flesh, blood, and usually clothes.

No such person in flesh, blood, and clothes, is actually there.

So far, at least, every ghost is a hallucination, "_that_" in the language of Captain Cuttle, "you may lay to," without offending science, religion, or common-sense.