The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
Description
In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar," the narrator, a practitioner of mesmerism, seeks to determine if a dying person can be mesmerized to delay death. He chooses his friend, M. Valdemar, who is terminally ill with tuberculosis, as the subject. After Valdemar consents, the narrator hypnotizes him on the eve of his expected death. Valdemar's condition appears to stabilize, and he remains in a trance for seven months. When the narrator attempts to awaken him, Valdemar's body rapidly decomposes, revealing the dangers of tampering with the natural course of life and death.