m^K——
——
Library Yale University III
III
|
!
II
I
III
11 II
39002022396130
JvlIND
READING
;\
I i,-'
.w
I
DWTO Hypnotize
<£,
ROCK BREAKING TEST.
COMPLETE
HYPNOTISM MESMERISM, MIND READING AND SPIRITUALISM
HOW TO
HYPNOTIZE
Being an Exhaustive and Practical System of Method, Application and Use
BY \v
Illustrated
Chicago
M. A.
DONOHUE &
CO.
Copyright 1903.
M. A. Donohue
&
Co.
— —
CONTENTS. Introduction — History
of hypnotism— Mesmer Puysegur Braid What is hypnotism? Theories of hypnotism: 1. Animal magnetism; 2. The Neurosis Theory; 3. Suggestion Theory 7
—
—
Chapter I— How
—
Hypnotize— Dr. Cocke's method — The French method at Paris At Nancy The Hindoo silent method How to wake a subject from hypnotic sleep Frauds of public to
Dr. Flint's method
—
—
—
hypnotic entertainments
43
— Amusing experiments — Hypnotizing on —"You can't pull your hands apart!" — Post hypnotic suggestion — The newsboy, the hunter, and the young man with the rag doll — A whip becomes hot iron — Courting a broom stick — The side-show
Chapter
II
the stage
59
Chapter III — The stages of hypnotism — Lethargy — Catalepsy — The somnambulistic stage — Fascination 71
Chapter IV — How
the subject feels under hypnotization
— Dr. Cocke's experience — Effect of fred Warthin's experiments
music
— Dr. Al93
Chapter V — Self hypnotization — How it maybe done An experience — Accountable for children's crusade
— Oriental prophets
self-hypnotized 5
103
—
CONTENTS.
6
Chapter VI — Simulation — Deception in hypnotism very common — Examples of Neuropathic deceit — Detecting simulation
Luys
— Professional
— How
subjects
Dr.
was deceived
of the Charity Hospital at Paris
— Impossibility of
detecting deception in all cases Confessions of a professional hypnotic subject. .113 .
—
—
Chapter VII Criminal suggestion Laboratory crimes Dr. Cocke's experiments showing criminal suggestion is not possible Dr. William James' theory A bad man cannot be made good, why expect to 133 make a good man bad?
—
—
Chapter VIII — Dangers
—
in being hypnotized Condemnation of public performances A commonsense view Evidence furnished by Lafontaine; by Dr. Courmelles; by Dr. Hart; by Dr. Cocke No danger in hypnotism if rightly used by physicians or
—
—
—
145
scientists
—
Chapter IX — Hypnotism
in medicine Anaesthesia Restoring the use of muscles Hallucination Bad
—
—
habits
159
Chapter X — Hypnotism
of animals
— Snake
charming 173
Chapter XI — A
scientific explanation of
Dr. Hart's theory
hypnotism 179
Chapter XII — Telepathy and Clairvoyance — Peculiar power
in
—
hypnotic state Experiments explained by telepathy
— "Phantasms
of the living"
Chapter XIII — The ualistic
Confessions of a
Medium — Spirit-
phenomena explained on theory
of telepathy statement of Mrs. Piper, the famous of the Psychical Research Society 205
— Interesting medium
193
INTRODUCTION. There
is
no doubt that hypnotism
old subject, though the till
In
1850.
and probably
a very
not invented
was wrapped up the "mys-
it
teries of Isis" in
name was
is
Egypt thousands
was one
it
of the
of years ago,
weapons,
if
not the chief instrument of operation, of the
magi mentioned
men"
of
in the Bible
and
hands" must have been a form
seem
to
of
of
Delphi and other places
who went
induced hypnotism. fakirs of India
of
mesmerism,
have been delivered by
priestesses
"wise
"Laying on
Babylon and Egypt.
and Greek oracles
of the
into
It is
who make
priests or
trances of
self-
suspected that the
trees
grow from dry
twigs in a few minutes, or transform a rod into a serpent (as
Aaron did
in Bible history),
operate by some form of hypnotism.
people of the East are
much more
The
subject to
INTRODUCTION.
8
Western peoples
influences of this kind than are,
and there can be no question that the
religious orgies of
form
heathendom were merely
of that hysteria
which
is
modern phenomenon
ted to the
Though
various
scientific
a
so closely relaof
hypnotism.
men spoke
of
magnetism, and understood that there was a
power
of a peculiar kind
exercise over another, erick
Anton Mesmer
appeared
which one
man
could
was not
until
Fred-
it
(a doctor
Vienna)
of
in 1775 that the general public
any special attention to the subject. year mentioned,
Mesmer
sent out a circular
letter to various scientific societies, or
emies" as they are called his belief
that "animal
and that through
it
one
No
attention
except by the
Academy
another.
him an unfavorable In 1778
Paris,
in
Europe, stating
magnetism"
man
"Acad-
existed,
could influence
was given of Berlin,
his letter,
which sent
reply.
Mesmer was
known reason
gave
In the
obliged for
to leave Vienna,
where he was fortunate
some un-
and went to in
converting
INTRODUCTION. to his
ideas
9
Comte
d'Eslon, the
d'Artois's
physician, and one of the medical professors
His success was
at the Faculty of Medicine.
very great;
everybody was
anxious to be
magnetized, and the lucky Viennese doctor was
soon obliged to
call
in
Deleuze,
assistants.
the librarian at the Jardin des Plantes,
who
has been called the Hippocrates of magnetism,
has
left
Mesmer's
the following account of
experiments:
"In the middle of a large room stood an
oak tub, four or
was closed by a
foot deep.
It
two
and encased
pieces,
bucket. of
diameter and one
five feet in
in
lid
made
in
another tub or
At the bottom of the tub a number
bottles were laid in convergent rows, so
that the neck of each bottle turned towards
the centre.
Other bottles
filled
tized water tightly corked
with magne-
up were
laid
in
divergent rows with their necks turned out-
wards.
Several rows were thus piled up, and
the apparatus was then pronounced to be at
"high pressure."
The tub was
filled
with
INTRODUCTION.
10
water,
powdered also
which
to
and iron
glass
some dry
There were
filings.
tubs, that
prepared in the
is,
same manner, but without any
The
lid
was perforated
passage
of
movable bent
water.
the
added
sometimes
were
additional to admit of
rods,
which
could be applied to the different parts of the
A
patient's body.
to a ring in the
long rope was also fastened
lid,
and
the
this
No
placed loosely round their limbs.
patients
disease
offensive to the sight was treated, such as sores, or deformities.
"A
large
number
monly treated
at
of patients
were com-
They drew near
one time.
to each other, touching hands, arms, knees,
or
feet.
The
handsomest,
youngest,
and
most robust magnetizers held also an iron rod with which they touched the dilatory or stub-
born patients.
The rods and ropes had
all
undergone a "preparation" and in a very short space of time the patients influence. affected,
felt
The women, being were almost
at
the magnetic the most easily
once seized with
fits
INTRODUCTION. of
yawning and stretching;
their legs cate.
11
their eyes closed,
gave way and they seemed
to suffo-
In vain did musical glasses and harmo-
nicas resound, the piano and voices re-echo;
these supposed aids only seemed to increase
the patients' convulsive movements.
moans and
laughter, piteous
burst
thrown back
in
torrents of tears
The
forth on all sides.
spasmodic
bodies were
jerks, the respi-
rations sounded like death rattles, terrifying
symptoms were
suddenly the actors of
would
Sardonic
most
the
Then
exhibited.
scene
strange
this
frantically or rapturously rush towards
each other, either rejoicing and embracing or thrusting
away
their
neighbors with every
appearance of horror. '
'Another room was padded and presented
another spectacle.
There women beat
their
heads against wadded walls or rolled on the cushion-covered
floor,
in
of suffocation.
fits
In the midst of this panting, quivering throng,
Mesmer, dressed extending a
in
a
lilac coat,
moved
about,
magic wand toward the
least
INTRODUCTION.
12
most violently
suffering, halting in front of the
excited and gazing steadily into
while he held both their hands in the middle fingers in immediate
their eyes, his,
bringing
contact to
At another moment
establish communication.
he would, by a motion of open hands and
extended
fingers,
current, crossing
with
operate
and uncrossing
the
his
great
arms with
wonderful rapidity to make the final passes." Hysterical
many
of
women and
nervous young boys,
them from the highest ranks
of
Society, flocked around this wonderful wizard,
and incidentally he made a great deal money.
There
is little
of
doubt that he started
out as a genuine and sincere student of the scientific
character of the
new power he had
indeed discovered; there
is
he ultimately became
little
charlatan. his
There was,
there
was
virtue in
no doubt that
more
of course,
"prepared" rods, nor
At the same time the
also
in his
than
a
no virtue
in
magnetic tubs,
belief of the people that
them was one
means by which he was able
of the chief
to induce
hypno-
— INTRODUCTION. tism, as
we
Faith, imagination,
shall see later.
and willingness
13
to be hypnotized on the par*
of the subject are all indispensable to entire
success in the practice of this strange art. In
1779 Mesmer
published
"Memoire
entitled
sur
magnetisme animal", gives the following
of
la
pamphlet
a
du
decouverte
which Doctor Cocke
summary:
was that he had discovered a
(his chief
principle
claim
which
would cure every disease)
"He
sets forth his conclusions
in
twenty-
seven propositions, of which the substance as follows:
—
a reciprocal action
and
the planets, the earth
and
There
reaction between
is
is
animate nature by means versal fluid,
subject
unknown.
The
to
of
a constant uni-
mechanical laws yet
animal
body
directly
is
affected by the insinuation of this agent into
the
substance of the
human of
nerves.
It
causes in
bodies properties analogous to those
the magnet, for which reason
'Animal Magnetism'.
it is
called
This magnetism may
be communicated to other bodies,
may
be
INTRODUCTION.
14
increased and reflected by mirrors, cated,
propagated,
sound.
It
may
by
accumulated,
be accumulated, concentrated,
The same
and transported.
rules apply to
The magnet
is
suscep-
magnetism and the opposite
virtue.
the opposite virtue. tible of
and
communi-
The magnet and
artificial
electricity
with respect to disease, properties
have,
common
to a host of other agents presented to us
nature,
and
the
if
use
of
these
by
has been
attended by useful results, they are due to
animal magnetism.
By
the aid of magnetism,
then, the physician enlightened as to the use of
medicine
fect,
may
render
its
action
more
per-
and can provoke and direct salutary
crises so as to
have them completely under
his control."
The
Faculty of
Medicine
investigated
Mesmer's claims, but reported unfavorably,
and threatened d'Eslon with expulsion from the
society
unless
he gave
Mesmer
up.
Nevertheless the government favored the discoverer,
and when the medical
fraternity
INTRODUCTION. attacked him
with such vigor that he
obliged to leave Paris,
20,000 francs
of
went away, but of his
15
pupils.
if
later
In
it
offered
felt
him a pension
He
he would remain.
came back at the request
1784 the government ap-
pointed two commissions to investigate the
claims that had been made.
commissions was Benjamin
American Ambassador the great French
to
On
one
of these
Franklin, then
France as well as
scientist
Lavoisier.
other was drawn from the Royal
The
Academy
of
Medicine, and included Laurent de Jussieu, the
man who
only
declared
in
favor
of
Mesmer.
There
is
no doubt that Mesmer had returned
to Paris for the purpose of
making money,
and these commissions were promoted in part "It by persons desirous of driving him out. is
interesting,"
says
a
French
writer,
"to
peruse the reports of these commissions: they read like a debate on some obscure subject of
which the future has partly revealed the
secret."
Says another French writer (Cour-
— INTRODUCTION.
16
"They sought
melles):
the
not by the
fluid,
study of the cures affected, which was considered
complicated
too
a
task,
phases of mesmeric sleep.
but
in
the
These were con-
sidered indispensable and easily regulated by
the
When
experimentalist.
close investigation,
it
that they could only
and that they conducted
be induced
found
when
differed according as they
in public or in private.
it
the
were
In short
be a coincidence or the truth
imagination was considered agent.
however,
to
knew they were being magnetized,
subjects
whether
was,
submitted
the sole
active
Whereupon d'Eslon remarked.
imagination
is
the best cure,
why
should
'If
we
not use the imagination as a curative means?'
Did the or
who had so vaunted the existence of fluid, mean by this to deny its existence, was it rather a satirical way of saying. he,
'You choose to
call it
But
it
of
after
all,
as
imagination; be
cures, let us
make
it
so.
the most
it'?
"The two commissions came
to the conclu-
INTRODUCTION. sion that the tion,
phenomena were due
Strange to
verdict!"
Daurent
was the only one who
Jussieu
more than
believed in anything
new and important
truth,
He saw
this.
which he
set forth
upon withdrawing from
in a personal report
the commission, which showed to
relate,
Arago pronounced the
seventy years later,
a
to imita-
and contact, that they were dangerous
and must be prohibited.
same
17
Mesmer and Time and scientific
itself
so hostile
his pretensions.
progress have largely
overthrown Mesmer's theories
Mesmer had made
yet
in the course of a
into
an
Vincent:
of the fluid;
a discovery that was
hundred years to develop
important
scientific
"It seems
study.
Says
ever the habit of the
shallow scientist to plume himself on the more accurate theories which have been provided for
him by the progress
science,
knowledge and
of
and then, having been fed with
a
of
limited historical pabulum, to turn and talk lightly,
and with an
air of the
most superior
INTRODUCTION.
18
condescension, of the weakness and follies of those but for whose patient labors our
modern
theories would probably be non-existent." it
had not been
Mesmer and
for
If
"Animal
his
Magnetism", we would never have had "hypnotism" and study of
all
our learned societies for the
it.
Mesmer, though credited,
his pretensions
all
the
world
Buzancy, near
to
"Doctor Cloquet related
Soissons, France.
he saw there, patients
victims of hysterical
fits,
no longer the
but enjoying a calm,
peaceful, restorative slumber.
that from this useful
dis-
was quickly followed by Puysegur,
who drew that
were
moment
It
may
be said
really efficacious
magnetism became known."
and
Every
one rushed once more to be magnetized, and Puysegur had so many patients that to care for
them
all
he was obliged to magnetize a
tree (as he said),
dreds
known
who came
which was touched by hunto be cured,
as "Puysegur's tree".
Puysegur's success, a
number
and was long As a
result of
of societies
were
INTRODUCTION. formed
in
19
France for the study
new
of the
phenomena. In the meantime, the subject had attracted
considerable interest in Germany, and in 1812
Wolfart was sent to Mesmer at Frauenfeld by the Prussian government to investigate Mesmerism.
He became an
troduced
its
into
practice
and
in-
hospital
at
enthusiast,
the
Berlin.
814 Deleuze published a book on the subject, and Abbe Faria, who had come from In
India,
1
demonstrated that there was no
fluid,
but that the phenomena were subjective, or within the
mind
introduced what of
suggestion"
hypnotism.
of is
in
In 181
the
now
called the
producing 5
Mesmer
first
"method
magnetism or died.
Experimentation continued, and Foissac persuaded the
He
patient.
Academy
in the 20's
of
Medicine
appoint a commission to investigate the After five years they presented a subject. to
This report gave a good statement the practical operation of magnetism,
report. of
INTRODUCTION.
20
mentioning the phenomena
know a
symptoms it.
right
of the
we
hypnotic state as
was thought that magnetism had
It
to
somnambulism,
memory, and the various
anaesthesia, loss of
other
of
be considered as a therapeutic
agent, and that
it
might be used by physicians,
though others should not be allowed to practice
In 1837 another commission
it.
made
a
decidedly unfavorable report.
Soon
Burdin, a
after this
Academy, offered a
member
of the
prize of 3,000 francs to
any one who would read the number
of
a
bank-note or the like with his eyes bandaged (under certain
fixed
conditions), but
never awarded, though there
many claimed
has been considerable
it
was
it,
and
evidence that
persons in the hypnotic state have (sometimes)
remarkable clairvoyant powers.
Soon
after this,
magnetism
fell
into very
low repute throughout France and Germany,
and
scientific
men became
loath to have their
names connected with the study way.
The study had not
of
it
in
any
yet been seriously
INTRODUCTION.
21
taken up in England, and two physicians who
gave some attention to
it
suffered decidedly
in professional reputation. It
that
an English
to
is
we owe
the scientific character of
modern
Indeed he invented the name of
hypnotism.
formed from
hypnotism,
meaning
'sleep',
produced
sleep'.
Greek
the
and designating His name
and so important were the that
however,
physician,
is
word
'artificially
James Braid,
results of his study
hypnotism has sometimes been called
"Braidism". following
Doctor Courmelles gives the
interesting
summary
of
Braid's
experiences:
"In November, 1841, he witnessed a public
experiment made by Monsieur Lafontaine, a magnetizer.
He
thing a comedy; a
week
Swiss
thought the whole after,
he attended a
second exhibition, saw that the patient could not open his eyes, and concluded that this
was ascribable fixity of
to
some
physical cause.
The
gaze must, according to him, exhaust
the nerve centers of the eyes and their sur-
— INTRODUCTION.
22
He made
roundings. at the at
neck
a friend look steadily
of a bottle,
and
his
own
wife look
an ornamentation on the top of a china
Here
sugar bowl: sleep was the consequence.
hypnotism had
bered,
agents.
the
is
This,
and hypnotism):
exist in It
was
induced by
difference
between
phenomena (magnetism magnetism supposes a
for
the
netized subject,
fact
must be remem-
it
essential
these two classes of
direct action of
be
sleep could
established that
physical
and the
origin,
its
magnetizer on the mag-
an action which does not
hypnotism."
may be
stated that
American operators
fail
most English and
to see
any distinction
between magnetism and hypnotism, and suppose that the effect of passes, etc., as used by
Mesmer,
method
is
of
in its
way
as
much
physical as the
producing hypnotism by concentra-
ting the gaze of the subject
on a bright object,
or the like.
Braid had discovered a as the theoretical view of
new it
science
—as
far
was concerned
INTRODUCTION. for he
not
23
showed that hypnotism
is
largely,
if
He
mechanical and physical.
purely,
noted that during one phase of hypnotism,
known
as catalepsy, the arms,
might be placed
in
limbs, etc.,
any position and would
remain there; he also noted that a puff
of
breath would usually awaken a subject, and that by talking to a subject and telling
do
this or
do
him
to
even after he awakes from
that,
the sleep, he can be
made
to
do those
things.
Braid thought he might affect a certain part of the brain
during hypnotic sleep, and
if
he
could find the seat of the thieving disposition, or the like, he could cure the patient of desire to
commit
crime,
simply by suggestion, or
command. Braid's conclusions were, in brief, that there
was no
fluid,
or other exterior agent, but that
hypnotism was due to a physiological condition of the nerves.
It
was
his
belief
that
hypnotic sleep was brought about by fatigue of the eyelids, or
by other influences wholly
within the subject.
In this he
was supported
INTRODUCTION.
24
by Carpenter, neither
the
physiologist;
great
but
nor Carpenter could get the
Braid
medical organizations to give the matter any attention, even to investigate
In 1848 an American
ceeded in obtaining
all
it.
named Grimes sucthe phenomena of
hypnotism, and created a school of writers
who made
use of the word "electro-biology."
In 1850 Braid's ideas were introduced into
France, and Dr. Azam, of Bordeaux, lished an account of
them
From
de Medicine."
this
in the
pub-
"Archives
time on the subject
men
France
was widely studied by
scientific
and Germany, and
it
was more slowly taken
up
may be
in
England.
It
in
stated here that
the French and other Latin races are
more
easily
races,
Americans perhaps being
hypnotized than the northern
to the hypnotic influence,
the English.
On
least subject
and next
the other hand,
entals are influenced to a degree
comprehend.
much
to
them
the Ori-
we can hardly
INTRODUCTION.
WHAT
We have
IS
86
HYPNOTISM?
seen that so far the history of
hypnotism has given us two manifestations, or methods, that of passes and playing upon
the
imagination in
Mesmer, and that
various ways,
means, such as
of physical
looking at a bright object,
Both
methods are
of these
though hundreds of
used by
used by Braid. still
scientific
in use,
and
men, including
many
physicians, have studied the subject for
years,
no
essentially
new
principle has been
though the details
discovered,
of
hypnotic
operation have been thoroughly classified and
many minor elements
of interest
developed.
make
All these
dence which question,
will assist
What
Modern
is
a body of evi-
us in answering the
hypnotism
scientific
have been
?
study has pretty con-
clusively established the following facts: 1.
Idiots,
babies under three years old,
and hopelessly insane people cannot be hypnotized. 2.
No one can be
hypnotized unless the
INTRODUCTION.
26
make him concentrate
his atten-
tion for a reasonable length of time.
Concen-
operator can
whatever the method
tration of attention,
producing hypnotism,
is
The persons not
3.
of
absolutely necessary. easily hypnotized are
those said to be neurotic (or those affected
By "
with hysteria).
hysteria "
is
Some
nervous excitability, necessarily. phlegmatic persons
may
irregular action of the will
sometimes show
when
the arm,
"hysteria"
by severe pains
itself
in reality
It is
the
there it
is
will
an It
in
nothing raise
a
head quite without cause.
a tendency to nervous disease which in
severe cases neurotic of the
On
may
lead to insanity.
nervous system.
all
The word
a general term covering affection
is
and much
of
is
nervous system.
whatever to cause pain; or swelling on
very
be affected with hys-
In medical science
teria.
not meant
It
includes hysteria
else beside.
these points practically every student
hypnotism
to whether
is
agreed.
On
the question as
any one can produce hypnotism
INTRODUCTION.
2?
by pursuing the right methods there disagreement,
Hart
in
an
but not
much.
Dr.
article in the British
is
some
Ernest
MedicalJour-
nal makes the following very definite state-
ment, representing the side of the case that maintains that any one can produce hypnotism.
Says he: "
It is
common
a
delusion
that the mes-
merist or hypnotizer counts for anything in
the
The
experiment.
priest,
physician,
whether
operator,
charlatan,
self-deluded
enthusiast, or conscious imposter,
is
not the
source of any occult influence, does not possess
any mysterious power, and plays only a very secondary and insignificant part of
phenomena observed.
many
There
in the chain
exist at the
themselves,
who claim for and some who make a living by
so doing,
peculiar
present time
a
individuals
property or power as
potent mesmerizers, hypnotizers, magnetizers,
One even
or electro-biologists. it
said in society (for
these mischievous
I
am
often hears
sorry to say that
practices and pranks are
INTRODUCTION.
28
sometimes made a society game) that such a person
is
a clever hypnotist or has great mes-
meric or healing power. prove,
what
hope
I
to be able to
firmly hold, both from
I
my own
personal experience and experiment, as already related that there
is
in the
Nineteenth
I
have
Century,
no such thing as a potent mes-
meric influence, no such power resident in any
one person more than another; that a glass
of
water, a tree, a stick, a penny-post letter, or a lime-light can mesmerize
can
any
individual.
means only
person
a
the physical
A who
as effectually as
hypnotizer
clever is
acquainted with
or mental tricks by which the
hypnotic condition
is
produced; or sometimes
an unconscious imposter who
is
unaware
the very trifling part for which he the play, and
who supposes
is
of
cast in
himself really to
possess a mysterious power which in fact he
does not possess at
more
accurately,
is
all,
or
which, to speak
equally possessed by every
stock or stone."
Against this
we may
place the statement of
INTRODUCTION.
who speaks author,
Dr. Foveau de Courmelles, itatively for the
He
29
whole modern French school.
says:
Every magnetizer
' '
aware that certain
is
individuals never can induce sleep even in the
most
easily hypnotizable subjects.
that the sympathetic fluid that each person
may
is
They admit
necessary, and
eventually find his or
when numerous attempts However this at inducing sleep have failed. some individuals the impossibility may be, her hypnotizer, even
in
find
inducing sleep in trained subjects,
proves at least the existence of a negative force." If
ion,
you would ask the present gathered from
writer's opin-
the evidence before
all
him, he would say that while he has no belief in the existence of
any magnetic
thing that corresponds to
it,
fluid,
can be no doubt that some people as hypnotists while fail is
some
or any-
he thinks there will
succeed
will fail, just as
as carpenters while others succeed.
true in every walk
of
life.
It
is
some This
also true
INTRODUCTION.
30
that
some people
people they meet.
observe
to is
This
we have
explained, but
easily
had opportunity concentration
the prerequisite for producing hypnotism,
one who has not the power himself,
of concentration
and concentration which he can per-
fectly control, it
not very
is
all
Again, since
it.
the
others repel,
attract,
in others.
not likely to be able to secure
is
Also, since faith
ment, a person
who has not
is
a strong ele-
perfect self-con-
fidence could not expect to create confidence
While many successful hypnotizers
in others.
can themselves be hypnotized, that
most
all
who have power
it
is
probable
of this kind are
themselves exempt from the exercise of is
certainly true
that while
It
a person easily
means weak-minded
hypnotized
is
by
(indeed,
is
probable that most geniuses
it
no
it.
would be good hypnotic
subjects),
still
such
persons have not a well balanced constitution
and
their nerves are high-strung
anced.
They would be most
subject to a person
if
not unbal-
likely
who had such
a
to
be
strong
INTRODUCTION.
31
and well-balanced nervous constitution that
would be hard
to hypnotize.
safe to say that the strong
weak, but
it
is
And
may
it is
it
always
control the
not likely that the weak will
control the strong.
There
is
also another thing that
taken into account.
matter
Science teaches that
points to the theory that matter ing
more than centers
all
Indeed, philosophy
in vibration.
is
must be
itself is
noth-
of force in vibration
The lowest vibration we know is that ol sound. Then comes, at an enormously higher rate,
heat, light (beginning at dark red
and
passing through the prismatic colors to violet
which has a high vibration, to the chemical rays,
and then the so-called Xor unknown rays
which have a much Electricity
is
higher vibration
a form of vibration, and accord-
ing to the belief of
many
scientists, life is a
species of vibration so high that possible
means
of
measuring
student of science knows, air the chief
still).
medium
for
it.
we have no As every
appears to be
conveying vibration of
)
INTRODUCTION.
32
sound, metal ing electric
(or imagine)
able ether which
property
of
while
vibrations,
the vibrations of heat
assume
medium
the chief
is
and
an
fills
for convey-
to account for
we have
light
invisible,
all
to
imponder-
space and has no
matter that we can distinguish
except that of conveying vibrations of light in its
life,
(It
When we pass
on to human
to theorize chiefly
by analogy.
various forms.
we have
must not be forgotten, however, that the
existence of
the
ether
and many assumed
facts in science are only theories
come
explain
which have
be generally adopted because they
to
phenomena
of all kinds
better than
any other theories which have been
Now,
who can of
in
life,
offered.
as in physical science, any one
get, or
has by nature, the key-note
another nature, has a tremendous power
over that other nature. illustrates
world.
what
this
The
power
is
following story in the physical
While we cannot vouch
for the exact
truth of the details of the story, there can be
INTRODUCTION. no doubt which
"A
of the
33
accuracy of the principle on
based:
it is
musical genius came to the Suspension
Bridge at Niagara Falls, and asked permission to cross; but as he
had no money,
was contemptuously
away from the violin
from
by the
thrill
He
refused.
entrance, and,
his case,
and down the
his request
stepped
drawing
his
began sounding notes up
He
scale.
finally discovered,
that sent a tremor through the
mighty structure, that he had found the note
on which the great cable that upheld the mass,
He drew
was keyed. string of the
wire,
as
if
responded through
its
bow
his
and the colossal
violin again,
under the with
a
across the
spell
of
a magician,
throb that sent a wave
enormous
He sounded
length.
the note again and again, and the cable that
was dormant under the and monster engines stolid
strain of loaded
— the cable that remained
under the pressure
of
human
the heavy tread of commerce,
surged and shook
teams
itself,
as
traffic,
thrilled
and
and
mad waves
of
INTRODUCTION.
34
vibration coursed over
length,
its
and
at its slack, until like a foam-crested
the sea,
it
wave
of
shook the towers at either end, or,
like
some
ters
and longed
"The
tore
it
sentient animal,
it
tugged at
its fet-
to be free.
charge, apprehensive of
officers in
danger, hurried the poor musician across, and
bade him begone and trouble them no more.
The ragged
genius,
instrument back 'I'd
self,
bridge.
"So
putting
in its case,
well-worn
his
muttered to him-
either crossed free or torn
down
the
" '
the hypnotist,"
from which the above
is
goes on the quoted,
writer
" finds the
note on which the subjective side of the per-
son
is
into
attuned, and by playing upon activity
otherwise
emotions and
it
awakens that
sensibilities
would have remained
dormant,
unused and even unsuspected."
No
student of science will deny the truth of
these statements.
At the same time
it
has
been demonstrated again and again that persons can and do frequently hypnotize
them-
INTRODUCTION. This
selves.
35
what Mr. Hart means when
is
may produce
he says that any stick or stone hypnotism.
If
a bright
or a glass of water, for instance,
fire,
a person will gaze steadily at
he can throw himself into a hypnotic trance exactly similar to the condition produced by
a professional or trained
hypnotist.
Such
people, however, must be possessed of imagination.
THEORIES OF HYPNOTISM.
We
have now learned some facts
in
regard
to hypnotism; but they leave the subject
Other
a mystery.
oped
facts
in the course
of
deepen the mystery.
some
of the best
Before doing
means
hypnotism.
sleep,
and the
will
book
be develwill only
will therefore state
theories.
however,
to state concisely just in a case of
this
We
known
so,
which
still
it
would be well
what seems
to
happen
The word hypnotism definition of
hypnotism
implies artificially produced sleep. Sometimes this sleep is
is
deep and
lasting,
and the patient
totally insensible; but the interesting phase
INTRODUCTION.
36
of the condition
patient
is
only partially asleep, while the other
is
part of his brain well
It is
may be
known
awake and very
active.
that one part of the brain
affected without affecting the other
nervous system
other half
notism we of
is
In hemiplegia, for instance, one half
parts. of the
stages the
that in certain
In the stages of hyp-
is all right.
now
will
paralyzed, while the
is
consider, the will portion
the brain or mind seems to be put to sleep,
other
while the
Some
awake. the blood 'brain
case,
is
are
faculties
abnormally
explain this by supposing that
driven out of one portion of the
In any
and driven into other portions. it is
human engine were
as though the
uncoupled, and the patient becomes an automaton.
If
he
is
other, he does
told it,
to
do
this, that,
or the
simply because his will
asleep and " suggestion
",
as
it is
called,
is
from
without makes him act just as he starts up unconsciously
in his
ordinary sleep
if
tickled
with a straw.
Now
for
the theories.
There are
three
INTRODUCTION. leading theories,
Magnetism;
We
2.
known
31
as that of
Neurosis; and
Animal
i.
Suggestion.
3.
simply state them briefly in order
will
without discussion.
Animal Magnetism. offered by
This
the theory
is
Mesmer, and those who hold
assume that " the hypnotizer exercises a
it
force,
independently of suggestion, over the subject.
They
one part
believe
of
the body to be
charged separately, or that the whole body
may
be
filled
nize the
believe
power
it
They
recog-
of suggestion, but they
do not
with magnetism.
to be the principal factor in the pro-
Those who
duction of the hypnotic state."
hold this theory today distinguish the
between
phenomena produced by magnetism and
those produced by physical
means
or simple
suggestion.
The Neurosis Theory.
We
have already
explained the word neurosis, but
we
here the definition given by Dr.
R. Cocke.
'
'A neurosis
ters
is
any affection
occurring without
of the
J.
repeat
nervous cen-
any material agent
INTRODUCTION.
38
producing
or any
without inflammation
it,
other constant structural change which can be
As
detected in the nervous centers.
will be
seen from the definition, any abnormal manifestation of the nervous system of
whose cause
we know
for conven-
ience,
practically nothing,
termed a neurosis.
tain habit or trick,
it
who
is
a
If
man
first
sneezing and then
pulling at his nose.
Many forms
are called
neurosis.
Now
notism
the
is
acquaint-
a professor in a college, always
begins his lecture by
means
has a cer-
termed a neurosis or
One man of my
neuropathic habit. ance,
is
is,
result of
tremor
of
a
simply
neurosis,
that a person's nervous system
ceptible
to
condition,
this
Charcot and his followers,
abnormal."
hypnotism
In in the
affections in
cination
short,
classed, that
which,
sus-
M.
M. Charcot places
which hysteria and
is
is
by
regarded as
is
same category
(medically
hyp-
to say that
of
nervous
finally hallu-
considered)
are
to be
to say, as a nervous weakness,
not to say a disease.
According to
this theory,
INTRODUCTION.
39
a person whose nervous system
is
perfectly
So many
healthy could not be hypnotized.
people can be hypnotized because nearly the world
is
more or
all
insane, as a certain
less
great writer has observed.
This theory
Suggestion.
power in
of
life.
Again
"If we can
whole attention to the effect as before
be paralyzed, that
based on the
mind over the body as we observe
everyday
Cooke.
is
effect
quote from Dr.
direct
the subject's
belief
mentioned
that
—that —
for instance
will
it
me
let
his
arm
will
take place,
will
gradually
such an
occur.
Such a
result
having been once produced, the sub-
ject's
will-power and power of resistance are
considerably weakened, because he
more
inclined than at
notizer's assertion.
first
This
is
much
to believe the hypis
generally the
The method
step in the process of hypnosis.
pursued at the school of Nancy
first
is
to convince
the subject that his eyes are closing by directing his attention to that effect as strongly as possible.
However,
it
is
not necessary that
INTRODUCTION.
40
we begin with the eyes. According to M x Dessoir, any member of the body will answer as well." The theory of Suggestion is maintained by the medical school attached to the
The theory
hospital at Nancy.
was
Neurosis
of
originally put forth as the result of experi-
ments
by
Charcot at the Salpetriere
Dr.
hospital in Paris,
which
Salpetriere school
— that
is is
now
the co-called
the medical, school
connected with the Salpetriere hospital.
There
is
also another theory put forth,
rather a modification of theory,
or
Professor Charcot's
and maintained by the school
of the
Charity hospital in Paris, headed by Dr. Luys, to the effect
may
electricity
notic state,
the
that
magnet and
physical
persons in the hyp-
affect
and that certain drugs
in sealed
tubes placed upon the patient's neck during the condition
same if
the
effects
taken
hypnosis will
in a
produce the
which those drugs would produce
internally,
drugs
imbibed
of
would
or
seem
as
the to
more complete
nature
call
fashion.
for
of if
This
INTRODUCTION. school, however, credited,
41
has been considerably
dis-
and Dr. Luys' conclusions are not
received by scientific students of hypnotism. It is also stated,
and the present writer has
seen no effective denial, that hypnotism
may
be produced by pressing with the fingers upon certain points in the body,
known
as hypno-
genic spots. will
It
be seen that these three theories
stated above are greatly at variance with each other.
The student
form a conclusion the facts.
theory
is
of
hypnotism
for himself as
Possibly
it
will
have to
he investigates
be found that the true
a combination of
described above.
will
three of those
all
Hypnotism
is
certainly a
complicated phenomena, and he would be a rash
man who
should try to explain
sentence or in a paragraph.
An
it
entire
proves a very limited space for doing
it.
in a
book
'
CHAPTER HOW TO Dr. Cocke's
Sleep
at Paris
— at
— Frauds of
in Foster's
Flint's
Nancy
Method— The French
— The
Hindoo
— How to Wake a Subject
First let us quote
The
HYPNOTIZE.
Method— Dr.
Method Method
I.
Silent
from Hypnotic
Public Hypnotic Entertainers.
what
is
said of
hypnotism
Encyclopedic Medical Dictionary.
dictionary states the derivation of the
word from the Greek word meaning and gives as synonym " Braidism
".
sleep,
This
"An abnormal state into which some persons may be thrown, either by definition follows:
a voluntary act of their own, such
as gazing
continuously with fixed attention
on some
bright object held close to the eyes, or by the
exercise of another person's will; characterized by suspension of the will
and consequent
obedience to the promptings of 43
'
suggestions
HYPNOTISM.
44
The
from without.
activity of the organs of
special sense, except the eye,
may
be height-
ened, and the power of the muscles increased.
Complete
insensibility to pain
and
by hypnotism, anaesthetic.
It
it
has been used as an
apt to be
is
may be induced followed by a
severe headache of long continuance, and by
On
various nervous disturbances.
from the hypnotic usually has no
pened during
state, the
suggestion
susceptible hysterical
what hap-
cf
in many maybe induced by
continuance, but
its
About one person
'.
to hypnotism,
or
person hypnotized
remembrance
persons such remembrance '
emerging
in three
and those
neurotic tendency
is
of the
(but rarely
the insane) are the most readily hypnotized." First
we
will
quote the
ducing hypnotism
given
Cocke, one of the most ers in
hypnotism
in
directions lor pro-
by Dr. James R.
scientific
America.
of are special value, since they are
able to
experiment-
His directions
more
applic-
American subjects than the directions
given by French writers.
Says Dr. Cocke:
HOW TO "The one
hypnotic state can
mind
is
he
fails
command him
Tell
him
do
so,
few minutes;
a
then begin to
suggestion which
may
so-called mental
method
his
to think
him he cannot open
tell
to
be produced in
Command him
Leave
nothing.
45
First,
close his eyes.
a blank.
return and If
ways:
of the following
the subject to
of
HYPNOTIZE.
his eyes.
make any This
be desired.
is
the
of hypnotization.
"Secondly, give the subject a coin or other bright object. at
it
Tell
and not take
him
to
his eyes
look steadfastly
away from
it.
Sug-
gest that his eyelids are growing heavy, that
he cannot keep them open.
Now close the lids.
They cannot be opened. This is the usual method employed by public exhibitors. A similar method is by looking into a mirror, or into a glass of water, or by rapidly revolving
polished
disks,
steadfastly in the I
which should be looked
same way
think tires the eyes
"Another method
as
is
at
the coin, and
less. is
by simply command-
ing the subject to close his eyes,
while the
HYPNOTISM.
46
operator makes passes
hands without coming Suggestions
may
be
" Fascination, the
hypnotic
his eyes
made
as
it
called,
is
one
is
operator
of the subject.
few
for a
with them.
during these passes.
The
states.
on those
attention
in contact
and
head
over his
of
fixes
Holding
his
operator
minutes, the
begins to walk backward; the subject follows.
The operator likewise.
raises the
Briefly,
any movement
the
arm; the subject does subject
will
imitate
of the hypnotist, or will
obey
any suggestion made by word, look or gesture, suggested by the
one with
whom
he
is
en
rapport.
"A
very effective method of hypnotizing a
person
is
by commanding him to
sleep,
and
having some very soft music played upon the piano,
or
other stringed instrument.
pressure over the orbits,
ends and root
may
of
Firm
or over the finger-
the nail for
some minutes
also induce the condition of hypnosis in
very sensitive persons.
"Also hypnosis can frequently be induced
HOW
TO HYPNOTIZE.
by giving the subject a glass telling
him
The wearing
magnetized. the body, and
it
has been
around
of belts
the
fingers, will
sometimes, induce a degree of hypnosis,
also, if
rings round
and
of water,
same time that
at the
4"7
the subject has been told that they have
previously been
The ical
magnetized or are
electric.
latter descriptions are the so-called phys-
methods described by Dr. Moll."
Dr.
Herbert L. Flint, a stage hypnotizer,
describes his methods as follows:
"To
induce hypnotism,
conversation to place
I
my
tion of absolute calmness
begin by friendly
patient in a condi-
and quiescence.
I
also try to win his confidence by appealing to his
the
own
volitional effort to aid
desired end.
I
hypnosis in his condition
and
far
becomes
me
in obtaining
impress upon him that is
from subjugating
a benign agency, his
mentality,
it
intensified to so great an extent as to
act as a remedial agent.
"Having
assured myself that he
passive condition,
I
suggest
to him,
is
in a
either
HYPNOTISM.
48
looking
with or without passes, that after
an object
intently at
for a
few moments, he
will experience a feeling of lassitude.
stead-
gaze at his eyes, and in a monotonous tone
ily
continue to suggest the various stages of
I
As
sleep.
ing
for instance,
his
I
say,
arm, holding
it is
my hand Your
They
is
relaxed.'
and suggest to him
getting heavier and heavier.
go and his arm
eyes,
'
I
continue,
falls to
feel tired
'
I
his
and sleepy.
Then
tone the words 'sleepy, sleepy, sleep.'
emphasize the sug-
gestion by saying in an unhesitating tive tone,
all
I
'
and
posi-
sleep.'
do not, however, use this method with
patients.
It is
specialists do, that
can
let
side.
are fast closing,' repeating in a soothing
in a self-assertive tone, I
"
I
in a horizontal posi-
it
tion for a second or two,
that
Your breath-
'
Your whole body
heavy.
is
raise
'
I
be
an error to
from
no deviation;
minds are constituted affected alike.
their
state, as
formula there
because,
alike, so
While one
some
as
no two
they cannot be
will yield
by
in-
HOW TO
HYPNOTIZE.
my
tense will exerted through
may,
tones
of
fretful,
and more wakeful than he was
The same
before.
eyes, another
become
by the same means,
timid, nervous,
49
rule applies to gesture,
and mesmeric
the voice,
passes.
That which has a soothing and
lulling effect
on one, may have an opposite
effect
There can
other.
applicable to
be
unvarying
rule
The means must who
all patients.
the judgment of the operator,
left to
by a long course should
no
be
on an-
psychological training
of
be able to judge what measures are
necessary to obtain
control of
Just as in drugs, one person
without injury that will
may
kill
his subject.
take a dose
another,
so in
hypnosis, one person can be put into a deep sleep by tual in
means
that would be totally ineffec-
another, and even then
states differ in each individual
the mental
—that which
one induces a gentle slumber may plunge neighbor into a deep cataleptic state.
in
his
1
That hypnotism may be produced by purely physical or mechanical
means seems
to
have
HYPNOTISM.
60
been
demonstrated
by an
started Doctor Burq, a
Frenchman, upon a
inquiry which lasted
scientific
which
incident
many
years.
" While practising as a young doctor, he had
one day been obliged to go out and had deemed it
advisable to lock up a patient in his absence.
Just as he
sound as ried
was leaving the house he heard the
of a
body suddenly
back into the room and found
in a state
of catalepsy.
at that time studying
He
falling.
hur-
his patient
Monsieur Burq was
magnetism, and he at
once sought for the cause of this phenomenon.
He
noticed that the door-handle was of cop-
The next day he wrapped
per.
a glove
around the handle, again shut the patient
and
this
time nothing occurred.
He
in,
interro-
gated the patient, but she Could give him no explanation.
per on
all
He
then tried the effect of cop-
the subjects at the Salpetriere and
the Cochin hospitals, and found that a great
number were
affected by it."
At the Charity hospital
in
Paris,
Doctor
Luys used an apparatus moved by clockwork
HOW TO Doctor Foveau, one scribes
"
HYPNOTIZE.
51
of his pupils,
thus de-
it:
The hypnotic state,
generally produced by
the contemplation of a bright spot, a lamp, or the
human
kind
peculiar
made
eye,
is
wood
fragments
of
induced by a
The
mirror.
of
of pieces of
which
in his case
mirrors are
cut prismatically in
mirrors are
incrusted.
They
are generally double and placed cross-
wise,
and by means
matically.
They
of
clockwork revolve auto-
are the
same
as sportsmen
use to attract larks, the rays of the sun being
caught and reflected on every side and from all
points of the horizon.
in
each branch are placed
If
the
little
in parallel lines in
front of a patient, and the rotation optic organ soon
becomes
fatigued,
ing soothing somnolence ensues.
not a deep sleep,
mirrors
is
rapid, the
and a calmAt first
it is
the eye-lids are scarcely
heavy, the drowsiness slight and restorative.
By
degrees, by a species of training,
notic sleep differs
the hyp-
more and more from natural
sleep, the individual
abandons himself more
HYPNOTISM.
52
and more completely, and
falls into
one
of
With-
the regular phases of hypnotic sleep.
out a word, without a suggestion or any other action, Dr.
Luys has made wonderful
Wecker, the
has by the same means
occulist,
entirely cured
cures.
spasms
of the eye-lids."
Professor Delboeuf gives the following ac-
count of
how
the famous Liebault produced
We
hypnotism at the hospital at Nancy.
would especially ask the reader to note what he says of Dr. Liebault's manner and general bearing, for without doubt
cess
was due
to his
own
much
of his suc-
personality.
Says
Professor Delboeuf:
" His modus facicndi has something in genious
and simple about
and
air of
it,
enhanced by a tone
profound conviction; and
his voice
has such fervor and warmth that he
away
his clients
carries
with him.
"After having inquired of the patient what
he
is
suffering from,
without any further or
closer examination, he places his patient's
hand on the
forehead and, scarcely looking
at
HOW TO him, says,
'
You
HYPNOTIZE.
Then,
are going to sleep.'
almost immediately, telling
53
him that he
he closes the
is
and
not put your arm down.' Liebault appears
After that he
asleep.
raises the patient's arm,
eyelids,
says, If
hardly to
'
You
can-
he does, Dr. notice
He
it.
then turns the patient's arm around, confidently affirming that the
stopped, and
movement cannot be own
saying this he turns his
arms rapidly around, the patient remaining all
the time with his eyes shut; then the doc-
on without ceasing
talks
tor
commanding
You will will
The
in a loud
your circulation
and and
well,
etc.
He
fires
leaving
you
will
become
feel
free
very strong
be able to walkabout,'
hardly ever varies the speech.
away it
will
you are going to
digestion
your cough
be good, your sleep quiet, stop,
and
suggestions begin:
are going to be cured; your
regular;
he
voice.
etc.,
Thus
at every kind of disease at once,
to the client to find out his own.
No doubt he
gives
some
special
directions,
according to the disease the patient
is
surfer-
HYPNOTISM.
54
ing
instructions are the
but general
from,
chief thing. ' '
The same
many
great
are repeated
suggestions
a
times to the same person, and,
strange to say, notwithstanding the inevitable
monotony of
of the speeches,
both style and voice,
so penetrating,
so ardent, that
I
and the uniformity
the master's tone so
is
sympathetic,
have never once listened to
it
without
a feeling of intense admiration."
The Hindoos produce ting
on
steadily
sleep simply by
the ground and,
on the
subject,
sort of writhing
sit-
fixing their eyes
swaying the body
motion above the
hips.-
in a
By
continuing this steadily and in perfect silence for ten or fifteen
minutes before a large audi-
ence, dozens can be put to sleep at one time.
In
all cases,
incidents
is
freedom from noise or distractive essential to success in
for concentration
must be produced.
Certain French
hypnotism may
hypnotism,
operators
maintain
that
be produced by pressure on
certain hypnogenic points
or regions of the
"
HOW TO Among
body.
crown
HYPNOTIZE.
55
these are the eye-balls, the
of the head, the
back
of the
the upper bones of the spine
Some
shoulder blades.
neck and
between the
persons
may be
hyp-
notized by gently pressing on' the skin at the
base of the finger-nails, and at the root of the nose; also by gently scratching the neck over the great nerve center.
Hypnotism noise, as
if
also
is
produced by sudden
by a Chinese gong,
HOW TO WAKE
etc.
A SUBJECT FROM HYPNOTIC SLEEP.
This
is
comparatively easy in most cases.
Most persons
will
awake
naturally at
end of a few minutes, or will
fall
the
into a natural
sleep from which in an hour or two they will
awake
refreshed. Usually the operator simply
says to the subject, "All right,
and claps
his
decided noise. to say, " You
wake up now,
hands or makes some other In
will
some cases
wake up
in five
or tell a subject to count twelve
gets to ten say, "
Wake
it is
up."
sufficient
minutes
";
and when he
56
HYPNOTISM. Persons in the lethargic state are not sus-
ceptible
to verbal
awakened by It is said
will
suggestions,
lifting
but
may
be
both eyelids.
that pressure on certain regions
wake the
subject, just as pressure in cer-
tain other places will put the subject to sleep.
Among
these places for awakening are the
ovarian regions.
Some cold
writers
recommend the
rarely necessary.
coal
application of
water to awaken subjects, but this
was brought
is
In olden times a burning near.
hypnotism was produced by passes, then wakening may be brought about by passes in If
the
opposite direction,
or with the back of
the hand toward the subject.
The only danger hysterical
often
persons.
fall off
is
likely to be
They
found
aroused, again into a helpless state, and
continue to do so for some time to come. is
in
will, if
It
dangerous to hypnotize such subjects. Care should be taken to awaken the
subject
very
thoroughly
before
leaving
him,
else
HOW TO headache,
nausea,
HYPNOTIZE. or the like
with other unpleasant
effects.
57
may In
follow,
cases
all
subjects should be treated gently and with the
utmost consideration, as
if
the subject and
operator were the most intimate friends. It
is
better that the
person
who
induces
hypnotic sleep should awaken the subject.
Others cannot do
have
it
so easily, though as
said, subjects usually
we
awaken themselves
after a short time.
Further description
of the
method
of pro-
ducing hypnotism need not be given; but proper to add that
it
is
in addition to the fact that
not more than one person out of three can be
hypnotized
at
all,
even by
an experienced
operator, to effect hypnotization except in a
few cases requires a great deal
of patience,
both on the part of the operator and of the subject. trials
It
may
require half a dozen or
before any effect at
although
in
all
some cases the
within a minute or two.
more
can be produced, effect will
come
After a person has
been once hypnotized, hypnotization
is
much
HYPNOTISM.
68
The most
easier.
startling results are to be
obtained only after a long process of training
on the part
Public hypnotic
of the subject.
entertainments, and even those given at the
would be quite impossible
hospitals in Paris, if
trained subjects were not at hand;
and
in the
case of the public hypnotizer, the proper subjects are hired
and placed
the express purpose of
The
called for.
in the
audience for
coming forward when
success of such an entertain-
ment could not otherwise be guaranteed.
many
cases,
makes them
deceivers.
what they
tate
pends upon
this
also,
see,
They
and since
In
subjects
training of
learn to imi-
their living de-
they must prove hypnotic sub-
it,
just
who can always be depended upon to do what is wanted. We may add, however,
that
what they do
jects
of
the
real
manifestation
is
no more than an imitation
thing.
There
pure fake, which could
more
is
no grotesque
on the stage, even
startling
facts
scientific experience.
if
it
is
a
not be matched by
taken from undoubted
CHAPTER
II.
AMUSING EXPERIMENTS. Hypnotizing on the Stage— "You Can't Pull Your Hands Apart" Post Hypnotic Suggestion The Newsboy, the Hunter, and the Young Man with the Rag Doll A Whip Becomes Hot Iron Courting a Broomstick The Side Show.
—
—
—
—
—
Let us now describe some
of the manifesta-
how it operThe following
tions of hypnotism, to see just
ates is
and how
it
exhibits
itself.
a description of a public performance given
by Dr. Herbert L. public operator.
eye-witness
It
Flint, is
a very successful
in the
language of an
— a New York lawyer.
In response to a call for volunteers, twenty
young and middle-aged men came upon the stage.
They
middle-class.
evidently belonged to the great
The entertainment commenced
by Dr. Flint passing around the group,
were seated on the stage 59
who
in a semicircle fac-
HYPNOTISM.
60
head and "Close
You
your
Think
eyes.
are very tired.
of
nothing but
You
are drowsy.
As he did
very sleepy."
feel
of the volunteers closed their
and one
fell
one's
forehead, repeating the phrases,
You
sleep.
stroking each
audience, and
ing the
this,
several
eyes at once,
One or two
asleep immediately.
remained awake, and these did not give themselves
up
to the influence, but rather resisted
it.
When
the doctor had completed his round
and had manipulated of those influenced
some
the volunteers,
all
were nodding, some were
sound asleep, while a few were wide awake
and smiling
at the
rest.
These
latter
were
dismissed as unlikely subjects.
When those
the stage had been cleared
who were
all
not responsive, the doctor
passed around, and,
snapping his finger at
each individual, awoke him. jects
of
One
when questioned afterward
of the sub-
as to
what
sensation he experienced at the snapping of the fingers, replied that
it
seemed
to
him as
if
AMUSING EXPERIMENTS something inside
of his
61
head responded, and
with this sensation he regained self-conscious(This
ness.
is
As a
to be doubted.
rule,
subjects in this stage of hypnotism do not feel
any sensation that they can remember, and do not become self-conscious.)
The
class
and did not
was now apparently wide awake, differ in
ordinary state.
appearance from their
The doctor then took each
one and subjected him to a separate physical test,
such as sealing the eyes,
fastening the
hands, stiffening the fingers, arms, and legs,
producing partial catalepsy and causing stuttering
and
inability to speak.
sessing strong imaginations,
In those pos-
he was able to
produce hallucinations, such as feeling mosquito bites, suffering from toothache, finding
the pockets
filled
and the hands covered with
molasses, changing identity, and
many
simi-
lar tests.
The doctor now asked each one to clasp hands in front of him, and when all had
his
complied with the request, he repeated the
HYPNOTISM.
62
"Think your hands so fast that you They are fast. You can't pull them apart. You can't." Try. cannot pull them apart. The whole class made frantic efforts to unphrase,
clasp their hands, but were unable to do so.
The
doctor's explanation of this
is,
they were really doing was to
that what
force
their
hands closer together, thus obeying the counter suggestion.
trying
That they thought they were
to unclasp
their
hands was evident
from their endeavors.
The
moment he made them
snapping
his fingers, the spell
was most astonishing
ridiculous
position
was broken.
to see that as
awoke, he seemed to be
fully
by It
each one
cognizant of the
which
in
desist,
his
comrades
were placed, and to enjoy their confusion and ludicrous attitudes.
The moment, however,
he was
commanded
to
absurd,
he obeyed.
While,
class
do
things
equally
therefore,
the
appeared to be free agents, they are un-
der hypnotic control.
One young
fellow,
aged about eighteen,
AMUSING EXPERIMENTS. said that he
was addicted
The
suggestion was
habit.
he would not be able to twenty-four hours.
He was
cigarette
made to him that smoke a cigarette for
After the entertainment
he was asked to smoke, habit.
to the
63
was
as
usual
his
then away from any one
could influence him.
He
who the
replied that
very idea was repugnant.
However, he was
induced to take a cigarette in his mouth, but it
made him
ill
and he flung
away with every
it
expression of disgust.*
The same phenomena
was shown
that
in
unclasping the hands, was next exhibited in
commanding
the
subjects
rotate
to
They immediately began and faster
and
faster,
One
stop.
in spite of
twirled
them.
them
their efforts to
of the subjects said he
thought
of
nothing but the strange action of his hands,
and sometimes
it
puzzled him to
know why
they whirled. *This is an instance of what is called post-hypnotic suggestion. Dr. Cocke tells of suggesting to a drinker whom he w:ts trying to cure of the habit that for the next three days anything he took would make him vomit the result followed as suggested. :
HYPNOTISM.
64
At
charge of the at
Flint's
this point Dr.
one
of
She pointed her
class.
were
subject's
and assumed a peculiar glassy
the lady
to
him
him standing
In the
asleep.
caused great laughter
so uproariously that
set,
Miss
among
and
He
and vacant,
meantime the
One young fellow in
class.
nose
profound slumber.
in
stood there, stooping, eyes fast
his
of the stage
the front
to
until
Then he stopped.
touched her hand.
left
Presently the
arose with a steady, gliding gait
and walked up
Flint led
rest of the
leaned forward, the pupils of
head
He
which the
amused.
highly
his eyes dilated stare.
finger
them, and the subject began to look
steadily before him, at class
daughter took
act
had
the rest of the
particular, laughed
tears coursed
down
his
cheeks, and he took out his handkerchief to
wipe
his eyes.
Just as he
his pocket, the lady
at him.
She was
fully fifteen
the
moment
feet
was returning
it
to
suddenly pointed a finger
in the center of the stage,
away from the
subject, but
the gesture was made, his coun-
AMUSING EXPERIMENT^ tenance
fell,
his mirth stopped,
65
while that of
companions redoubled, and the change
his
was so obvious that the audience shared the laughter
in
— but the subject neither saw nor
His eyes assumed the same expres-
heard.
sion that had been noticed in his companion's.
He, too, arose
in the
same
attitude, as
his
if
head were pulling the body along, and following the finger in the
same way as
was conducted
sor,
by the side
his predeces-
to the front of the stage
This was
of the first subject.
repeated on half a dozen subjects, and the manifestations were the
same
in
each case.
Those selected were now drawn up
in
an
ir-
regular line in front of the stage, their eyes fixed
on vacancy, their heads bent forward,
perfectly motionless.
suggestion.
papers.
sell
One was
in
it
among
a
and
the woods before
Another was given a large rag
told that
look
to be a newsboy,
Another was given a broomstick
and told to hunt game him.
Each was then given
was an
doll
and
infant,
and that he must
the audience
and discover the
HYPNOTISM.
66
He was
father.
informed that he could
tel!
the father was by the similarity and the
who
color of the eyes.
These suggestions were made
in a loud tone,
Miss Flint being no nearer one subject than another.
"Now,
as,
The bare
suggestion
was
given,
think that you are a newsboy, and
are selling papers," or, "
Now
think that you
are hunting and are going into the
woods
to
shoot birds."
So the party was started the audience. ing a
same time
into
The one who was impersonat-
newsboy went about crying loud
a
in
at the
voice; while
the
along stealthily and carefully.
his edition
hunter crawled
The newsboy
even adopted the well-worn device of asking those get
whom
rid of
a cent,
he solicited to buy to help him
his stock.
when
One man
offered
the price was two cents.
newsboy chaffed the would-be purchaser. sarcastically asked
him
if
him
The
He
he "didn't want the
earth."
The
others did what they had been told to
O
o 5
u i—
H Oh w J < <
AMUSING EXPERIMENTS. do
in the
same
67
characteristic way.
earnest,
After this performance, the class
was again
seated in a semicircle, and Miss Flint selected
one
them, and, taking him into the center
of
of the stage,
He
showed him a small riding whip.
looked at
told
it
it
indifferently enough.
was a hot bar
his head,
still
of
but
he shook
The
suggestion
iron,
incredulous.
He was
was repeated, and as the glazed look came into his eyes, the incredulous look died out.
Every member suggestion of
of the class
made
was following the
to the subject in hand.
them had the same expression
The doctor
eyes.
in
All their
said that his daughter
was
hypnotizing the whole class through this one individual.
As she spoke she
lightly
with the end of the whip. subject felt the whip he as
if
it
really
touched the subject
The moment
the
jumped and shrieked
were a hot
iron.
She touched
each one of the class in succession, and every
one manifested the utmost pain and subject sat
down on
fear.
One
the floor and cried in dire
HYPNOTISM.
68
when
Others,
distress.
touched, would tear
clothing or roll up their sleeves.
off their
One
young man was examined by a physician present just after the whip had been laid across his shoulders,
and a long red mark was found,
one as would have been made by
just such a
The
a real hot iron.
doctor said that, had the
suggestion been continued,
it
would undoubt-
edly have raised a blister.
One
of the
later time
was
amusing experiments that of a tall
tried at a
young man,
dent, pale and modest, being given a carefully
wrapped
was
his sweetheart.
and
sat
down by
sheepish at
first,
in a sheet,
He
diffi-
broom
and told that
it
accepted the situation
the broom.
He was
a
little
but eventually he grew bolder,
and smiled upon her such a smile as Malvolio casts tle
upon
by
ing,
Olivia.
little,
The manner in which,
he ventured upon a familiar foot-
was exceedingly funny; but when,
moment
lit-
of confident
in a
response to his wooing,
he clasped her round the waist and imprinted a chaste kiss upon the brushy part of the broom,
AMUSING EXPERIMENTS.
69
disguised by the sheet, the house resounded
with roars of laughter.
was deaf
The
subject, however,
He was absorbed
to all of the noise.
in his courtship,
and he continued
broom, and exhibit
hug the
to
in his features that idiotic
smile that one sees only upon the faces of lovers
and bridegrooms.
lover," as the saying
"All the world loves a is,
and
all
the world loves
to laugh at him.
One of a
of the subjects
man
in the
was
told that the
audience was on
head
He
fire.
looked for a moment, and then dashed down the platform into the audience, and, seizing
the man's head, vigorously rubbed
As
this
off
his
this,
he
it.
did not extinguish the flames, he took
coat and put the
fire out.
In doing
on fire, when he trampled it under Then he calmly resumed his garment
set his coat foot.
and walked back
to the stage.
The "side-show" tainment.
closed the evening's enter-
A young man was
told to think of
himself as managing a side-show at a circus.
When
his
mind had absorbed
this idea
he was
HYPNOTISM.
70
He
ordered to open his exhibition.
mounted a
table, and, in the voice of the tra-
ditional side-show fakir,
began to
dilate
woman and the snakes, upon man from Borneo, upon the learned the fat
all
at once
upon
the wild pig,
the other accessories of side-shows.
and
He
went over the usual characteristic "patter," getting
more and more
in earnest, assuring his
hearers that for the small
sum
of ten cents
they could see more wonders than ever before
had been crowded under one canvas
tent.
He
harangued the crowd as they surged about the tent door.
canvas picture.
He pointed to He "chaffed"
flattered the vanity of the
a suppositious
the boys.
He
young fellows with
their girls, telling thern that they could not afford, for the small this
great show.
patrons.
"This
is
and took
He
sum
He made change
for his
indulged in side remarks, such as
hot work." off
of ten cents, to miss
his collar
He rolled up and
his sleeves
necktie, all of the
time expatiating upon the merits of the freaks inside of his tent.
CHAPTER
III.
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM.
— Catalepsy —The
Lethargy
Somnambulistic Stage
Fascination.
We
have just given some
may
experiments that jects in
one
of the
—
•
amusing
of the
be performed with sub-
minor stages
of hypnotism.
But there are other stages which give entirely different
manifestations.
classification of these
we
For
a
scientific
are indebted to Pro-
fessor Charcot, of the Salpetriere hospital in Paris, to
we
whom, next
to
Mesmer and
Braid,
are indebted for the present science
hypnotism. stages
He
recognized
— lethargy,
bulism.
There
is
catalepsy
and
distinct
somnam-
a condition
also
treme lethargy, a sort
three
of
of
of trance state,
ex-
that
lasts for
days and even weeks, and, indeed,
has been
known
to last for years.
also a lighter phase than 71
There
somnambulism,
is
that
HYPNOTISM.
72
is
Some
called fascination.
place
it
Each tinct
doctors, however,
between catalepsy and somnambulism.
of these stages
We give
phenomena.
by a pupil
marked by quite
is
dis-
them as described
of Dr. Charcot. f
LETHARGY. This the
a state of absolute inert sleep.
is
method
object
held
is
Braid
of
used, and a bright
near the eyes, and the
quite
eyes are fixed upon
is
If
the subject squints, the
it,
eyes become moist and bright, the look fixed,
and the pupils stage.
the object
If
lethargy
is
This
dilated. is
left
is
the cataleptic
before the eyes,
There are also many
produced.
other ways of producing lethargy, as
seen in the chapter
One
of the
stage of
"How
marked
hypnotism
is
we have
to Hypnotize."
characteristics of this
the
tendency of the
muscles to contract, under the influence of the slightest touch, friction, pressure or
or even that of a
The
magnet placed
massage,
at a distance.
contraction disappears only by the repe-
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. tition of that
identical
ing illustration
it
:
"If the forearm
at
that called
Dr. Courmelles gives the follow-
into action.
palm
means
73
is
rubbed a
little
of the hand, this latter yields
The
an acute angle.
subject
pended by the hand, and the body up without relaxation, that
is,
ing to the normal condition. the normal state,
it
suffices to
above the
and bends
may
be sus-
will
be held
without return-
To
return to
rub the antag-
onistic muscles, or, in ordinary terms, the part
diametrically opposed to that which produced the
phenomenon;
little
in this case,
above the hands.
It is
the forearm a
the
same
for
any
other part of the body."
The
subject appears to be in a deep sleep,
the eyes are either closed or half closed, and the
face
without expression.
is
appears to be the head legs
hang
is
in a state of
The body
complete collapse,
thrown back, and the arms and
loose,
dropping heavily down.
this stage insensibility
is
so
In
complete that
needles can be run into any part of the body
HYPNOTISM.
74
without producing pain, and surgical operations
may
be performed without the slightest
unpleasant
effect.
This stage
usually but a short time,
lasts
and the
patient,
under ordinary conditions,
will pass
upward
into the stage of catalepsy,
which he opens
in
his eyes.
spontaneous, that
is
tion of the nervous
duced
it
is,
if
If
it is
the hypnotism
due to a condi-
organism which has pro-
without any outside
aid,
we have
condition of prolonged trance, of which cases have been reported.
the
many
Until the discovery
hypnotism these strange trances were little understood, and people were even buried alive in them. A few instances reported by mediof
cal
men
will
ported in
Said he
1
be interesting.
There is one re889 by a noted French physician.
:
"There
is
at this
moment
in the hospital at
Mulhouse a most interesting girl
twenty-two years
of
case.
A young
age has been asleep
here for the last twelve days.
Her complex-
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. ion
fresh
is
75
and rosy, her breathing quite nor-
mal, and her features unaltered.
"No
organ seems attacked;
functions are
She
state.
which
is
is
performed as
even sometimes opens
Her mouth
of itself at the contact
and she swallows without the At other times the gullet
slightest difficulty.
remains
inert.
"The whole body
is
insensible.
The
head alone presents, under the action or of pricks, ever,
waking
the
in
fed with milk, broth and wine,
given her in a spoon.
of the spoon,
the vital
all
some
reflex
interesting, she seems,
she shows for ether,
of touch
phenomena.
by a peculiarity, which
is
fore-
How-
extremely
by the intense horror to
retain
a
certain
amount of consciousness and sensibility. a drop of ether
is
If
put into her mouth her face
contracts and assumes an expression of disgust.
At the same moment her arms and legs
are violently agitated, with the kind of impatient
to
motion that a child displays when made
swallow some hated dose of medicine.
HYPNOTISM.
76
"In the
intellectual relations the brain
is
not absolutely obscure, for on her mother's
coming
her the subject's face
to see
became
highly colored, and tears appeared on the tips
her eyelashes, without, however, in an/
of
other
way
disturbing her lethargy.
"Nothing has yet been able to rouse her from
disappear
rally
will
which
this torpor,
then
quitted
at
return
it.
It
a
to is
will,
moment.
given
conscious
probable
not retain any recollection condition, that
and that she
all
no doubt, natu-
that of her
notion of time will
will fancy
it is
She
as she
life
she
will
present fail her,
only the day fol-
lowing her usual nightly slumber, a slumber which, in this case, has been transformed into
a lethargic sleep, without any rigidity of limbs or convulsions. "Physically, the sleeper slender, strong characteristic. trious,
slight
is of
a middle
size,
and pretty, without distinctive Mentally, she
is lively,
indus-
sometimes whimsical, and subject to nervous attacks."
iHE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. There of a
is
young
an intense tion
a pretty well-authenticated report
May
who, on
girl
fright, fell into
which lasted
the case spread abroad, to investigate
it
30, 1883, after
a lethargic condi-
Her parents
for four years.
were poor and ignorant,
but, as the
fame
of
some physicians went
Her
March, 1887.
On
never been interrupted. lids,
77
sleep had
raising the eye-
the doctors found the eyes turned con-
vulsively upward,
blowing upon them,
but,
produced no reflex movement jaws were closed
tightly,
of the lids.
Her
and the attempt
open her mouth had broken
off
some
of the
The muscles
teeth level with the gums.
to
con-
tracted at the least breath or touch, and the
arms remained
in position
contraction of the lethargic state,
when uplifted. The
muscles
but the
is
arm,
a sign of the
remaining
position, indicates the cataleptic state. girl
was kept
alive
by
poured into her mouth.
liquid
who have
The
nourishment
.
There are on record a large number of persons
in
of cases
slept for several months.
HYPNOTISM.
78
CATALEPSY.
The next
higher stage of hypnotism
be thrown into
directly, or patients in the
lethargic state
may It
that
may
Patients
of catalepsy. it
is
be brought into
seems that the
and
by
it
affecting the brain,
itself.
Nearly
the
tism
all
means
phenomena
for producing
quite
hypno-
carried to just the right degree,
will, if
produce catalepsy. fixing of the
may
the eyelids.
awakens new powers,
for the cataleptic state has
peculiar to
lifting
light penetrating the eyes,
For
instance, besides the
eye on a bright object, catalepsy
be produced by a sudden sound, as of a
Chinese gong, a tom-tom or a whistle, the vibration of a tuning-fork, or thunder. solar spectrum
room
it
is
If
a
suddenly brought into a dark
may produce
catalepsy, which
is
also
produced by looking at the sun, or a lime light,
or an electric light.
In this state the patient has
become
per-
fectly rigidly fixed in the position in
which he
when
produced,
happens
to
be
the effect
is
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. whether like
;
and
standing, kneeling,
sitting,
or legs
the
or
has an expression of
this face
The arms
79
may be
raised, but
if
fear.
left
to
themselves will not drop, as in lethargy.
The
eyes are wide open, but the look
and
The
impassive.
fixed
is
fixed
position lasts only a
few minutes, however, when the subject
re-
turns to a position of relaxation, or drops back into the lethargic state. If
the
muscles,
nerves
or
tendons
are
rubbed or pressed, paralysis may be produced, which, however, of electricity,
is
quickly removed by the use
when
By
the patient awakes.
manipulating the muscles the most rigid contraction may be produced, until the entire is
body
in such a state of corpse-like rigidity that a
most
experiment
startling
subject
may be
is
possible.
The
placed with his head upon the
back of one chair and his heels on the back of another, and a heavy
man may
sit
without seemingly producing any
even heavy rock ject's
body.
may be broken on
upon him effect,
or
the sub-
HYPNOTISM
80
Messieurs Binet and Fere,
the action
describe
school,
Salpetriere
the
pupils of
magnets on cataleptic subjects, as follows
"The
patient
:
seated near a table, on
is
which a magnet has been placed, the
elbow
rests
on the arm
arm and hand and index fingers
thumb
extended, while the other
On
remain half bent.
the right side
and hand are stretched on the
the forearm table,
left
of the chair, the fore-
vertically upraised with
finger
of
and the magnet
is
placed under a linen
two inches.
cloth at a distance of about
After
a couple of minutes the right index begins to
tremble and rise up
;
tended fingers bend
on the down,
remains limp for an instant.
and forearm
rise
left
stretched out on
the
the
of
waxen
the ex-
and the hand
The
right
hand
up and assume the primitive
the
position
left side
hand,
arm
which
is
now
of the chair, with
pliability that pertains to the cata-
leptic state."
An
interesting experiment
may be
tried
by
throwing a patient into lethargy on one side
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. and catalepsy on the is
is
First, the lethargic stage is in-
difficult.
duced, then one eyelid
is
raised,
alone becomes cataleptic, and
on
induce what
and hemi-catalepsy
called hemi-lethargy
not
To
other.
81
and that
side
may be operated The arm on
in various interesting ways.
that side,
when
instance,
for
lifted,
while the
will
remain raised
arm on the other
side
will fall heavily. Still
more
interesting
dition of the subject.
remarked that
if
the intellectual con-
Some
great
man
has
he wished to know what a
person was thinking position
is
of,
he assumed the exact
and expression of that person, and
and think
just as
the other was thinking and feeling.
Look
soon he would begin to
a part and you
will
feel
soon begin to
In the cataleptic subject there lation
between the attitude the
sumes and the
feel is
it.
a close re-
subject as-
intellectual manifestation.
In
the somnambulistic stage patients are manipulated by speaking to them; in the cataleptic
stage they are equally under the will of the
HYPNOTISM.
82
now he
operator; but ture.
observation
made
at
:
'
'The emotions
command,
them by
controls
from
Says Dr. Courmelles,
ges-
own
his
in this stage are
in the true acceptation of
the word, for they are produced, not by orders
by expressive move-
verbally expressed, but
ments.
close to the mouth, as
the
mouth
drawn
the hands are opened and
If
smiles.
and half bent
If
when
a kiss
slightest variation of
the emotions.
If
wafted,
the arms are extended
at the elbows, the
assumes an expression
is
The
astonishment.
of
movement
the
countenance
fists
is
are
reflected in
closed,
the
brow contracts and the face expresses anger. If
a lively or sad tune
is
played,
if
amusing
or depressing pictures are shown, the subject, like a faithful
impressions.
mirror, at once reflects these If
a smile
is
produced
it
can be
seen to diminish and disappear at the same time as the
hand
is
moved away, and again
appear and increase when brought near.
Better
still,
it
is
to re-
once more
a double expres-
sion can be imparted to the physiognomy, bj
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. hand
approaching the
left
the mouth, the
left side
will smile,
83
to the left side of of the
physiognomy
while at the same time, by closing
the right hand, the right eyebrow will frown.
The
subject can be
made
to send kisses, or to
turn his hands round each other indefinitely. If
the hand
blow;
if
is
brought near the nose
it
will
the arms are stretched out they will
remain extended, while the head will be bowed with a marked expression of pain."
Heidenhain was able to take possession of the subject's gaze and control him by sight,
through
fixedly at the patient
He
mimicry.
producing
till
to take his eyes away.
the patient
Then
unable
the patient will
copy every movement he makes.
and goes backward
is
looks
If
he
the patient will follow,
rises
and
with his right hand he will imitate the move-
ments mirror.
of the operator's left, as
The
he were a
attitudes of prayer, melancholy,
pain, disdain, anger or fear, in this
if
may be produced
manner.
The experiments
of
Donato, a stage hy pno-
HYPNOTISM.
84
tizer,
are thus described
"After throwing the
:
subjects into catalepsy he causes soft music to
be played, which produces a rapturous expression.
If
the sound
the subjects
seem
is
to
heightened or increased, receive a
The
feeling of disappointment.
developed by hypnotism
shock and a artistic sense
disturbed;
the
faces express astonishment, stupefaction
and
pain.
If
the
same
soft
is
melody be again
sumed, the same expression of rapturous
re-
bliss
The faces become seraphic and celestial when the subjects are by nature handsome, and when the
reappears in the countenance.
subjects are ordinary looking, even ugly, they
are idealized as by a special kind of beauty."
The
strange
part of
all this
is,
that on
awaking, the patient has no recollection of
what has taken
shown tions,
that
place,
and careful
what appear
such as
in
tests
to be violent
have
emo-
an ordinary state would pro-
duce a quickened pulse and heavy breathing, create no disturbance whatever in the cataleptic
subject; only the outer
mask
is
in
motion.
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. "Sometimes the subjects lean with
the grace
all
of a
backward
perfect equilibrist,
mechan-
freeing themselves from the ordinary ical
The
laws.
8*
curvature
indeed,
will,
at
times be so complete that the head will touch the floor and the body describe a regular arc.
"When
a female subject assumes an atti-
tude of devotion, clasps her hands, turns her eyes upward and lisps out a prayer, she prepicture,
and her
and expression seem worthy
of being
admirably
sents an features
artistic
reproduced on canvas."
We
thus see what a perfect automaton the
human body may become. however, to be a sort
of
for a familiar object will
taneously of
soap
he
is
will
its
There appears,
unconscious memory,
seem
ordinary use.
to suggest spon-
Thus,
if
a piece
put into a cataleptic patient's hands,
move
it
around
as
though
thought he were washing them, and
if
there
he is
any water near he will actually wash them.
The if
sight of an umbrella
he were
in a storm.
makes him shiver as
Handing such a per-
HYPNOTISM.
86
son a pen
will not
letter is dictated to
make him
The
an irregular hand.
in
write, but
him out loud he subject
if
a
will write
may
also
be made to sing, scream or speak different languages with which he
This
is,
is
entirely unfamiliar.
however, a verging toward the som-
nambulistic stage, for in deep catalepsy the
The
patient does not speak or hear.
state
is
produced by placing the hands on the head, the forehead, or nape of the neck.
THE SOMNAMBULISTIC STAGE. This
is
the
stage or phase of hypnotism
nearest the waking, and
can be produced
in
is
some
in the cataleptic state
the only one that subjects.
Patients
can be brought into the
somnambulistic by rubbing the top of the head.
To his
all
appearances, the patient
eyes are open,
spoken
to,
same sound
but as
state the patient
and he
his voice
awake,
answers when
does not have the
when awake. is
fully
is
Yet, in
this
susceptible of all the hal-
lucinations of insanity which
may
be induced
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. at
the
verbal
One
of the
command
then
is
I
recite
I
awake
some
her.
of this
mem-
the effect on the
Says Monsieur Richet
to sleep.
operator.
most curious features
stage of hypnotism ory.
the
of
87
V
"I send
:
verses to her, and
She remembers nothing.
again send her to sleep, and she remembers
I
perfectly the verses
recited.
I
I
awake
her,
and she has again forgotten everything." It
appears, however, that
remember on awaking, a
commanded to may remem-
if
patient
ber.
The
active sense,
and the memory as
well,
appears to be in an exalted state of activity during this phase of hypnotism. ' '
M
,
ond act ble of
who
of the
will sing
the air of the sec-
Africainc in her sleep,
remembering a
awake."
Says M. Richet:
incapa-
is
single note of
it
when
Another patient, while under
hypnotic influence, could remember eaten for several days past, but could remember very
little.
all
this
he had
when awake
Binet and Fere
caused one of their subjects to
remember
the
HYPNOTISM.
88
whole
of
his
repasts for
eight days
past,
though when awake he could remember noth-
beyond two or three days.
ing
Dr. Charcot,
who when
had seen Dr. Parrot
A
patient of
she was two years old
in the
children's hospi-
but had not seen him since, and
when awake could not remember him, named him at once when he entered during her hypnotic tal,
sleep. tried, in
M. Delboeuf
tells of
an experiment he
which the patient did remember what
had taken place during the hypnotic condition,
when he suddenly awakened her
in the
of the hallucination; as, for instance,
midst
he told
her the ashes from the cigar he was smoking
had on
on her handkerchief and had set it whereupon she at once rose and threw
fallen
fire,
the handkerchief into the water.
Then, sud-
denly awakened, she remembered the whole
performance. In the somnambulistic stage the patient
is
no longer an automaton merely, but a real personality, "an individual with his own character, his likes
and
dislikes. "
The tone
of the
THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM.
89
voice of the operator seems to have quite as
much
effect as his words.
If
he speaks in a
grave and solemn tone, for instance, even
what he of
utters
nonsense, the effect
is
is
if
that
a deeply tragic story.
The
of
will
another
not so easily im-
is
planted as has been claimed. While a patient
offered,
he
which are he
is
may be commands
almost any suggestion that
will follow
readily
in
obeys
keeping with
commanded
to
only
his character.
do something he
If
dislikes,
or which in the waking state would be very
repugnant to him, he hesitates, does reluctantly,
gether,
and
in
it
very
extreme cases refuses
alto-
often going
into
hysterics.
It
was
found at the Charity hospital that one patient absolutely refused to
become a
priest.
One
accept of
a cassock and
Monsieur Richet's
patients screamed with pain the
moment an
amputation was suggested, but almost immediately recognized that tion,
and laughed
it
in the
was only a suggesmidst of her tears.
HYPNOTISM.
99
Probably, however, this patient was not completely hypnotized.
Dr. Dumontpallier was able to produce a
very curious phenomenon.
He
suggested to a
female patient that with the right eye she could see
picture
a
on a blank card.
On
awakening she could, indeed, see the picture with the right eye, but the the card was blank.
eye told her
left
While she was
somnambulistic state he told her ear that the weather
was very
in her right
fine,
and
same time another person whispered left-ear that of her face
angle of her
it
was
On
raining.
in the
at the in
the right side
she had a smile, while the lip
dropped as
if
he describes a dance and gay party
in
Again,
one
and another person mimics the barking in the other.
case wears an
One side
left
she were de-
pressed by the thought of the rain.
dog
her
ear, of a
of her face in that
amused expression, while the
other shows signs of alarm. Dr. Charcot thus describes a curious exper-
iment
:
"A
portrait
is
suggested to a subject
— THE STAGES OF HYPNOTISM. blank card, which
as existing on a
mixed with a dozen others; to awakened, packet,
is
all
The
they are similar cards.
requested to
91
is
then
appearance
subject,
being
over the
look
and does so without knowing the
reason of the request, but
when he
the card on which the portrait
perceives
was suggested,
he at once recognizes the imaginary portrait. It
is
has,
probable that some insignificant mark
owing
to
his visual
hyperacuity,
fixed
the image in the subject's brain."
FASCINATION.
Says a recent French writer:
"Dr. Bre-
maud, a naval doctor, has obtained
in
men
supposed to be perfectly healthy a new condition,
which he
calls fascination.
considers that this
form,
which,
is
after
hypnotism repeated
might become catalepsy. nated by Dr. Bremaud
The
a state of stupor.
inventor
in its mildest
experiments, subject fasci-
—fascination
duced by the contemplation falls into
The
being in-
of a bright spot
He
follows the
HYPNOTISM.
92
operator and servilely imitates his movements, gestures and words; he obeys suggestions, and a stimulation of the nerves induces contraction,
but the cataleptic
pliability
does not
exist."
A
noted public hypnotizer
in
Paris
some
years ago produced fascination in the following manner:
He would
cause the subject to
lean on his hands, thus fatiguing the muscles.
The excitement produced by gaze
of
a
large
weakening the
the concentrated
audience also
assisted in
nervous resistance.
the operator would suddenly call out: at
me
The
!"
At
last
"Look
subject would look up- and
gaze steadily into the operator's eyes,
who
would stare steadily back with round, glaring eyes,
and
in
most cases subdue
his victim.
CHAPTER
IV.
How
—
the Subject Feels Under Hypnotization. Dr. Cooper's Experience. Effect of Music. Dr. Alfred
—
—
Marthieu's Experiments.
The
sensations produced during a state of
hypnosis are very interesting.
As may be
sup-
posed, they differ greatly in different persons.
One is
of the most interesting accounts ever given
that of Dr.
who
self,
James R. Cocke,
submitted to being operated upon
by a professional magnetizer. time
a hypnotist him-
a firm believer in the
He was
at that
theory of personal
magnetism (a delusion from which he
after-
ward escaped).
On the
occasion which he describes, the oper-
commanded him
ator
to close his eyes
and
told
him he could not open them, but he did open them at once. Again he told him to close the eyes, his
and
at the
same time he gently stroked
head and face and eyelids with his hand. 93
HYPNOTISM.
94
felt
a tingling sensation
eyes,
which he supposed
Dr. Cocke fancied he
and
in his forehead
came from the hand of
to believe that this sensation
ward he came
was purely imaginary on
Then he
(After-
the operator.
says
"A
:
The
came over me.
his part.)
sensation akin to fear
operator said
'You are
:
You
going to sleep, you are getting sleepy. cannot open your eyes.'
my
was beating
heart
was going
to sleep,
was conscious that
rapidly,
He
sensation of terror. I
I
and
felt
I
a
tell
me
and could not open
my
continued to
my
eyes.
He
then
down
over
my
hands and body, but did not
touch me.
He
then said to me,
open your
eyes.'
lids
yet
made
passes over
I
was conscious
mind wanted did not want state.
I
to open
my
open
to to,
my
not.
eyes
to
of
my
so
The
I
my
eyes, another part
was
I
my
will,
that while one part of
believed that
and yet could
'You cannot
The motor apparatus
would not seemingly respond
head,
in a
paradoxical
could open
my
eyes,
feeling of not wishing
was not based upon any desire
HOW THE
SUBJECT FEELS.
to please the operator.
him
terest in I
in
He continued to
had no personal
I
any way,
but, be
power
firmly believed in his
95
to suggest to
me
in-
understood,
it
to control me.
that
was going
I
and the suggestion of terror pre-
sleep,
viously mentioned continued to increase."
The next
was
step
over his head and
Then he
down.
feeling in
I
knew
that I
He knew
I
it,
and
felt
at the
of terror increased.
my body
said
it
it
"You have no
:
Dr. Cocke goes on: that
had a feeling
though Dr Cocke feel
said
have you?"
said
I
in it."
'No; yet
The operator
arm with
went on, pricking the
not
arm and
stroked the
"I said 'No,' and
hand
him he could not put
tell
was growing numb. it,
to put the doctor's
a pin,
and
the pain he said he did
same time the sensation "I
was not conscious
of
at all," he says further on, "but
I
was painfully conscious of the two contradictory elements within me.
body
I
knew
existed, but could not prove
it
that
my
to myself.
knew that the statements made by the oper1 ator were in a measure untrue. I obeyed them
HYPNOTISM.
96
voluntarily and involuntarily.
remembrance
that
I
This
is
the last
have of that hypnotic ex-
perience."
After
this,
however, the operator caused the
number of things which he
doctor to do a
learned of from his friends after the perform-
ance was over. notist
seemed
"It
commanded me
dropped
my
to
to
me
awake
that the hyp-
as soon as I
arm," and yet ten minutes of un-
consciousness had passed.
On was
a subsequent occasion Dr. Cocke,
blind,
was put
by fixing his
into a deep hypnotic sleep
mind on the number 26 and hold-
ing up his hand. still
who
This time he experienced a
greater degree of terror, and incidentally
learned that he could hypnotize himself.
matter of self-hypnotism
we
The
shall consider in
another chapter. In this connection
an
article in the
we
find great interest in
Medical News, July 28, 1894,
by Dr. Alfred Warthin, of in
which he describes the
hypnotic subjects.
Ann
Arbor, Mich.,
effects of
While
in
music upon
Vienna he took
how occasion
to
the: SUBJECT FEELS.
observe
the
closely
97
enthusiastic
musical devotees as thev sat in the audience at the
He
performance of one of Wagner's operas.
believed they were in a condition of self-
induced hypnotism, in which their subjective faculties
were so exalted as
Music was no longer to
objective perceptions.
them
to supersede their
a succession of pleasing sounds, but the
embodiment of a drama
in
which they became
so wrapped up that they forgot
all
about the
mechanical and external features of the music
and
lived
completely
in
a
fairy
world
of
dream. This observation suggested to him an interesting series of experiments.
was
easily hypnotized,
ture.
Wagner's
first
subject
and of an emotional na-
"Ride
Walkure"
of
played from the piano score. subject
His
The
became more rapid and
was
pulse of the at
first
of
higher tension, increasing from a normal rate of 60 beats a minute to 120.
Then, as the
music progressed, the tension diminished. The respiration increased
from 18
to
30 per minute.
HYPNOTISM.
98
Great excitement
subject
was
evident.
whole body was thrown into motion, his
Ilis
were drawn up,
legs air,
in the
his
arms tossed
and a profuse sweat appeared.
into the
When
the
subject had been awakened, he said that he did
not
remember the music
as music, but
had an
impression of intense excitement, brought on
by "riding furiously through the state of
most
mind brought up before him
realistic
The
air." in
and vivid manner possible the
picture of the ride of Tarn O'Shanter,
he had seen years before.
became
the
real to him,
The
which
picture soon
and he found himself tak-
ing part in a wild chase, not as witch, devil, or Tarn even ness
;
but in some
way
his conscious-
was spread through every part of the
scene, being of
it,
spectator, as
often the case in dreams.
Dr.
is
Warthin
and yet playing the part of
tried
again, this time on a
so emotional, and
more
difficulty.
the
same experiment
young man who was not
was hypnotized with much
This subject did not pass into
such a deep state of hypnotism, but the result
DR. FORT'S OPERATION DURING HYPNOTIC SLEEP.
HOW THE was
The
practically the same.
from 70
was
SUBJECT FEELS.
to
120.
The
99
pulse rate rose
sensation remembered
that of riding furiously through the air.
The experiment was jects, in all cases
repeated on other sub-
with the same
Only
result.
one knew that the music was the "Ride of
Walkure."
"To him
it
always expressed the
pictured wild ride of the daughters of
Wotan,
the subject taking part in the ride." noticeable in each case that the
It
was
same music
played to them in the waking state produced
no
special impression.
Here
is
incontestable ev-
idence that in the hypnotic state the perception of the special senses
enormously height-
is
ened.
A
slow movement was tried (the Walhalla
motif).
At
site effect, it
first it
seemed
for the pulse
to
produce the oppo-
was lowered.
Later
rose to a rate double the normal, and the
tension
was diminished.
The impression
scribed by the subject afterward
de-
was a
feeling
A
moun-
of "lofty grandeur and calmness."
tain climbing experience of years before
was
:
HYPNOTISM.
100
recalled,
and the subject seemed to contemplate
A
a landscape of "lofty grandeur."
was played
of music
sort
(the
different
and
intense
ghastly scene in which Brunhilde appears to
summon Sigmund a
to
Walhalla).
marked change took place
came slow and respiration
irregular,
Immediately
in the pulse.
and very
It be-
The
small.
decreased almost to gasping, the
grew
pale,
and a cold perspiration broke
Readers
who
are especially interested in this
face out.
subject will find descriptions of teresting experiments in the
Dr.
Cocke
describes
a
many
same
article.
peculiar
played upon the sight of a subject. "I once hypnotized a all
so rapidly that
him
said
and
lation
to
Says he
and
it
read
his b's
would have been impossible
have remembered simply what
call the letters as I directed.
was
him read
v's,
he
added suggestion after suggestion
I
for
trick
man and made him
of his a's as w's, his u's as
as x's.
other in-
in this case impossible,
fifteen or
as
I
Stimu^ I
made
twenty pages, he calling
HOW THE
SUBJECT FEELS.
101
the letters as suggested each time they oc-
curred."
The extraordinary heightening
of the sense
perceptions has an important bearing on the
question of spiritualism and clairvoyance. the powers of the creased,
and
all
that
is
mind are
so enormously in-
required of a very sensitive
easily hypnotized person
him or
herself,
If
when he
is
to hypnotize
will be able to read
thoughts and remember or perceive facts hid-
den
to the ordinary perception. is
the
famous medium of the
nection the reader
of Mrs.
Piper,
In this con-
referred to the confession
American branch of the Psychical Research Society.
The
confession will be found printed
in full at the close of this book.
—
CHAPTER — How — Accountable
Self-Hypnotization. perience.
It
V.
may Be Done. — An ExChildren's
for
Crusade.
Oriental Prophets Self-Hypnotized.
If self-hypnotism is possible
(and
it
is
true
that a person can deliberately hypnotize himself
when he wishes
tomed
to
it
and
is
to
till
he has become accus-
expert in
it,
so to speak)
does away at a stroke with the claims of
,
it
all
professional hypnotists and magnetic healers that
they have any peculiar power in them-
selves
which they exert over
their fellows.
One
of these professionals gives an account in his
book of what he Method."
up
He
in a separate
calls
"The Wonderful Lock
says that though he
room he can make
power work through the does
is
walls.
to put his subjects in the
notizing themselves.
He shows
is
locked
the psychic
All that he
way
of hyp-
his inconsis-
tency when he states that under certain circum103
HYPNOTISM.
104
stances the hypnotizer
is
power;
becom-
In this he makes no
ing hypnotized himself. claim that the subject
in clanger of
using any psychic
is
but, of course, if the hypnotizer looks
steadily into the eyes of his subject,
and the
subject looks into his eyes, the steady gaze on a bright object will
produce hypnotism in one
quite as readily as in the other.
Hypnotism
is
an established
scientific fact;
but the claim that the hypnotizer has any mysterious psychic
power
is
the invariable
Probably no
the charlatan.
scientific
enon was ever so grossly prostituted ends as that of hypnotism. see
Later
some of the outrageous forms
tanism assumes, and
how
it
mark of phenomto base
we
shall
this charla-
extends to the pro-
fessional subjects as well as to the professional
operators, scientific
till
those subjects even impose upon
men who ought
such deception.
self-hypnotization, called field
to be proof against
Moreover, the possibility of carefully
concealed
and
by another name, opens another great
of
humbug and
charlatanism, of which
:
SELF-HYPNOTIZATION.
105
the advertising columns of the newspapers are
constantly
filled
—namely, We
ant and medium.
may
a profession might become
conceive
any person who went into
he might be
at the start,
how
such
perfectly legitimate
at present
and highly useful; but if
that of the clairvoy-
it
seems as
however honest
it,
soon began to deceive
himself as well as others, until he lost his
power
and
entirely to distinguish between fact
imagination.
Before discussing the matter further, quote Dr. Cocke's experiment himself. sional tized
in
let
us
hypnotizing
be remembered that a profes-
It will
hypnotizer or magnetizer had hypno-
him by
telling
him
to fix his
mind on the
number twenty-six and holding up his hand. Says the doctor <:
In
my room
to try the
the
that evening
same experiment.
number twenty-six
in
my
it
I
occurred to did so.
mind.
me
kept
I
In a few
minutes I felt the sensation of terror, but in a different way.
I
seemed to stand
was still.
intensely cold. I
My
had ringing
heart
in
my
HYPNOTISM.
106
My
ears. I
persisted
the effort,
in
mentioned noise
The
louder.
my
in
crackled like a mighty
I
etc., it
about
I
felt as
The
my
roar in
my body was ears
fixed
grew louder
me
that
vague
in a
all
could not hear their voices.
every muscle in
vivid accounts
felt
I
It
fearfully con-
occurred to
were beings
that there
deafening.
was
fire. I
would experience them.
way
grew louder and
Having read
scious of myself.
of dreams, visions,
scalp.
and the previously
ears
became
roar
my
upon
hair seemed to rise
me
but
though
and
still,
rigid.
and
1
heard, above the roar, reports which sounded like artillery
Then above
and musketry.
din of the noise a musical chord. to be absorbed in this chord.
ing in
else.
the
The world
existed
I
I
knew
noth-
me
only
for
Then
tones of the mighty chord.
had a sensation as though
The sound
in
my
I
was
lost.
I
were expanding.
ears died away, and yet I
was not conscious of silence. sciousness
the
seemed
Then
The next thing
all
I
con-
experi-
enced was a sensation of intense cold, and of
SELF-HYPNOTIZATION.
Then
someone roughly shaking me. the voice of
my
107
I
jolly landlord calling
heard
me by
name."
The
landlord
doctor
found the
had
"as
white as a ghost and as limp as a rag," and
He
thought he was dead.
minutes to arouse the
says
it
took him ten
sleeper.
During the
time a physician had been summoned.
As
to the causes of this condition as pro-
duced Dr. Cocke says
:
"I firmly believed that
something would happen when the attempt was
made
to hypnotize me.
be hypnotized.
Secondly,
I
wished to
These, together with a vivid
imagination and strained attention, brought on the states which occurred." It
is
interesting to
compare the
effects of
hypnotization with those of opium or other narcotic. difference.
Dr.
Cocke
asserts that
there
is
a
His descriptions of dreams bear a
wonderful likeness
to
De
Quincey's dreams,
srch as those described in "The English Mail-
Coach, " "De Profundis," and "The Confes-
HYPNOTISM.
108
sions of an English
Opium
were presumably due
The the
Eater,"
all
of which
opium.
to
causes which Dr. Cocke thinks produced
hypnotic condition desire to
belief,
in
his
be hypnotized,
case,
namely,
and strained
attention, united with a vivid imagination, are
causes which are often found in conjunction
and produce
effects
which we may reasonably
explain on the theory of self-hypnotization.
For
instance, the effects of
an exciting
relig-
ious revival are very like those produced
Mesmer's operations
become
hysterical,
Paris.
in
or
less
hypnotized.
unusual excitement unusual lethargy. of intoxication
—
subjects
and are ready to believe
By prolonging
anything or do anything. operation, a whole
The
by
the
community becomes more In
all
is
commonly followed by
such cases, however,
much
It is
in fact,
it
is
like a
wild spree
a sort of intoxi-
cation.
The same phenomena
many of the The wonderful
able for tory.
are probably account-
strange records of hiscures at Lourdes
(of
SELF-HYPNOTIZATION. which we have read
109
Zola's novel of that
in
are no doubt the effect of hypnotization
name) by the
Some
priests.
move-
of the strange
ments of whole communities during the Crusades are to be explained either on the theory
of hypnotization or of contagion, and possibly these
two things
same
in fact.
plain
the
will turn out to be
On
much
the
no other ground can we ex-
so-called
"Children's
Crusade," in
which over thirty thousand children from Ger-
many, from
all
classes of the
and
to cross the Alps in winter,
gles
were
all lost
community,
tried
in their strug-
or sold into slavery without
even reaching the Holy Land.
Again, hypnotism
is
accountable for
Gazing steadily
of the poet's dreams.
many
at a
bed
of bright coals or a stream of running water will invariably
throw a sensitive subject
hypnotic sleep that will several hours.
last
into a
sometimes
for
Dr. Cocke says that he has ex-
perimented in this direction with patients of his.
Says he
:
"They have
the state or to bring
it
the ability to resist
at will.
Many
of
them
HYPNOTISM.
110
from nature, or some
describe beautiful scenes
mighty cathedral with
its
of imaginary beings,
faces
dome, or the
lofty
beautiful
or
de-
moniacal, according to the will and temper of the subject."
Perhaps the most wonderful example of
we have
self-hypnotism which that of the mystic
history
in
Swedenborg, who saw, such
strange things in his visions, and at last to believe in
them
the Orient
came
as real.
The same explanation may be given of Oriental
manifestations
is
hypnotism
prophets
much
is
easier
of the
—
for
in
and more
systematically developed than with us of the
West.
The performances
and also of the and
perform
would be no doubt
While a person
the dervishes,
of
who wound
fakirs,
many wonderful
difficult for
themselves
feats
which
an ordinary person, are
in part feats of
hypnotism.
in a condition of auto-hypnotization
may imagine
personality.
Says Dr.
that he
Cocke
is :
some other
"A
curious
thing about these self-hypnotized subjects
is
SELF-HYPNOTIZATION. that they carry out perfectly their
of
the
personality
with
whom
thf.mselves to be possessed.
lit
own
ideals
they believe
If their
own
ideals
of the part they are playing are imperfect, their
impersonations are ridiculous in the extreme.
One man
remember believed himself
I
to be
controlled by the spirit of Charles Sumner.
Being uneducated, he used the most wretched English, and his language was utterly devoid
While, on the other hand, a very
of sense.
intelligent lady
trolled
by the
who
believed herself to be con-
spirit of
Cushman
Charlotte
per-
sonated the part very well."
Dr. Cocke says of himself: tize
"I can hypno-
myself to such an extent that
wholly
unconscious
of
events
I will
become
taking
place
around me, and a long interval of time, say
from one-half blank.
zation
to
During I will
two hours,
will be a complete
this condition of auto-hypnoti-
obey suggestions made
another, talking rationally, and not
any event that has occurred has passed
off.
to
me by
knowing
after the condition
—
CHAPTER
VI.
Simulation.— Deception in Hypnotism Very Common.— Examples of Neuropathic Deceit. Detecting Simulation.
the
— Professional
Charity
Subjects.
Hospital
at
— — How
Paris
Dr. Luys of
Was
Deceived.
Impossibility of Detecting Deception in All Cases.
Confessions of a Professional Hypnotic Subject.
It
has already been remarked that hypnotism
and hysteria are conditions very nearly and
that
make
the best hypnotic subjects.
hysterical
neuropathic
allied,
indivduals
Now
persons
of this character are in most cases morally as well as physically degenerate, and
it
is
a curi-
ous fact that deception seems to be an inherent element in nearly
all
Expert
such characters.
doctors have been thoroughly deceived. again, persons
who have
And
been trying to expose
frauds have also been deceived by the positive statements of such persons that they were deceiving the doctors
when they were
not.
A
diseased vanity seems to operate in such cases, 113
HYPNOTISM.
114
and the subjects take any method which promises for
Merely to
inence.
them
into
prom-
attract attention is a
mania
the time being to bring
with some people.
There
is
also
something about the study of
hypnoti .m, and similar subjects in which delusions c uStitute half the existence, that seems to dest tr>-e^r
oy the faculty for distinguishing be-
Undoubtedly we
\uth and delusion.
must look on such manifestations as a
species of
insanity.
There
also a point at
is
scious deceiver,
which the uncon-
for the sake of gain, passes
At
into the conscious deceiver. this chapter
we
will give
ing the fact that persons to
some
may
the close of
cases illustrat-
learn by practice
do seemingly impossible things, such as
holding themselves perfectly rigid fas in the cataleptic state)
while their head rests on one
chair and their heels on another, and a heavy
person
sits
upon them.
First, let us cite a
few cases of what may
be called neuropathic deceit
—
a kind of insan-
SIMULATION. which
ity
shows
itself
in
115
The
deceiving.
newspapers record similar cases from time to
The
time.
two of the following are
first
quoted by Dr. Courmelles from the French courts, etc. i.
The Comtesse de
W— accused
was a
case
celebrated one, and the court-room
was
thronged with the
her maid
The
of having attempted to poison her.
supposed
demned
to
women who
granted, at which that the
The maid was con-
victim.
death
but a
;
it
sympathized with
second
trial
was
was conclusively proved
Comtesse had herself bound herself on
her bed, and had herself poured out the poison
which was found and 2.
still
blackening her breast
lips.
In 1886 a
man
called Ulysse broke into
the shop of a second-hand dealer, facing his
own house
in Paris,
ately to take
were removing
away his
and there began deliberthe goods, just as
own
furniture.
if
he
This he did
without hurrying himself in any way, and transported the property to his
own
premises.
HYPNOTISM.
116
Being caught he seemed at
When
the very act of the theft,
in
be flurried and bewildered.
first to
arrested and taken to the lock-up, he
seemed
to be in a state of abstraction;
when
spoken to he made no reply, seemed ready to fall asleep,
and when brought before the exam-
ining magistrate actually nier, the
medical
fell
asleep.
man attached
Dr. Gar-
to the infirmary
of the police establishment, had no doubt of his irresponsibility
and he was released from
custody. 3.
While engaged as police-court reporter
for a Boston newspaper, the present writer a
number
One was
of strange cases of the
who was brought Though her husband was did not
she had
same kind.
that of a quiet, refined, well
lady,
sell
in
for
saw
educated
shop-lifting.
well to do, and she
or even use the things she took,
made
a
regular business of stealing
whenever she could.
She had begun
it
about
seven months before by taking a lace handkerchief,
which she slipped under her shawl. Soon
after she accomplished another theft.
"I
felt
SIMULATION.
117
so encouraged," she said, "that I got a large
bag, which
this I slipped
clerks
whatever
I
were not looking.
made me do
my
fastened under
I
it.
My
dress,
when
could take I
and into the
do not know what
success seemed to lead
me
on."
Other cases of kleptomania could
easily be
cited.
"Simulation," say Messieurs Fere, "which
is
Binet
and
already a stumbling block in
the study of hysterical cases, becomes far
more
now
occu-
formidable in such studies as pied with. physical
It is
only
we
are
when he has
phenomena
that
the
to deal
operator
with feels
himself on firm ground."
Yet even here we can by no means tain.
feel cer
Physicians have invented various ingeni-
ous pieces of apparatus for testing the circulation
and other physiological conditions; but
even these things are not sure
knows of trol
ally
the case of a
tests.
man who
The
writer
has such con-
over his heart and lungs that he can actu-
throw himself
into a
profound sleep in
HYPNOTISM.
118
which the breathing
is
so absolutely stopped
for an hour that a mirror
is
not moistened in
the least by the breath, nor can the pulses be
To
felt.
all
intents
pears to be dead life
;
and purposes the man ap-
but in due time he comes to
again, apparently no whit the worse for his
experiment. If
his
an ordinary person were asked to hold out
arms
at
length for five minutes he
full
would soon become exhausted, would
quicken,
his
his breathing
pulse-rate
might be supposed that
if
increase,
It
these conditions did
not follow the subject was in a hypnotic trance; but
it
is
well
known
that persons
train themselves to hold out the
may
arms
easily
for
any
length of time without increasing the respiration all.
by one breath or raising the pulse
We
all
illustration in
remember Montaigne's famous which he said that
began by carrying
would
still
rate at
a calf
if
a
woman
about every day she
be able to carry
it
when
it
became
an ox. In the Paris hospitals, where the greater
:
SIMULATION.
number of regular been conducted,
experiments have
scientific is
it
119
found that "trained sub-
jects" are required for
of the
all
more
That some of these famous
demonstrations.
have been deceived, there
scientists
They know
it
difficult
A
themselves.
serve as an illustration
is
is
no doubt.
case which will
that of Dr. Luys,
some of whose operations were "exposed" by Dr. Ernest Hart, an English student of hypno-
tism of a skeptical turn of mind.
One
of Dr.
Luys's pupils in a book he has published makes the following statement, which helps to explain
we
the circumstances which later.
will give a little
Says he
"We know
many
that
hospital patients \*ho
are subjected to the higher or greater treat-
ment of hypnotism are of very doubtful reputations;
we know
ment which
in
also the effects of a tempera-
them
is
simulation, and which
peculiarly addicted to is
exaggerated by the
vicinity of maladies similar to their
judge of
this,
it
is necessary to
own.
To
have seen them
encourage each other in simulation, rehearsing
HYPNOTISM.
120
among
themselves, or even before the medica,
students of the establishment, the experiments to
which they have been subjected
;
and going
through their different contortions and
atti-
tudes to exercise themselves in them.
And
then, again, in the present day, has not the
designation of an 'hypnotical subject' become
almost a social position?
To
be fed, to be paid,
admired, exhibited in public, run after, and all
the rest of
it
—
all
this is
enough
the most impartial looker-on skeptical. it
enough
enable
to
a priori negation
?
us
ficient to justify legitimate
we come
to
But
produce
to
Certainly not
make
to
;
doubt.
but
is
an suf-
it is
And when
moral phenomena, where we have
to put faith in the subject, the difficulty be-
comes
still
greater.
Supposing suggestion and
hallucination to be granted, can they be
onstrated?
Can we by plunging
the subject in
hypnotical sleep, feel sure of what he
firm?
That
is
dem-
may
impossible, for simulation
somnambulism are not
af-
and
reciprocally exclusive
terms, and Monsieur Pitres has established the
SIMULATION.
who
fact that a subject late."
sleeps
121
may
Messieurs Binet and Fere
speak of "the honest Hublier,
still
in their
whom
his
simu-
book som-
nambulist Emelie cheated for four years consecutively."
Let us
now
Dr. Luys
hypnotism
quote Mr. Hart's investigations.
is
an often quoted authority on
and
in Paris,
is
at the
head of what
called the Charity Hospital school of hyp-
is
notical experiments.
some
In
startling results, in
have faith (more or
still
1892 he announced
which some people less).
What
he was
supposed to accomplish was stated thus in the
London Pall Mall 2
:
Gazette, issue of
"Dr. Luys then showed us
artificial
state
a similar
suffering could be created
of
without suggestion
—
in fact,
imity of certain substances. dust, for example, corked
phial
how
December
by the mere prox-
A
pinch of coal
and sealed
in a small
and placed by the side of the neck of a
hypnotized person, produces symptoms of suffocation by smoke; a tube of distilled water, similarly placed,
provokes signs of incipient
HYPNOTISM.
122
hydrophobia
;
while another very simple con-
coction put in contact with the flesr brings on
symptoms of
suffocation by drowning."
Signs of drunkenness were said to be caused
by a small corked bottle of brandy, and the nature of a cat by a corked bottle of valerian. Patients also
saw beautiful blue flames about
the
north pole of a magnet and distasteful
red
flames
about
the
means of a magnet toms of
it
south
was
pole
;
while
said that the
illness of a sick patient
by
symp-
might be trans-
ferred to a well person also in the hypnotic state,
at
but of course on awaking the well person
once threw off sickness that had been trans-
ferred, but the relieved.
sick
person was permanently
These experiments are
cited in
some
recent
books on hypnotism, apparently with
faith.
The following counter experiments
will
therefore be read with interest.
Dr. Hart gives a full account of his investi-
gations in the Nineteenth Century.
Dr. Luys
gave Dr. Hart some demonstrations, which the latter describes as follows
:
"A
tube contain-
;
SIMULATION.
1-23
ing ten drachms of cognac were placed
a
at
certain point on the subject's neck, which Dr.
Luys
was
said
uses.
The
effect
and marked swallow
;
the seat of the great nerve plex-
;
on Marguerite was very rapid
she began to
move her
lips
and to
the expression of her face changed,
and she asked, 'What have you been giving to drink?
I
am
quite giddy.'
a stupid and troubled look
T am ashamed
get gay. 'I
feel quite tipsy,'
some of to fall
;
At
first
me
she had
then she began to
of myself,' she said
and after passing through
the phases of lively inebriety she began
from the
and was with
chair,
prevented from sprawling on the
difficulty
floor.
She
was uncomfortable, and seemed on the point of vomiting, but this
was stopped, and she was
calmed."
Another patient gave
all
the signs of imag-
ining himself transformed into a cat
when
a
small corked bottle of valerian was placed on his neck.
In the presence of a
number of distinguished
doctors in Paris, Dr. Hart tried a series of ex-
HYPNOTISM.
124
periments in which by his conversation he gave the patient no clue to exactly
was
using, in order that
ulating he would not
if
what drug he
was sim-
the patient
know what
to simulate.
Marguerite was the subject of several of these experiments, one of which
lows
described as fol-
:
"I took a tube which tain
is
but
alcohol,
laurel water. to use the
was supposed
to con-
which did contain cherry
Marguerite immediately began,
words of M. Sajous's
note, to smile
agreeably and then to laugh; she became gay. 'It
makes me
and then, 'I'm
laugh,' she said,
'
not tipsy,
I
want
to sing,'
and so on through
the whole performance of a giserie,
was
which we stopped
loth to
not
ungraceful
at that stage, for I
have the degrading performance
of drunkenness carried to the extreme seen her go through at the Charite. plied a tube of alcohol, asking the
however, to give this
me
valerian,
I
I
now
had ap-
assistant,
which no doubt
profoundly hypnotized subject perfectly
well heard, for she immediately
went through
SIMULATION. whole
the
fours,
She
performance.
cat
scratched, she
125
mewed, she
leapt about
and she was as thoroughly
she
spat,
on
all
cat-like as
had been Dr. Luys's subjects." Similar experiments as to the effect of mag-
and
nets
were
electric currents
tried.
taken by Dr. Sajous runs thus
A
"note
'She found
:
the north pole, notwithstanding there was no current, very pretty; she
fascinated by
it
;
was
as
if
she were
she caressed the blue flames,
and showed every sign of
delight.
Then came
the
phenomena of
the
magnet with delight across the room,
though fascinated by
it
;
pole.
sion
of
what would be
language of La Charite, the south
Then she
fell
into an attitude of repul-
and horror, with clenched
approached her she
all
as
was turned so
the bar
as to present the other end or called, in the
She followed
attraction.
fell
fists,
backward
M. Cremiere, and was
carried,
and as
into the still
it
arms
showing
the signs of terror and repulsion, back to
her chair.
The bar was again turned
what should have been the north pole was
until
pre-
126
HYPNOTISM.
sented to her.
She again resumed the same
attitudes of attraction,
cheeks.
and tears bedewed her
'Ah,' she said,
'it
is
blue, the flame
mounts,' and she rose from her seat, following
magnet around the room.
Similar but
false
phenomena were obtained
in succession
with
all
the
the different
non-magnet
;
forms of magnet and
Marguerite was never once right,
but throughout her acting was perfect; she
was
utterly unable at
any time
really to dis-
tinguish between a plain bar of iron, demagnet-
magnet or
ized
a full current
was wholly
a horseshoe
magnet carrying
and one from which the current
cut off."
Five different patients were tested in the
same way, through a long series of experiments, with the same results, a practical proof that Dr. his
Luys had been
new and wonderful
totally deceived
discoveries
and
amounted
to nothing.
There tion,
is,
however, another possible explana-
namely, telepathy, in a real hypnotic con-
dition.
Even
if
Dr. Luys's experiments were
SIMULATION. genuine
would be the
this
They were
127
rational explanation.
a case of suggestion of
some
sort,
without doubt.
Nearly every book on hypnotism gives various rules for detecting simulation of the hyp-
One
notic state.
of the
A
of anaesthesia.
we
if
he
is
stuck
is
insensible to pain;
shall see in a latter chapter, this in-
sensibility also
training
tests is that
pin or pen-knife
into a subject to see
but as
commonest
may
be simulated, for by long
some persons learn
facial expressions perfectly.
to control
We
their
have already
seen that the pulse and respiration tests are
not
Hypnotic persons often
sufficient.
slightly in the face; but
are persons
body
who
it
is
flush
true that there
can flush on any part of the
at will.
Mr. Ernest Hart had an tury Magazine on
article in the
"The Eternal
Cen-
Gullible," in
which he gives the confessions of a professional hypnotic
he
calls
L.,
subject.
This person,
whom
he brought to his house, where
some experiments were
tried in the presence
HYPNOTISM.
128
number of
of a
The
quoted.
whose names
are
quotation of a paragraph or
two
doctors,
from Mr. Hart's
article
will be
of interest.
Says he:
"The
'catalepsy business'
So
merit.
he could be
rigid did L.
ach;
it
artistic
his
muscles that
like
an Egyptian
lay with his head on the back of
one chair, and
lowed a
make
one piece
lifted in
mummy. He
had more
fairly
seemed
his heels
heavy to
on another, and
man
to sit
on
his
al-
stom-
me, however, that he was
here within a 'straw' or two of the limit of his
The 'blister trick,' spoken of by Truth as having deceived some medical men, was done by rapidly biting and suckinb the
endurance.
skin of the wrist. difficulty
to
marks of the sibly L.
raise
teeth
had made
L. did a
manage with some
slight
swelling, but the
were plainly his skin so
visible."
(Pos-
tough by repeated
biting that he could no longer raise the blister!)
"One
point
in
L.'s
exhibition which was undoubtedly genuine was his remarkable and
SIMULATION.
He
endurance of pain.
stoical
129
stood before
us smiling and open-eyed while he ran long needles into the fleshy part of his arms and legs
without flinching, and he allowed one of the
gentlemen present to pinch his skin
in different
parts with strong crenated pincers in a
ner which bruised
it,
and which
would have caused intense
to
L. allowed
pain.
no sign of suffering or discomfort he did not
wince
set his teeth or
;
man-
most people
to appear;
his pulse
was
not quickened, and the pupil of his eye did not dilate as physiologists tell us
passes a certain limit.
merely shows that
was beyond
It
does
it
may
when pain
be said that this
in L. the limit of
the normal standard
words, that his sensitiveness was
;
endurance
or, in other
less
than that
of the average man.
At any
ance
was so remarkable
in
this
respect
rate his perform-
some of the gentlemen present were explain tion,'
his
thus
it
that
fain to
by supposed 'post-hypnotic sugges-
the theory apparently being that L. and
comrades
made
hypnotized themselves
one
another,
insensible
to
and pain.
HYPNOTISM.
130
*
*
As
*
know,
surgeoris have reason to
persons vary widely in their sensitiveness to *
pain.
*
*
I
have
seen
man
a
chat
quietly with bystanders while his carotid artery
was being
tied
without the use of chloroform.
During the Russo-Turkish war wounded Turks often astonished English doctors by undergo-
ing the most formidable amputations with no other anesthetic than a cigarette.
women selves
will inflict
—merely
for wantonness or in order to
excite sympathy. selves to be
Hysterical
very severe pain on them-
The
fakirs
who
allow them-
hung up by hooks beneath
shoulder-blades seem to think
of
little
as a matter of fact, I believe are not
their
it
and,
much
in-
convenienced by the process."
The ceived,
fact
is,
the amateur can always be de-
and there are no
be relied on.
If a person
special tests that is
can
well accustomed to
hypnotic manifestations, and also a good judge of
human
nature, and will keep constantly
on
guard, using every precaution to avoid deception,
it
is
altogether likely that
it
can be en-
DR. BRAID'S FIRST HYPNOTIZATION.
SIMULATION. tirely
But one must use
obviated.
judgment
in
131
every possible way.
his
good
In the case
of fresh subjects, or persons well known, of
course there
And
is
possibility of deception.
little
the fact that deception exists does not in
any way invalidate the truth of hypnotism scientific
We
phenomenon.
one of the physiological
cite
it
peculiarities connected
with the mental condition of which
The
manifestation.
deception exists
is
as a
merely as
fact
it
is
a
that a tendency to
interesting in itself,
and may
have an influence upon our judgment of our fellow beings.
on the part of
There
is,
to be sure, a tendency
scientific writers to find lunatics
instead of criminals
;
but knowledge of the well
demonstrated fact that
many
criminals are in-
sane helps to make us charitable.
CHAPTER
VII.
—
—
Laboratory Crimes. Dr. Cocke's Experiments Showing Criminal Suggestion Is not Dr. William James' Theory. A Bad Possible. Man Cannot Be Made Good, Why Expect to Make
Criminal Suggestion.
—
—
a
Good Man Bad?
One notism
of the most interesting phases of hypis
that of post-hypnotic suggestion, to
which reference has already been made. true that a suggestion
made during
notic condition as to
what a person
coming
after
the hyp-
out of the hypnotic sleep
A
carried out.
It is
will
do
may
be
certain professional hypnotizer
claims that once he has hypnotized a person
he can keep that person forever after under his influence
He
tion.
sleep
:
by means of post-hypnotic suggessays to
"Whenever
you, you will tize
him while I
hypnotic
look at you, or point at
fall asleep.
you but me.
in the
No
Whenever 133
I
one can hypnotry to hypnotize
HYPNOTISM.
134
you, you will
"Suggest
fall
He
asleep."
to a subject while
he
is
says further:
sound asleep
that in eight weeks he will mail you a letter
with a blank piece of note paper inside, and
may
during the intervening period you self forget the occurrence,
your-
but in exactly eight
Sug-
weeks he will carry out the suggestion.
gestions of this nature are always carried out, especially
when
the suggestion
is
to take effect
Suggest
on some certain day or date named. to a subject that in ninety days
come
date he will
on inside
out,
to
from a given
your house with his coat
and he
will
most certainly do
so."
The same
writer also definitely claims that
he can hypnotize people against their If this
were
true,
what
a terrible
wills.
power would
a shrewd, evil-minded criminal have to compel
the execution of any of his plans to
show
that
that
many
it
is
not true; but
scientific
!
We
hope
we must admit
men have
tried
experi-
ments which they believe demonstrate beyond a doubt that criminal use can be
and
is
made
CRIMINAL SUGGESTION. of hypnotic influence.
make
If
136
were possible
it
to
a person follow out any line of conduct
while
under
actually
hypnotic
would be bad enough hypnotic suggestion
;
influence
it
but the use of posta
opei.s
yet
more
far-
reaching and dangerous avenue.
Among deeds that sleep
is
the most definite claims of the evil
may
be compelled during hypnotic
that of Dr. Luys,
whom we
have
al-
ready seen as being himself deceived by professional hypnotic subjects.
Says he
only oblige this defenseless being,
:
You cannot who is incap-
able of opposing the slightest resistance, to give
from hand
to
hand anything you may choose,
but you can also make him sign a promise,
draw up a
bill
of exchange, or any other kind
You may make him
of agreement.
holographic will
law would to you,
(which according
be valid), which he will
and of which he
existence.
He
is
legal formalities,
will
ready to
and
serene and natural
will
never
fulfill
write an
to
French
hand over
know
the
the minutest
do so with a calm,
manner
calculated to de-
HYPNOTISM.
136
ceive the
most expert law
These som-
officers.
nambulists will not hesitate either, you be sure, to
make
false witness; they are,
instruments of your E.
She
will at
may
a denunciation, or to bear
my
I
repeat, the passive
For
will.
instance, take
bidding write out and sign
a donation of forty pounds
in
my
In
favor.
a criminal point of view the subject under certain suggestions will
make
false denunciations,
accuse this or that person, and maintain with the greatest assurance that he has assisted at
an imaginary crime.
I will recall
to
your mind
those scenes of fictitious assassination, which I
have exhibited before you.
I
was
careful to
place in the subject's hands a piece of paper instead of a dagger or a revolver; but evident, that
if
it
is
they had held veritable murder-
ous instruments, the scene might have had a tragic ending."
Many tried,
experiments along this
line
have been
such as suggesting the theft of a watch
or a spoon, which afterward was actually carried out.
CRIMINAL SUGGESTION.
may
It
137
be said at once that "these labora-
A
tory crimes" are in most cases successful.
who
person
amount
if
has nothing will give
\he case of a wealthy merchant
money
away any
told to do so; but quite different
to sign
who
is
really has
away.
Dr. Cocke describes one or two experiments
own which have
of his
an important bearing
on the question of criminal suggestion. he
"A
:
girl
who was
Says
hypnotized deeply was
given a glass of water and was told that
was
A
a lighted lamp.
across the
room and she was
man who
intended to injure her.
told that
was a
it
suggested
I
to her that she throw the glass of water
supposing stick, it
it
was
a lighted
lamp)
at the
(she
broom-
her enemy, and she immediately threw
with
much
violence.
Then
across the room, and she
a
man was
that the
man
placed
was given instead
a glass of water a lighted lamp.
the
it
broomstick was placed
I
of
told her
lamp was a glass of water, and that across the
was suggested
room was her
brother.
to her that his clothing
It
was on
HYPNOTISM.
138
fire
and she was commanded
fire
by throwing the lighted lamp having been
vidual, she
mentioned, that
was
it
to extinguish the
told, as
at the indi-
was previously With-
a glass of water.
out her knowledge a person was placed behind her for the purpose of quickly checking her
movements,
desired.
if
I
commanded
then
her to throw the lamp at the man.
She raised
the lamp, hesitated, wavered, and then became
very
laughing and
hysterical,
nately.
crying alter-
This condition was so profound that
she came very near dropping the lamp.
mediately after she was quieted ber of tests to prove that she
Standing
notized.
I
made
in front of her I
commanded her
me
immediately struck at card-board. knife and it.
I
gave her
mand, again terical
it
was
me. She
with the piece of
her to strike at
raised
it
hesitated,
attack.
to stab
then gave her an open pocket-
commanded
Again she
Im-
num-
was deeply hyp-
a piece of card-board, telling her that
a dagger, and
a
I
have
to execute
me
my
with
com-
and had another hystried
similar experi-
CRIMINAL SUGGESTION.
139
merits with thirty or forty people with similar
Some
results.
of them would have injured
themselves severely,
mand, but
to
I
am
what extent
convinced, at comI
of course cannot
say.
That they could have been induced to
harm
others, or to set fire to houses, etc., I
not believe.
I
do
say this after very careful read-
ing and a large amount of experimentation." Dr. Cocke also declares his belief that no
person can be hypnotized against his will by a person
The
who
is
repugnant to him.
facts in the case are probably those that
might be indicated by a common-sense consideration of the conditions.
minded and
If a
person
is
weak-
susceptible to temptation, to theft,
for instance, no doubt a familiar acquaintance
of a similar character might hypnotize that
person and cause him to commit the crime to
which If,
his
moral nature
is
by no means averse.
on the other hand, the personality of the
hypnotizer and the crime
itself
are repugnant
to the hypnotic subject, he will absolutely re-
fuse to do as he
is
bidden, even while in the
HYPNOTISM.
140
deepest hypnotic sleep. all
On
this point nearly
authorities agree.
Again, there
is
absolutely no well authenti-
cated case of crime committed by a person
under hypnotic influence.
There have been
several cases reported, and one
who
woman
in Paris
aided in a murder was released on her
plea of irresponsibility because she had been In none of these cases, however,
hypnotized.
was there any
really satisfactory evidence that
hypnotism existed.
In
all
the cases reported
there seemed to be no doubt of the acter
and predisposition to crime.
class of cases,
upon
girls
weak
char-
In another
namely those of criminal assault
and women, the only evidence ever
adduced that the injured person was hypnotized
was the statement of
that person,
cannot really be called evidence at
The
fact
is,
a
weak
which
all.
character can be tempted
and brought under virtual control much more easily
by ordinary means than by hypnotism.
The man who "overpersuades"
a business
man
to endorse a note uses no hypnotic influence.
CRIMINAL SUGGESTION.
He
141
merely making a clever play upon the
is
man's vanity, egotism, or good nature.
A profound
study of the hypnotic
made by
as has been
state,
such
Prof. William James, of
Harvard College, the great authority on psychical
phenomena and president of
the Psychic
Research Society, leads to the conviction that in the hypnotic sleep the will is only in abey-
ance, as
is
it
slumber or
in natural
in
sleep-
walking, and any unusual or especially excit-
ing occurrence, especially anything that runs against the grain of the nature, reawakens that will,
and
This
is
it
soon becomes as active as ever.
ten times
more
true in the matter of
post-hypnotic suggestion, which
is
very
weaker than suggestion that takes
We
ing the actual hypnotic sleep.
much
effect dur-
shall
see,
furthermore, that while acting under a delusion
at
patient real
is
facts
keenly self.
the
so,
For
suggestion of the operator, the
really conscious in
the case
all
the time of the
—indeed,
much
more
oftentimes, than the operator himinstance,
if
a line
is
drawn on a
—
;
HYPNOTISM.
142
and the subject
is
he will maintain there
is
sheet of paper
no
line,
he has to see
it
told there
no
order to ignore
in
it.
Moredo
over, persons trained to obey, instinctively
obey even
waking
in their
It
state.
special faculty to resist obedience,
our ordinary waking condition. writer
"It
:
certain that
is
inclined to obey,
is
line; but
requires a
even during
Says a recent
we
are naturally
and resistance are
conflicts
some rare individuals
the characteristics of
but between admitting this and saying that
we
are
doomed
to
obey
"Hypnotic suggestion few seconds,
—even the
The same
a gulf."
lies
at
least of us
writer says further:
an order given for a
is
most a few minutes, to an
dividual in a state of induced sleep.
gestion
may
be repeated
;
but
it
is
The
in-
sug-
absolutely
powerless to transform a criminal into an honest
man, or vice versa."
argument. it
Tf
it
is
Here
possible to
should be quite as easy to
It is
for
true that the
good
;
weak
but there
is
is
an excellent
make
criminals
make honest men.
are sometimes helped
no case on record
in
:
;
CRIMINAL SUGGESTION. which
who
a person
was ever made good notism
good
is full
wished to be bad
really ;
143
and the history of hyp-
A
of attempts in that direction.
illustration
is
an experiment
by
tried
Colonel de Rochas
"An left
*
excellent subject
*
had been
alone for a few minutes in an apartment,
and had stolen a valuable had
*
left,
after
it
the theft
was discovered.
was suggested
After he
article.
A
few days while
to the subject,
asleep, that he should restore the stolen object
the
command was
energetically and
The
tively reiterated, but in vain.
been committed by the subject,
impera-
theft
had
who had
sold
the article to an old curiosity dealer, as
it
was
eventually found on information received from
Yet
a third party. all
the
As
this subject
would execute
imaginary crimes he was ordered."
to the value of the so-called "laboratory
crimes," the statement of Dr. Courmelles of interest
:
states, " 'If I
of the
is
"I have heard a subject say," he
were ordered
window
I
should do
to
throw myself out
it,
so certain
am
I
HYPNOTISM.
144
either
the
that there
window
to catch
stopped in time. interests
would be somebody under
me
The
or that
I
should be
experimentalist's
own
and the consequences of such an act
are a sure guarantee.'
"
CHAPTER
VIII.
—
in Being Hypnotized. Condemnation of PubPerformances. A Common Sense View. Evidence Furnished by Lafontaine. By Dr. Cour-
Dangers
—
lic
melles.
ger
in
— By.
Dr.
—
—
—
—
Hart. By Dr. Cocke. No Danif Rightly Used by Physicians
Hypnotism
or Scientists.
Having considered
the dangers to
society
through criminal hypnotic suggestion,
now
consider what dangers there
the individual
who
is
from a
may
let
hypnotism
is
We know
akin to hysteria and other
—
it
experimental insanity.
is,
in short, a
kind of
Really good hypnotic
subjects have not a perfect
We
Several
rational point of view.
forms of insanity
be to
us consider the
things have already been established. that
us
hypnotized.
Before citing evidence, subject
let
mental balance.
have also seen that repetition of the pro-
cess increases the susceptibility, 145
and
in
some
HYPNOTISM.
146
thrown
cases persons frequently hypnotized are
into the hypnotic state by very slight physical
agencies,
such as looking at a bright door-
Furthermore, we
knob.
notic patient
in a
is
exertions
are nervously
that the hyp-
very sensitive condition,
Moreover,
easily impressed.
that
know
required
it
is
well
known
of hypnotic subjects
much
very exhausting, so
so
that headache frequently follows.
From make
these facts any reasonable person
a few clear deductions.
may
First, repeated
strain of excitement in hypnotic seances will
wear out the constitution just as certainly as repeated strain of excitement in social the
like,
which, as
we know,
duces nervous exhaustion.
ways dangerous
to
life,
or
frequently pro-
Second,
it
submit oneself to the
is
al-
influ-
ence of an inferior or untrustworthy person.
This
is
just as true in
moral realm. since
hypnotism as
Bad companions
the hypnotic
subject
especially susceptible, a
kind, a
little
little
is
it is
in the
corrupt.
And
in
a condition
association of this
submission to the inferior or im-
DANGERS
IN
BEING HYPNOTIZED.
147
moral, will produce correspondingly more detrimental
tism
is
enness
consequences.
since hypno-
Third,
an abnormal condition, just as drunkone should not allow a public hyp-
is,
upon one and make one
notizer to experiment
do ridiculous things merely for amusement,
any more than one would allow a sane person to be exhibited for
really in-
money
or than
;
one would allow himself to be made drunk, merely that by his absurd antics he might
amuse somebody.
It
takes
little
reflection to
convince any one that hypnotism for amuse-
ment,
on the public stage or
either
home,
is
highly obnoxious, even
highly dangerous. honest man, and a
jury
may
that,
and the
follow.
If
man
the
if
it
hypnotizer
of character,
in
the
is
not
is
an
little in-
But we can never know
risk of getting into
bad hands
should prevent every one from submitting to influence at
we
The
all.
fact
is,
however, that
should strongly doubt the good character
of any one
who
garding him
hypnotizes for amusement, re-
in the
same
light as
we would one
HYPNOTISM.
148
who
intoxicated people on the stage for amuse-
ment,
gave
or
them
chloroform,
went
or
about with a troup of insane people that he
might exhibit
Honest,
idiosyncrasies.
their
right-minded people do not do those things.
At that a
the
same
man
is
nothing wiser
can do than to submit himself fully
to a stronger
A
there
time,
and wiser nature than
whom
physician in
his
own.
you have confidence may
do a thousand times more for you by hypnotism than by the use of drugs.
It is
place hypnotism in exactly the
as drugs.
same category
Rightly used, drugs are invaluable;
wrongly used, they become the
a safe rule to
At
murderer.
the instruments of
times should they be
all
used with great caution.
The same
is
true of
hypnotism.
Now
let
us
cite
some evidence.
Lafontaine,
a professional hypnotist, gives some interesting
facts.
He
says that public hypnotic enter-
tainments usually induce a great
many
of the
audience to become amateur hypnotists, and these experiments
may
cause suffocation.
Fear
DANGERS
IN
BEING HYPNOTIZED.
149
often results in congestion, or a rush of blood to the brain.
pleted,
more
"If the digestion especially
more abundant than
is
not com-
the repast has been
if
usual, congestion
may be The
produced and death be instantaneous.
most violent convulsions may
result
complete magnetization of the brain. vulsive
body
movement may be
from too
A
con-
so powerful that the
will suddenly describe a circle, the
head
touching the heels and seem to adhere to them. In this latter case there
Sometimes
it
is
torpor without sleep.
has been impossible to awake
the subject."
A
magnetized
traveler,
remained for two
in a state of lethargy,
and for three hours
by a commercial days
who was
waiter at Nantes,
Dr. Foure and numerous spectators were able to verify that "the extremities
were icy
cold,
the pulse no longer throbbed, the heart had no pulsations,
was not
respiration
sufficient breath to
before the mouth. stiff,
had ceased, and there
his eyes
were
dim
a glass held
Moreover, the patient was dull
and glassy."
Never-
HYPNOTISM.
ISO
theless,
to
man
Lafontain was able to recall this
life.
Dr. Courmelles says: "Paralysis of one or
more members, or of the tongue, may follow These are the
the awakening.
effects of the
contractions of the internal muscles, due often to
almost
phragm
imperceptible
—and
be stopped in
The
touches.
therefore the respiration the
same
manner.
dia-
—may
Catalepsy
and more especially lethargy, produce these
phenomena."
There are on record a number of cases of idiocy,
madness, and epilepsy caused by the
unskilful
case
is
provoking of hypnotic
One
sleep.
sufficiently interesting, for
it
almost
is
exactly similar to a case that occurred at one
of the American colleges.
young professor
was
sent
at
some
in
no way upset
him
"One
in
a
at the sight,
even-
tavern
;
he
but the next
him The boys soon got
his pupils, looking at
to sleep.
was a
public experiments
were being performed
day one of
subject
at a boys' school.
ing he was present that
The
fixedly,
into the
DANGERS habit of to
BEING HYPNOTIZED.
IN
151
amusing themselves by sending him and the unhappy professor had to
sleep,
leave the school, and place himself under the
care of a doctor."
Dr. Ernest Hart gives an experience of his
own which
carries with
its
it
own
warning.
Says he: "Staying in
Kent of
known country house distinguished London banker, for-
at the well
a
merly member of Parliament for Greenwich, I
had been
called
upon
arrest a continuous barking
a
cough from which
young lady who was staying
was
in the
torment to herself and her friends.
ment, and
fell
her
I sat
mesmerized.
I
down
thought
in front of a lighted
assured her that
I
into a
profound
turned from shooting, still
had previous-
Presently her cough ceased and sleep,
until twelve o'clock the next day.
was
I
good opportunity for a control experi-
candle which
she
house
and who, consequently, was a
suffering,
this a
and to
to set to sleep,
asleep
I
which lasted
When
was informed
I re-
that she
and could not be awoke, and
HYPNOTISM.
15H
I
had great
night
there
unluckily,
was a large dinner
from the
and
was again mesmerizing
did she
become
which
ence,
case, that I
I
my
to
up
to
be
led
confusion, that
So
her.
susceptible
supposed mesmeric
influ-
was the
from exercising or
far
tempting to exercise, that ent to take her
to
vainly assured her, as
was very
and,
party,
had
my
table, alleging, to
That
her.
Presently she
sat opposite to her.
became drowsy,
again
I
I
awaking
difficulty in
it
was found expedi-
London.
ing in the afternoon that she
I
was out
left,
my
passed the railway station,
at-
rid-
and as we
host,
who was
riding with me, suggested that, as his friends
were just leaving by that to alight
train,
and take leave of them.
he would like I
dismounted
with him and went on to the platform, and
avoided any leave-taking
walking up and down passed the riage. fell
window
;
but unfortunately in
it
of the
seems that
young
I
twice
lady's car-
She was again self-mesmerized, and
into a sleep
which lasted throughout the
DANGERS
IN BEING HYPNOTIZED.
153
journey, and recurred at intervals for some
days afterward." In commenting on in reality
mesmerism
will of the operator,
rectly against
it,
this, is
Dr. Hart notes that
self-produced, and the
even when exercised
has no effect
if
di-
the subject be-
lieves that the will is being operated in favor
of
it.
Says he
"So long
:
ated on believed that
my
as the person operwill
should sleep, sleep followed.
my
getic willing in
was
she
that
The most
ener-
internal consciousness that
there should be no sleep, failed to prevent
it,
where the usual physical methods of hypnotization,
stillness,
repose, a fixed gaze, or the
verbal expression of an order to sleep, were
employed."
The dangers
of hypnotism have been recog-
nized by the law of every civilized country except the United States,
where alone public
per-
formances are permitted. Dr. Cocke says subjects
:
"I have occasionally seen
who complained
of headache, vertigo,
;
HYPNOTISM.
154
nausea, and other similar
symptoms
after hav-
ing been hypnotized, but these conditions were
remedied by
at a future hypnotic sitting easily
Speaking of the use of hypno-
suggestion."
tism by doctors under conditions of reasonable care, Dr.
Cocke says further
contraindication greater than applies tient,
more
more
dividual. It it
"There
:
all
is
one
the rest.
It
to the physician than to the pa-
to the is
masses than to any single
in-
not confined to hypnotism alone
has blocked the wheels of
human
progress
through the ages which have gone.
due enthusiasm. individuals will
It is
un-
It is
the danger that certain
become so enamored with
its
charms that other equally valuable means of cure will be ignored.
come
to stay.
grow,
but, if
Mental therapeutics has
It is yet in its it
infancy and will
were possible to
kill
it,
it
would
be strangled by the fanaticism and prejudice of
its
in
The whole
devotees.
and alluring.
It
field is
promises so
fascinating
much
that
it
is
danger of being missed by the ignorant
to
such an extent that great
harm may
result.
DANGERS This
BEING HYPNOTIZED.
IN
mental therapeutics
true, not only of
is
155
and hypnotism, but of every other blessing we possess.
Hypnotism has nothing
from
to fear
the senseless scepticism and contempt of those
who
adds pertinently enough can be used one,
He
have no knowledge of the subject."
it
who
"While hypnotism
:
degree by every
in a greater or less
can only be used intelligently by those
understand,
only hypnotism
not
itself,
but disease as well." Dr. Cocke
is
a firm believer that the right
use of hypnotism by intelligent persons does not weaken the lieve there
is
will.
Says he
:
any danger whatever
have no evidence (and
I
number of hypnotized
subjects)
tism will render a subject cising his will
hypnotic trance. creases in
"I do not be-
when he I
any way
in this.
have studied a large
less is
that hypno-
capable of exer-
relieved
from the
do not believe that his
I
it
in-
susceptibility to or-
dinary suggestion made in ordinary conversation."
:
HYPNOTISM.
166
However,
in regard to the
dangers of public
performances by professional hypnotizers, Dr.
Cocke
Says he
equally positive.
is
"The dangers of
public exhibitions,
made
ludicrous as they are by the operators, should
condemned
be
by
women, not from
much
self so
as
men and
intelligent
all
the danger of hypnotism
from the
it-
of the per-
liability
formers to disturb the mental poise of that large
mass of
individuals which
ill-balanced
makes up no inconsiderable part of conclusion he says
:
society." In
"Patients have been in*
jured by the misuse of hypnotism.
This
is
eat, if
much
is
relief of
if stale,
lives,
may,
if
if
too act,
injury.
in closing that it
article
overdone, be-
"Then, for the sake of clearness,
when
or
Every
taken, will be harmful.
every duty of our
come an
Every
man.
wrongly prepared,
*
em-
true of every remedial agent ever
ployed for the
we
*
is
hypnotism
misused, or
is
when
let
me
state
dangerous only it
is
applied to
DANGERS
IN
BEING HYPNOTIZED.
that large class of persons
unsound
we
;
especially
call credulity
if
who
157
are inherently
that mysterious thing
predominates to a very great
extent over the reason and over other faculties
of the mind."
CHAPTER —
IX.
—
Hypnotism in Medicine. Anaesthesia. Restoring Use of Muscles. Hallucination. Bad Habits.
—
Anaesthesia tism
may
—
It
is
—
well
that hypno-
be used to render subjects insensible
Thus numerous
to pain.
known
the
startling experiments
are performed in public, such as running hatpins through the cheeks or arms, sewing the
tongue
to the ear, etc.
that the insensibility
spot only.
The
may
curious part of
it is
be confined to one
Even persons who are not wholly
under hypnotic influence may have an arm or a leg, or
any smaller part rendered insensible
by suggestion, so that no pain will be
felt.
This
has suggested the use of hypnotism in surgery in the place of
About
chloroform, ether,
the year
i860 some of the medical
profession hoped that hypnotism into
general
use
etc.
for
might come
producing insensibility 158
HYPNOTISM.
160
Dr. Guerineau in
during surgical operations.
Paris reported the following successful operation
The thigh
:
of a patient
was amputated.
"After the operation," says the doctor, "I spoke to the patient
and asked him how he
replied that he felt as
and he seized hold of
Turning
and the proof off at the pain.'
The
my
he were in heaven,
hand and kissed
to a medical student, he
was aware of
any
if
all
that
that I
is
He
felt.
added
was being done
:
T
to me,
knew my thigh was
moment when you asked me
it.
cut
if I felt
"
writer
who
records
this
case contin-
"This, however, was but a transitory
ues: stage.
It
was soon recognized
erable time and a
that a consid-
good deal of preparation were
necessary to induce the patients to sleep, and
medical
men had
recourse to a
certain
method
that
the year i860 as a
means of
One
;
saw the
is,
rise
more rapid and
chloroform.
and
fall
Thus
of Braidism
surgical anaesthesia."
of the most detailed cases of successful
use of hypnotism as an anaesthetic was pre-
HYPNOTISM
IN MEDICINE.
161
sented to the Hypnotic Congress which met in
1889, by Dr. Fort, professor of anatomy:
"On
1887, a
the 21st of October,
Italian tradesman, aged twenty, Jean
came
me and
to
asked
me
he had on his forehead, a eyebrow.
young
M
to take off a
little
.
wen
above the right
The tumor was about
the size of
a
walnut. "I
was
reluctant to
make use of chloroform, and
although the patient wished
it,
short hypnotic experiment.
Finding that
patient
was
easily hypnotizable,
I
extract the tumor in a painless
I tried
a
my
promised to
manner and
without the use of chloroform.
"The next day
I
placed
him
in a chair
and
induced sleep, by a fixed gaze, in less than a minute.
Two
Italian physicians, Drs. Triani
and Colombo l who were present during the operation, declared that the subject lost all sensibility
and that
his
different positions in
muscles retained
felt
the
which they were put ex-
actly as in the cataleptic state.
saw nothing,
all
The
patient
nothing, and heard nothing,
;
HYPNOTISM.
162
his
brain
in
communication only
we had
ascertained that the
remaining
with me.
"As soon patient
as
was completely under the
the hypnotic slumber,
I
sleep for a quarter of
influence of
him
said to
:
'You
will
an hour,' knowing that
the operation would not last longer than that
and he remained seated and perfectly motionless.
made
"I
a transversal incision
two and a
half
inches long and removed the tumor, which
took out whole. sels
I
I
then pinched the blood ves-
with a pair of Dr. Pean's hemostatic pin-
cers,
washed the wound and applied a dress-
ing, without
patient
was
making still
a single ligature.
To
sleeping.
dressing in proper position,
dage around
his head.
the operation
I
I
The
maintain the
fastened a ban-
While going through
said to the patient,
'Lower your
head, raise your head, turn to the right, to the left,'
etc.,
When
and he obeyed
like
everything was finished,
'Now, wake
up.'
an automaton. I said to
him,
HYPNOTISM
"He
163
then awoke, declared that he had
nothing and did not
on
IN MEDICINE.
foot, as if
felt
and he went away
suffer,
nothing had been done to him.
"Five days after the dressing was removed
and the cicatrix was found completely healed."
Hypnotism has been
tried
many
painless dentistry, but with ure,
extensively for cases of fail-
which got into the courts and thoroughly
discredited the attempt except in very special cases.
Restoring the Use of Muscles.
doubt that hypnotism in
curing
many
may
—There
is
no
be extremely useful
disorders that are essentially
nervous, especially such cases as those in which a patient has a fixed idea that something
matter with him when he
is
is
the
not really affected.
Cases of that description are often extremely obstinate,
and
entirely unaffected
Ordinary
nary therapeutic
means.
abandon the cases
in despair,
who understands "mental stance,
by the ordidoctors
but some person
suggestion" (for in-
the Christian Science doctors)
easily
If the regular physician
were a
effects a cure.
:
HYPNOTISM.
164
student of hypnotism he would
manage cases By way of two
know how
to
like that.
illustration,
we quote
reports of
one successful and one unsuccessful.
cases,
The following
from a report by one of the
is
physicians of the Charity hospital in Paris "Gabrielle
C
became
toward the end of 1886.
a patient of
mine
She entered the Char-
ity hospital to
be under treatment for some ac-
cident arising
from pulmonary congestion, and
while there attacks
of
was suddenly
seized with violent
hystero-epilepsy,
tracted both legs,
and
finally
which
con-
first
reduced them to
complete immobility.
"She had been
in this state of absolute
mobility for seven months and tried every therapeutic cases.
My
intention
I
had vainly
remedy usual
was
first
im-
in
such
to restore the
general constitution of the subject,
who was
greatly weakened by her protracted stay in bed,
and then,
at the
end of a certain time, to have
recourse to hypnotism, and at the opportune
moment suggest
to her the idea of walking.
HYPNOTISM "The and the
IN MEDICINE.
165
was hypnotized every morning,
patient
degree (that of lethargy), then
first
the cataleptic, and finally the somnambulistic states
were produced.
After a certain period
of somnambulism she began to move, and unconsciously took a few steps across the ward.
Soon
after
it
was suggested
powers having recovered tions
—
that she should
—the
locomotor
their physical func-
walk when awake. This
she was able to do, and in some weeks the cure
was complete.
In this case, however,
we had
the ingenious idea of changing her personality at the
The
moment when we induced
patient
fancied she
and as such, and
in this
her to walk.
was somebody
else,
roundabout manner,
we satisfactorily attained the object proposed." The following is Professor Delboeuf's account of Dr. Bernheim's mode of suggestion A robust old man at the hospital at Nancy. of about seventy-five years of age, paralyzed
by
sciatica,
was brought
which caused him intense pain, in.
"He
could not put a foot to
the ground without screaming with pain.
'Lie
HYPNOTISM.
166
down,
my
you.'
Dr. Bernheim
poor friend;
'You
sible, doctor.'
see,
but
I tell
you,
hearing this answer
I
we
shall
shall see nothing!'
On
thought suggestion will
The
lepsy,
old
man
looked
Strangely enough,
and stubborn.
soon went off to
impos-
is
'Yes,
will see.'
be of no use in this case. sullen
'That
says.
we
soon relieve
will
I
sleep, fell into a state of cata-
and was insensible when pricked.
when Monsieur Bernheim you can walk, he are telling
me
to
said to him,
I
But
'Now
replied, 'No, I cannot;
do an impossible
though Monsieur Bernheim stance,
he
you
thing.'
Al-
failed in this in-
could not but admire his
skill.
After
using every means of persuasion, insinuation
and coaxing, he suddenly took up an imperative tone,
and
not admit a refusal, said
walk; get follow;
'I
abrupt voice that did
in a sharp,
'Very
up.'
must
got out of bed.
if
you
No
:
T
well,'
insist
tell
you you can
replied
upon
it.'
the old
And
he
sooner, however, had his
foot touched the floor than he screamed even
HYPNOTISM
IN MEDICINE.
Monsieur Bernheim
louder than before.
dered him to step out. is
'You
He
had
me
tell
impossible,' he again replied,
move.
161
to
or-
do what
and he did not
go to bed
to be allowed to
again, and the whole time the experiment lasted
he maintained an obstinate
and
ill-tempered
air."
These two cases give an admirable picture of the cases that can be and those that cannot be cured by hypnotism, or any other method of mental suggestion. Hallucination.
—"Hallucinations,"
medical authority, "are very those
who
delirium.
They
They occur
and frequently accompany
result
from an impoverished
condition of the blood, especially starvation, indigestion, like
belladonna,
if it is
due
to
and the use of drugs
hyoscyamus,
stramonium,
opium, chloral, cannabis indica, and that
a
common among
are partially insane.
as a result of fever
says
many more
might be mentioned."
Large numbers of cases of attempted cure
:
HYPNOTISM.
168
by hypnotism,
and
successful
might be quoted.
There
unsuccessful,
no doubt that
is
the lighter forms of partial insanity,
may
help
when
many
especially
when
in the brain,
even
A
if it
hypnotism
patients, though not
the disease of the brain has
in
gone
all;
but
farther,
a well developed lesion exists
mental treatment
can be practiced at
is
of
little avail,
all.
few general remarks by Dr. Bernheim
will be interesting.
Says he
"The mode of suggestion should be varied and adapted subject. fice in is
A
to the special suggestibility of the
simple
word does not always
impressing the idea upon the mind.
sufIt
sometimes necessary to reason, to prove, to
convince; in some cases to affirm decidedly, in others to insinuate gently
tion of sleep, just as in the
;
for in the condi-
waking condition,
the moral individuality of each subject persists
according to his character, his inclinations, his impressionability, etc. all
Hypnosis does not run
subjects into a uniform mold,
and make
pure and simple automatons out of them,
moved
;
HYPNOTISM IN MEDICINE. by the
solely
will of the hypnotist;
cerebral docility; tivity ter
it
increases
it
makes the automatic
ac-
But the
lat-
preponderate over the
persists to
169
will.
a certain degree; the subject
more
thinks, reasons, discusses, accepts
readily
than in the waking condition, but does not
ways
al-
accept, especially in the light degrees of
sleep.
In these cases
we must know
the pa-
tient's character, his particular psychical
con-
make an impression upon
dition, in order to
him."
Bad
Habits.
—The
excessive
habit of the
use of alcoholic drinks, morphine, tobacco, or the like,
notism,
may if
often be decidedly helped by hyp-
the patient tvants to be helped.
method of operation
is
hypnotizes the subject, and sleep suggests that
nausea,
or
if
article
he takes
other
when he
on awaking he
deep disgust for the of taking, and
The
simple.
it
he
is
is
in
deep
will feel a
in the habit
will be affected
unpleasant symptoms.
most cases the suggested
The
operator
result
by In
takes place,
provided the subject can be hypnotized
at all
HYPNOTISM.
170
but unless the patient
himself anxious to
is
break the habit fixed upon him, the unpleasant effects
soon wear off and he
is
as bad as ever.
Dr. Cocke treated a large number of cases,
which he reports
book on hyp-
In a fair proportion of the cases he
notism.
was
in detail in his
successful
;
in
some
cases completely so.
In other cases he failed entirely, owing to lack
His
of moral stamina in the patient himself.
may
conclusions seem to be that hypnotism
made a very after
all,
effective aid to
character
is
the chief
force which
throws off such habits once they are
morphine habit
is
more or
fixed.
The
usually the result of a doc-
tor's prescription at
ticed
be
moral suasion, but
some
time,
and
less involuntarily.
it
is
prac-
Such cases
are often materially helped by the proper suggestions.
The same
is
true of bad habits in children.
The weak may be strengthened by nature,
and hypnotism may come
fective
aid
character
is
to
moral influence.
the deciding factor.
the stronger in as
an
ef-
Here again
HYPNOTISM
IN MEDICINE.
171
Dr. James R. Cocke devotes a considerable part of his
book on "Hypnotism"
hypnotism
in
interesting
to the use of
medical practice, and for further
details
that able work.
the
reader
is
referred
to
CHAPTER Hypnotism
We
are
all
of Animals.
X.
— Snake
Charming.
familiar with the snake charmer,
and the charming of birds by snakes.
much hypnotism it
there
would be hard
bird
is
in these
is
to say.
fascinated to
It is
How
performances
probable that a
some extent by
gaze of a serpent's eyes, but fear
the steady
will certainly
paralyze a bird as effectively as hypnotism.
Father Kircher was the
first
to try a familiar
experiment with hens and cocks.
If
you hold
a hen's head with the beak upon a piece of
board, and then
draw
a chalk line
from the
beak to the edge of the board, the hen
when
released will continue to hold her head in the
same position
for
slowly away, as
if
some
time, finally walking
roused from a stupor.
Far-
mers' wives often try a sort of hypnotic experi-
ment on hens they wish nest to another
when
to transfer
sitting. 173
from one
They put the
HYPNOTISM.
174
wing and gently rock her
hen's head under her to
and fro
when will
she
she apparently goes to sleep,
till
may
be carried to another nest and
remain there afterward.
Horses are frequently managed by a steady Dr. Moll states that a
gaze into their eyes.
method of hypnotizing horses named
after
its
inventor as Balassiren has been introduced into
Austria by law for the shoeing of horses in the army.
We
have
heard of the snake charmers
all
who make the snakes imitate all their movements. Some suppose this is by hypnotization. It may be the result of training, howof India,
ever.
Certainly real charmers of wild beasts
usually end by being bitten or injured in
other way, which would seem to
show
some
that the
hypnotization does not always work, or else
does not exist
We
at all.
have some
fairly well
hypnotism produced the magnetizer, lic
it
some
known
instances of
animals.
Lafontaine.
thirty years
ago held pub-
in
exhibitions in Paris in which he reduced
:
HYPNOTISM OF ANIMALS. cats, dogs, squirrels
and
175
lions to such complete
insensibility that they felt neither pricks nor
blows.
The Harvys
or Psylles of Egypt impart to
the ringed snake the appearance of a stick by
pressure on the head, which induces a species
W.
of tetanus, says E.
The following
Lane.
description of serpent charm-
ing by the Aissouans of the province of Sous,
Morocco,
"The
will be of interest
charmer began by whirling
principal
with astonishing rapidity
kind of frenzied
in a
dance around the wicker basket that contained the serpents, which were covered by a goatskin.
Suddenly he stopped, plunged into the basket,
naked arm
his
and drew out a cobra de ca-
pello, or else a haje, a fearful reptile
able to swell scales
which
head by spreading out the
its
which cover
it,
and which
thought to
is
In
be Cleopatra's asp. the serpent of Egypt.
Morocco charmer
it
is
known
folded and
black viper, as
is
if it
as
the
buska.
unfolded the
The
greenish-
were a piece of muslin
;
he
HYPNOTISM.
176
rolled
it
turban round his head, and con-
like a
tinued his dance while the serpent maintained its
and seemed
position,
to follow every
move-
ment and wish of the dancer.
"The buska was then placed on the ground, and raising tude elers,
it
itself straight
on end,
in the atti-
assumes on desert roads to attract trav-
began to sway from right
to left, follow-
The
ing the rhythm of the music.
Aissoua,
whirling more and more rapidly in constantly
narrowing
circles,
into the basket,
venomous
plunged his hand once more
and pulled out two of the most
reptiles of the desert of
pents thicker than a man's arm, feet
long,
whose shining
Sous;
ser-
two or three
scales are
spotted
black or yellow, and whose bite sends, as were, a burning reptile tiquity.
is
fire
through the veins.
probably the torrida dipsas
Europeans now
"The two
leffahs,
call
it
it
This of
an-
the leffah.
more vigorous and
less
docile than the buska, lay half curled up, their
heads on one
side,
ready to dart forward, and
followed with glittering eyes the movements
HYPNOTISM OF ANIMALS. of the dancer.
*
* *
177
Hindoo charmers
are
more wonderful they juggle with a dozen
still
;
different species of reptiles at the
making them come and
down
at the
same
time,
go, leap, dance, and
lie
sound of the charmer's whistle,
like the gentlest of
tame animals.
known
pents have never been
These
to bite
ser-
their
charmers. It is
well
known
that
some animals,
opossum, feign death when caught. this is to be
but
to
hypnotism
Whether is
doubt-
Other animals, called hibernating,
ful.
for
compared
like the
months with no other food than this,
tism.
sleep
their fat,
again, can hardly be called hypno-
CHAPTER A
Scientific
XI.
Explanation of Hypnotism. Theory.
— Dr.
Hart's
In the introduction to this book the reader will find a
tism.
summary
There
complex
state
way
offhand
is
of the theories of hypno-
no doubt that hypnotism
which cannot
is
be explained in
in a sentence or two.
There
a
an
are,
however, certain aspects of hypnotism which
we may
suppose sufficiently explained by cer-
tain scientific writers on the subject.
what
First,
is
the character of the delusions
apparently created in the mind of a person in the hypnotic condition by a simple
mouth
"Now,
statement, as I
am
will not hurt
going
you
when
to cut
word of
a physician says,
your leg
in the least,"
off,
but
it
and the patient
suffers nothing?
In answer to this question, Professor Will-
iam James of Harvard College, one of 179
the lead-
:
;
HYPNOTISM.
180
ing authorities on the scientific aspects of psy-
phenomena
chical
reports the
in this country,
following experiments
"Make and
a stroke on a paper or blackboard,
the subject
tell
it is
not there, and he will
see nothing but the clean paper or board. Next,
he not looking, surround the original stroke with other strokes exactly
what he
sees.
new
the
He
may
ranged.
will point out
which he
to
be, or in
Similarly, is
and ask him
it,
strokes and omit the
every time, no matter strokes
like
if
one by one
original
how numerous
one
the next
what order they are
ar-
the original single line,
blind, be
doubled by a prism of
sixteen degrees placed before one of his eyes
(both being kept open), he will say that he
now in
sees
which
one stroke, and point lies
in the direction
the image seen through the prism.
"Another experiment proves that he must see
it
in
order to ignore
it.
Make
invisible to the hypnotic subject,
a red cross,
on
a sheet of
white paper, and yet cause him to look fixedly at a dot
on the paper on or near the red cross
A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION. he
will,
sheet,
on transferring
see
He
sensibility.
He nize
his eye to the blank
a bluish-green after image of the
This proves that
cross.
has
as
it
has impressed his
it
but not perceived
felt
had actually ignored it,
181
it;
it.
refused to recog-
were."
Dr. Ernest Hart, an English writer, in an article in the British
Medical Journal, gives a
general explanation of the phenomena of hyp-
notism which we
may
goes, but which
is
accept as true so far as
evidently incomplete.
it
He
seems to minimize personal influence too much
—
that personal influence
which we
all
exert
at various times, and which he ignores, net be-
cause he would deny
it,
but because he fears
lending countenance to the magnetic fluid and other similar theories.
"We will
Says he:
have arrived at the point at which
it
be plain that the condition produced in
these cases, and
known under
a varied jargon
invented either to conceal ignorance, to express hypotheses, or to
mask
the design of impress-
ing the imagination and possibly prey upon the
HYPNOTISM.
182
pockets of a credulous and wonder-loving pub-
—such
lic
names
mesmeric condition, mag-
as
netic sleep, clairvoyance,
mal magnetism, aliases
—such
jective.
tures
;
It
it
electro-biology, ani-
and many other
faith trance,
a condition, I say,
is
always sub-
independent of passes or ges-
is
has no relation to any fluid emanating
from the operator
;
it
has no relation to his will,
or to any influence which he exercises
inanimate objects
;
upon
distance does not affect
it,
nor proximity, nor the intervention of any conductors or non-conductors,
whether
glass or stone, or even a brick wall.
silk
or
We
can
transmit the order to sleep by telephone or by telegraph.
We
can practically get the same
results while eliminating
we can
even the operator,
if
contrive to influence the imagination or
to affect the physical condition of the subject
by any one of a great number of contrivances.
"What
does
all
one or two facts
this
mean?
I
will refer to
in relation to the structure
and function of the brain, and show one or two simple experiments of very ancient parentage
A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION. and
date,
which
planation.
will,
First,
let
think, help to
I
tion of function in the brain,
is
an ex-
us recall something of
what we know of the anatomy and
The
of ordinary sleep.
183
a complicated organ,
localiza-
and of the nature
brain, as
made up
you know,
internally of
nerve masses, or ganglia, of which the central
and underlying masses are connected with the automatic
functions
and involuntary actions
of the body (such as the action of the heart, lungs, stomach, bowels, etc.), while the invest-
ing surface shows a system of complicated convolutions
rich
in
with microscopic terminate.
At
gray matter, thickly sown
cells, in
the base of the brain
plete circle of arteries,
numbers of small profuse blood
which the nerve ends is
a
from which spring great
arterial vessels,
carrying a
supply throughout the whole
mass,
and
tracts,
so that small areas of the brain
at
com-
capable of
contraction in
any given moment, become
other parts of the brain
become highly congested
small
may,
bloodless, while
may simultaneously Now, if the brain
HYPNOTISM.
184
or any part of
be deprived of the circulation
it
of blood through bloodless, or
if it
it,
or be rendered partially
be excessively congested and
overloaded with blood, or
if it
be subjected to
local pressure, the part of the brain so acted
upon ceases
to be capable of exercising its func-
The
regularity of the action of the brain
tions.
and the sanity and completeness of the thought
which
one of the functions of
is
its
activity
depend upon the healthy regularity of the quanall its parts,
and
upon the healthy quality of the blood so
cir-
tity of
blood passing through
culating.
we
If
press upon the carotid arteries
which pass up through the neck
to
form the
arterial circle of Willis, at the base of the brain,
within the spoken,
blood
skull
and
—we
—of
I
have already
quickly, as every one
duce insensibility. sciousness
which
which supplies the brain with
lost.
sure, all those
Thought
And
if
we
is
knows, pro-
abolished, con-
continue the pres-
automatic actions of the body,
such as the beating of the heart, the breathing
motions of the lungs, which maintain
life
and
A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION.
185
are controlled by the lower brain centers of ganglia,
are
quickly
and death en-
stopped
sues.
"We know
by observation
in cases
where
portions of the skull have been removed, either in
mm or
face, is
during natural sleep
in animals, that
the upper part of the brain
which
in health
—
and
its
convoluted sur-
in the
waking
faintly pink, like a blushing cheek,
state
from the
color of the blood circulating through the net-
work of
capillary arteries
almost bloodless.
It is
lutions of the brain, as
—becomes white and
in these
we
upper convo-
know,
also
that the
will and the directing power are resident; so
that in sleep the will
ness
fades
is
abolished and conscious-
gradually away, as the blood
is
pressed out by the contraction of the arteries. So, also, the consciousness and the directing will
may
be abolished by altering the quality
of the blood passing through the convolutions of the brain.
We may introduce a volatile
stance, such as chloroform,
and
will be to abolish consciousness
sub-
its first effect
and induce pro-
;
HYPNOTISM.
186
found slumber and a blessed insensibility to
The
pain.
like effects will
follow
more slowly
upon the absorption of a drue, such as opium or
we may induce
hallucinations by introduc-
ing into the blood other toxic substances, such as Indian
hemp
scious of the
or stramonium.
We are not con-
mechanism producing the
arterial
contraction and the bloodlessness of those convolutions related to natural sleep.
But we are
not altogether without control over them.
we know,
can, sleep,
as
we say
retire into a
selves
we
We
help to compose ourselves to
ordinary language.
in
darkened room,
we
from the stimulus of the
free ourselves
We
relieve our-
special senses,
from the influence of
noises,
of strong light, of powerful colors, or of tactile impressions.
We
down and endeavor to by driving away disturb-
lie
soothe brain activity
ing thoughts, or, as people sometimes say, 'try to think of nothing/ erally succeed ple possess this
And, happily, we gen-
more or
less well.
Some
peo-
an even more marked control over
mechanism of
sleep.
I
can generally sue-
A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION.
187
ceed in putting myself to sleep at any hour of the day, either in the library chair or in the
brougham.
This
self-hypnotization, it
so to speak, a process of
is,
and
I
have often practiced
when going from house
to house,
the midst of a busy practice, and
have amused
my
when
in
sometimes
I
friends and family by exer-
cising this faculty, which difficult to acquire.
(We
I
do not think
also
know
it
that
very
many
persons can wake at a fixed hour in the morning by setting their minds upon
going to
sleep.)
which deserves a
which
it
little
there
is
is
just before
something here
further examination, but
would take too much time
fully at present.
of what
Now,
it
to develop
Most people know something
meant by
reflex action.
The nerves
which pass from the various organs to the brain convey with great rapidity messages to its
various parts, which are answered by re-
flected
waves of impulse.
If the soles of the
feet be tickled, contraction of the toes, or in-
voluntary laughter, will be excited, or perhaos
only a shuddering and skin contraction,
known
188
HYPNOTISM.
as goose-skin.
The
end
has carried a message to the
in the skin
irritation
of the nerve-
involuntary or voluntary ganglia of the brain
which has responded by reflecting back again nerve impulses which have contracted the muscles of the feet or skin muscles,
and explosion of laugh-
rise to associated ideas
In the same way,
ter.
if
during sleep heat be
applied to the soles of the feet,
ing over hot surfaces or
still
hotter
or have given
dreams of walk-
—Vesuvius or Fusiyama. —may be produced, or
places
dreams of adventure on frozen surfaces or
may
arctic regions
in
be created by applying ice
to the feet of the sleeper.
"Here, then,
anism
in the
it is
body,
seen that
known
we have
a
mech-
to physiologists as
the ideo-motor, or sensory motor system of nerves,
which can produce, without the con-
sciousness of the individual and automatically,
a series of muscular
member
contractions.
And
that the coats of the arteries are
cular and
contractile
re-
mus-
under the influence of
external stimuli, acting without the help of
A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION. the consciousness, or is
in abeyance.
when
the consciousness
example
will give another
I
189
of this, which completes the chain of phenom-
ena I
in the natural brain
and the natural body
wish to bring under notice
the true as distinguished falsely
interpreted,
mesmerism and
in explanation of
from the
phenomena of hypnotism,
electro-biology.
take
will
I
the excellent illustration quoted by Dr. B.
Carpenter
in his old-time, but valuable,
hungry man
sees food, or
when,
W.
book
When
on 'The Physiology of the Brain.'
hungry boy looks
or
false,
let
into a cookshop, he
a
us say, a
becomes
aware of a watering of the mouth and a gnawing sensation at the stomach.
mean?
It
means
made upon him by
What
does this
that the mental impression
the
welcome and appetizing
spectacle has caused a secretion of saliva
of gastric juice; that
is
through the ideo-motor
and
to say, the brain has, set of nerves,
sent a
message which has dilated the vessels around the salivary
and gastric glands, increased the
flow of blood through them
and
quickened
190
HYPNOTISM.
their secretion.
Here we have,
then, a purely
mental activity acting through
subjective
mechanism of which the boy and which he
is
is
a
quite ignorant,
unable to control, and produc-
ing that action on the vessels of dilation contraction which, as
we have
seen, is the es-
and the evo-
sential condition of brain activity
lution of thought,
and
or
related to the quick-
is
ening or the abolition of consciousness, and to the activity or abeyance of function in the will
centers and upper convolutions of the brain, as in its other centers of localization.
"Here, then,
we have something
phenomena
to the
—
phenomena
like a clue
which,
as
I
have pointed out, are similar to and have much in
common
with mesmeric
electro-biology.
ceeded theory ally
in
—
We have
sleep,
hypnotism or
already,
I
hope, suc-
eliminating from our minds the false
the theory, that
proved to be
false
is
—
to say,
experiment-
that the will, or the
gestures, or the magnetic or vital fluid of the
operator are necessary tor the abolition of the consciousness and the abeyance of the will of
A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION. the subject. in the
We
mind of
now
19)
see that ideas arising
the subject are sufficient to in-
fluence the circulation in the brain of the per-
son operated on, and such variations of the
blood supply of the brain as are adequate to
produce sleep
in the natural state, or artificial
slumber, either by total deprivation or by excessive increase or local aberration in the quantity is
or quality of blood.
possible to produce
sensibility
carotid
;
In a like
manner
coma and prolonged
it
in-
by pressure of the thumbs on the
or hallucination, dreams and visions
by drugs, or by external stimulation of the nerves.
Here again
the consciousness
may
only partially affected, and the person in sleep,
coma
or
hallucination
is
be
whom
produced,
whether by physical means or by the influence of suggestion,
may remain
subject to the will
of others and incapable of exercising his
own
volition."
In short, Dr. Hart's theory
is
that hypnotism
comes from controlling the blood supply of the brain, cutting off the supply
from parts or
in-
HYPNOTISM.
192
creasing
it
in other parts.
This theory
is
borne
out by the well-known fact that some persons
can blush or turn pale at will
some peo-
always blush on the mention of certain
ple
things, or calling
other ideas will
up certain
or turn pale, there follow,
will
known
is
due
to the
of the blood-vessels. subject
is
pale.
made
Certain
Now,
if
to blush
no doubt that hypnotism
since blushing
to be
ideas.
make them turn
certain parts of the brain are
are
that
;
and turning pale
opening and closing
We may
say that the
induced by some means to shut the
blood out of certain portions of the brain, and
keep
it
out until he
is
told to let
it
in again.
CHAPTER
XII.
——
Telepathy and Clairvoyance. Peculiar Power in Hypnotic State. Experiments. "Phantasms of the Living" Explained by Telepathy
—
It
has already been noticed that persons in
the hypnotic state
seem
have certain of their
to
senses greatly heightened in power.
They can
remember, see and hear things that ordinary persons would be entirely ignorant is
abundant evidence thai
ception
is
There
of.
a supersensory per-
also developed, entirely
beyond the
most highly developed condition of the ordinary senses, such as being able to
tell
what some other person
at
distance.
is
doing
clearly
a great
In view of the discovery of the
X
or Roentgen ray, the ability to see through a stone wall does not seem so strange as
it
did
before that discovery. It is
on power of supersensory, or extra-sen-
sory perception that what 193
is
known
as telepathy
HYPNOTISM.
194
That such things
and clairvoyance are based. really exist,
and are not wholly a matter of su-
perstition, has been thoroughly demonstrated
in a scientific
way by
the British Society for
Psychical Research, and kindred societies in Strictly speaking,
various parts of the world.
such phenomena
as these are not a part of hyp-
notism, but our study of hypnotism will enable us to understand
the investigation of
them
them
is
to
some
extent,
and
a natural corollary
to the study of hypnotism, for the reason that it
has been found that these extraordinary pow-
ers are often possessed
by persons under hyp-
Until the discovery of hyp-
notic influence.
notism there was
little
to
go on
in
conducting
a scientific investigation, because clairvoyance
could not be produced by any
artificial
means,
and so could not be studied under proper
re-
strictive conditions.
We
will
first
quote two experiments
per-
formed by Dr. Cocke which the writer heard
him describe with
The
first
case
his
was
own
lips.
that of a girl suffering
FATHER KIRCHEN HYPNOTIZING
BIRDS.
TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE. from
195
The doctor had hyp-
hysterical tremor.
notized her for the cure of
and accidentally
it,
stumbled on an example of thought transference.
She complained on one occasion of a
taste of spice in her
As
mouth.
had been chewing some
spice,
the doctor
he
guessed that this might be telepathy.
was
at
once
Nothing
said at the time, but the next time the girl
was hypnotized, let in his
mouth.
the doctor put a quinine tab-
The
girl at
once asked for
water, and said she had a very bitter taste in
The water was given
her mouth.
her,
and the
doctor went behind a screen, where he put cay-
enne pepper himself.
No
experiment cried
in
his
severely burning
mouth,
one but the doctor knew of the
at the time.
The
girl
immediately
and became so hysterical that she had
be awakened.
The burning
in
her
mouth
to
dis-
appeared as soon as she came out of the hypnotic state, but the doctor continued to suffer.
Nearly three hundred similar experiments with thirty-six different subjects
were tried by Dr.
Cocke, and of these sixty-nine were entirely
HYPNOTISM.
196
The
successful.
others were doubtful or
com-
plete failures.
The most remarkable
may
the
of
own words
be given in the doctor's
told the subject to
remain perfectly
minutes and to relate to
me
and locked
went
it;
room and
first a
me
closed the door
room
down from
owned by
went back
I
I
linen sheet, then a pasteboard
box, then a toy engine, the house.
"I
end of this
experience.
took
;
:
for five
into a closet in the
and closed the door after the shelf,
still
at the
time any sensation he might passed into another
experiments
my
to
a child in
subject and
asked him what experience he had had.
"He
said I
seemed to go into another room,
and from thence into a dark something I
took
off the shelf, but did not
down from
cloth, a long,
engine.
wanted
know
what.
smooth
square pasteboard box and a tin
I
all
the sensations he had
asked him
with his eyes which
the shelf.
I
the shelf a piece of
These were
experienced. ticles
closet.
He
I
if
he saw the ar-
had removed from
answered that the closet was
TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE. dark and that he only I
how
asked him
tin.
He
hands touched
it I
the only sound
toy as
his hands.
that the engine it."
heard the wheels
made by me while
Now
rattle.
in the closet
it
This could not
off the shelf.
possibly have been heard, as the subject
from
distant
me two
slight.
have judged where
had never
as he
I
visited the
ally did not
was
know
us,
and the noise
Neither could the subject went, as
which made no
slippers
was
large rooms, and there
were two closed doors between
was very
was
As my
the rattling of the wheels of the
took
I
knew
them with
'By the sound of
said:
was simply
he
felt
197
I
noise.
had on
The
light
subject
house before, and natur-
the contents of the closet
carefully observed
from the moment
he entered the house."
Many Persons able to
similar experiments in
tell
are on
record.
the hvonotic condition have been
what other persons were doing
distant parts of a city; could
tell
the pages of
the books they might be reading and the
bers of
all
sorts of articles.
in
While
in
num-
London
HYPNOTISM.
198
the writer had an opportunity of witnessing a performance of this kind. There
boy who seemed
A queer old Italy,
gree.
desk had come
and as
ture, the
hava
to
young
a
this peculiar
power.
into the house
was a valuable
it
was
owner was anxious
from
piece of furni-
to learn its pedi-
Without having examined the desk
forehand in any
way
be-
the boy, during one of
his trances, said that in a certain place a se-
cret spring
would be found which would open
an unknown drawer, and behind that drawer
would be found the name of the maker of the desk and the date
The desk was at name and date found
1639.
once examined, and the exactly as described.
It
is
clear in this case
case that this information could not have been in the
son in
more
mind of any Italy,
one, unless
were some per-
whence the desk had come.
likely that the
power
it
given
It is
remarkable supersensory
enabled
reading
through
the
wood.
We may class of
now
turn our attention to another
phenomena
of great interest,
and that
TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE. is
199
the visions persons in the ordinary state have
of friends
who
are on the point of death.
would seem that by an extraordinary the
mind of a person
in the
waking
state
It
effort
might
At
be impressed through a great distance. the
moment
mental effort
any other
of death an almost superhuman
more
is
and
time,
likely it
is
and possible than
at
peculiar that these
visions or phantasms are largely confined to that
rises to the its."
The
moment.
natural
ordinary mind
This supposition
fact that the visions
is
is,
explanation that of course, "Spir-
strengthened by the
sometimes appear imme-
diately after death, as well as at the time just before.
and
This may be explained, however,
on the theory that the ordinary mind easily impressed,
is
not
and when unconsciously im-
pressed some time
may
elapse before the im-
pression becomes perceptible to the conscious
mind, just as
we may
in
passing by on a swift train,
see something, but not realize that
have seen
it till
we
some time afterward, when we
:
HYPNOTISM.
200
remember what we have unconsciously
ob-
served.
The
British Society for Psychical Research
has compiled two large volumes of carefully authenticated cases, which are published under the
We
"Phantasms of the Living."
title,
quote one or two interesting cases.
A
Miss L. sends the following report
January
"On one
of the last days of July, about the
year i860, at 3 o'clock the
my
drawing room
p.
m.,
I
was
sitting in
at the Rectory, reading,
thoughts entirely
occupied.
old gentleman enter the
which uncle.
Pie I
I
was
room and walk
then looked at his
although
tall,
thin
to the
a peculiar, old-fashioned cloak
recognized as belonging to
membered fectly,
wore
and
suddenly
I
looked up and saw most distinctly a
table.
1886.
4,
features I
quite a child.
him
my
great-
and
closely
re-
and appearance per-
had not seen him since In his hand was a
paper, and he appeared to be very
roll
I
of
agitated.
TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE. I
was not
lieved he his
illness.
father,
my
then appeared but
said,
I
still
home.
my He
and
dis-
then
left
he wanted
if
was not
more
firmly be-
I
knowing then of
uncle, not
asked him
I
who, as
tressed,
alarmed, as
in the least
was
201
at
agitated
He
made no remark.
the room, passing through the open door.
noticed that, although
it
was
was no appearance of
there
either in
mud
or rain.
but a thick walking at once
when my
the funeral.
On
a very
his
He
having walked
father brought
I it
recognized
home
My
did they see any one enter.
by the next
post,
my uncle, who was very He started at once, but on his to
had died
eral times in
"I
roll
neither
father bad a at
once
in Leicestershire.
arrival
was
told
at exactly 3 o'clock that
afternoon, and had asked for
and a
;
asking him to go ill
that his uncle
after
questioning the servants, they
declared that no one had rung the bell
letter
wet day,
had no umbrella,
which
stick,
I
him by name
sev-
an anxious and troubled manner,
of paper
may mention
was found under that
my
father
his pillow.
was
his only
:
HYPNOTISM.
202
nephew, and, having no son, he always led him
would have a considerable
to think that he
Such, however, was not the case, and
acy.
supposed that, as they were always
is
leg-
friends, he
was
it
good
influenced in his last illness,
and probably, when too
he wished to
late,
alter his will."
answer
In
my
"I told
Miss L. adds
mother and an uncle
strange appearance before
the
rived, all
to inquiries,
of
and also
whom
to dismiss
it
my
from
once about
news
ar-
father directly he returned,
now
are
at
the
dead.
They advised me
my memory,
but agreed that described
my
uncle so exactly, and they did not consider
me
it
could not be imagination, as
I
to be either of a nervous or superstitious tem-
perament. "I
am
quite sure that
truthfully and correctly. in
my memory
as
day, although so
if
I
have stated the facts
The
facts are as fresh
they happened only yester-
many
years have passed away.
"I can assure you that nothing of the sort
ever occurred before or since.
Neither have
I
TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE.
203
been subject to nervous or imaginative fancies.
This strange apparition was
and as
in
was only reading
I
broad daylight, the
'Illustrated
my
Newspaper,' there was nothing to excite imagination."
Hundreds of
cases of this kind have been
reported by persons whose truthfulness can-
not be doubted, and every effort has been
made
to eliminate possibility of hallucination or accidental
may
occur
Such ment
That things of
in the
certain
this
kind do
be said to be scientifically proven.
facts as these
have stimulated experi-
in the direction of testing
ference.
may
fancy.
thought trans-
These experiments have usually been
reading of numbers and names, and a
measure of success has
resulted.
It
be added, however, that no claimants ever
appeared for various banknotes deposited strong-boxes, to be turned over to any one
would read the numbers.
was never
Just
why
who
success
attained under these conditions
would be hard
to say.
The
writer once
a slight observation in this direction.
in
it
made
When
HYPNOTISM.
204
matching pennies with that
if
match
his brother
he found
the other looked at the penny he could it
There may have
nearly every time.
been some unconscious expression of face that
gave the
clue.
Persons in hypnotic trance are
expert muscle readers.
For
instance, let such
a person take your hand and then go through the alphabet,
naming
any word
your mind, as the muscle reader
comes
in
muscles you can
son.
If
you have
to each letter the muscles will uncon-
sciously contract.
wrong
the letters.
letters
By giving make them
attention to the
contract on the
and entirely mislead such a per-
CHAPTER The
Confessions of
XIII.
Medium.— Spiritualistic Phenomena
Explained on Theory of Telepathy— Interesting Statement of Mrs. Piper, the Famous Medium of the Psychical Research Society.
The
subject of spiritualism has been very
thoroughly
investigated by
the
Society for
Psychical Research, both in England and this country, and under circumstances so peculiarly advantageous that a world of light has been
thrown on the connection between hypnotism and this strange phenomenon. Professor William James, the professor of
psychology at Harvard University, was fortuperfect nate enough some years ago to find a
medium who was character
not a professional and whose
was such
as to preclude fraud.
was Mrs. Leonora E.
many
Piper, of Boston.
This
For
years she remained in the special employ
and the of the Society for Psychical Research, members of that society were able to study her through a case under every possible condition 205
HYPNOTISM.
206
Not long ago she resolved
long period of time.
up her engagement, and made a public
to give
statement over her
own
signature which
is full
of interest.
A
brief history of her life
go
will
toward
far
and experiences general
furnishing the
reader a fair explanation of clairvoyant and spiritualistic
phenomena.
Mrs. Piper was the wife of a modest
and
on Pinckney
lived
Hill.
street,
She was married
not until born.
May
A
16, 1884, that her
little
more than
June 29, she had her Says she because
it
first
remember
"I
:
was two days
following the birth of
gone to Dr.
J.
back of Beacon
1881, and
in
a
first
it
child
month
was
was
later,
on
trance experience. the date distinctly,
after
my
tailor,
first
my
first
child."
birthday
She had
R. Cocke, the great authority on
hypnotism and a practicing physician of high scientific attainments.
"During the interview,"
says Mrs. Piper, "I was partly unconscious for a
few minutes.
On
went into a trance."
the following
Sunday
I
CONFESSIONS OF A MEDIUM. She appears sciously.
to
have slipped into
things, none of
membered when she came after she did
it
which she
to herself.
A
again.
when
of a merchant,
was not hard
it
a real medium of
Mrs. Piper that
must
The atmos-
of talk of that kind,
full
for people to believe that
communication had
spirit
and Mrs. Piper arranged one, for which
she received her
first dollar.
She had discovered
that she could
trances by an effort of her sit
it
The merchant's wife wanted a
been found. sitting,
Not long
she heard the things that
said, assured
phere in Boston was
re-
neighbor, the wife
be messages from the spirit world.
and
uncon-
it
She surprised her friends by saying
some very odd
had been
207
down
own
at a table, with her
will.
go into
She would
sitter opposite,
and
leaning her head on a pillow, go off into the trance after a few minutes of silence.
was a clock behind
her.
She gave her
There sitters
an hour, sometimes two hours, and they wondered
how
pired.
At any
she
knew when
rate,
when
the hour had ex-
the time
came around
:
HYPNOTISM.
208
In describing her experiences she
she awoke.
has said
"At
my
first
when
I sat in
my
chair and leaned
head back and went into the trance
was attended by something of a
the action struggle.
always
I
felt
an anesthetic, but of
as
were undergoing
if I
late years I
have slipped
head for-
easily into the condition, leaning the
ward.
On coming
dazed.
At
was
Then
all I
phrases.
state,
first I
out of
it
felt
I
said disconnected things.
gibberish, nothing
a
stupid and
but
gibberish.
began to speak some broken French I
had studied French two years, but
did not speak
it
well."
Once she had an
Italian for sitter,
who
speak no English and asked questions in ian.
It
Mrs. Piper could speak no
did not understand a
it,
except
But she had no trouble
trance state.
standing her
word of
Italian,
could Ital-
indeed .in
her
in under-
sitter.
After a while her automatic utterance an-
nounced the personality of a certain Dr. Phinuit,
who was
said to have been a noted
French
CONFESSIONS OF A MEDIUM. physician
who had
died
209
long before.
"spirit" controlled her for a
number of
His years.
After some time Dr. Phinuit was succeeded by
one "Pelham," and
finally
by "Imperator" and
"Rector."
As
the birth of her second child approached
Mrs. Piper gave up what she considered a form of hysteria; but after the birth of the child the sittings, paid for at
Dr.
Hodgson,
of
a dollar each, began again. the
London Society
for
Psychical Research, saw her at the house of
Professor James, and he became so interested in
her case that he decided to take her to Lon-
don
to be studied.
She spent nearly a year
abroad; and after her return
the
American
branch of the Society for Psychical Research
was formed, and
for a long time Mrs. Piper re-
ceived a salary to
sit
exclusively for the society.
Their records and reports are
full
of the things
she said and did.
Every one who investigated Mr6. Piper had to
admit that her case was
if
one reads the reports through from begin-
full
of mystery.
But
HYPNOTISM.
210
ning to end one cannot help feeling that her
messages are
spirit
Here
of triviality.
with nonsense,
filled
—and
a specimen
is
at least
—
a fair
specimen, too
of the kind of communication
Pelham gave.
He
wrote out the message.
referred to a certain
famous man known
Pelham
reports as Mr. Marte.
"That he (Mr. Marte), with and marvelous perception,
He was
know.
am
both he and
Don't you see
all.
will be interested, I
I I
than
I
difficulties.
I
was shut up
I
was
Well,
it
I
But there are
far clearer
in the
in-
know
correct these?
am
I
Comical weather
—me—him—
not less intelligent now.
many
:
his keen brain
a very dear friend of X.
exceedingly fond of him. terests
in the
reported to
is
have written by Mrs. Piper's hand
It
on
all
points
prisoned body (pris-
oned, prisoning or imprisoned you ought to say).
No,
'See here,
but pass
know
all
I
don't mean, to get
H, don't view me with
my
imperfections by.'
that
as
sphere (of course).
well
as
Well,
it
that way.
a critic's eye,
Of
course, I
anybody on your I
think
so.
I tell
:
CONFESSIONS OF A MEDIUM. you, old fellow, tle
errors too
don't do to pick
it
much when
brain enough,
I
know,
lit-
enough and
light
understand
to
these
they amount to noth-
You have
ing in one way.
all
211
my
expla-
nations of being shut up in this body, dreaming, as
it
Some
were, and trying to help on science."
people would say that
a little too
that
rambling, meaningless string of words.
Or we can suppose ing.
Pelham had had
much whisky toddy when he wrote
We
that Mrs. Piper
was dream-
see in the last sentence a curious
must have been
ture of ideas that
in
mix-
her mind.
She herself says "I do not see
how anybody can
that as testimony
not see but that
look on
from another world. it
I
all
can-
must have been an uncon-
scious expression of
my
subliminal
self,
writ-
ing such stuff as dreams are made of." In another place Mrs. Piper makes the fol-
lowing direct statement
:
"I never heard of
anything being said by myself while state I.
which might not have been
My own
mind.
in a trance
latent in
HYPNOTISM.
212
2.
In the mind of the person in charge of the
sitting. 3.
In the mind of the person
who was
try-
ing to get communication with some one in
another state of existence, or some companion present with such person, or, 4.
In the mind of some absent person alive
somewhere
else in the
Writing
in
world."
Review
Psychological
the
in
1898, Professor James says:
"Mrs. Piper's trance memory
human memory, and we have
is
no ordinary
to explain
its sin-
gular perfection either as the natural endow-
ment cf her
solitary subliminal self, or as a col-
lection of distinct
a
communicating
"The
spirit
triviality,
memory
systems, each with
spirit as its vehicle.
hypothesis exhibits a vacancy,
and incoherence of mind painful to
think of as the state of the departed, and coupled with a pretension to impress one, a disposition to 'fish'
essential
and face around and disguise the
hollowness
more painful
still.
which
is,
if
Mr. Hodgson has
anything, to resort
:
:
CONFESSIONS OF A MEDIUM. to the theory that,
probably are
213
although the communicants
spirits,
they are in a semi-coma-
tose or sleeping state while communicating, and
only half aware of what
is
going on, while the
habits of Mrs. Piper's neural organism largely
supply the definite form of words, the
phenomenon
is
etc., in
which
clothed."
After considering other theories Professor
James concludes
"The world
we
evidently
is
more complex than
are accustomed to think
it,
the
absolute
'world ground' in particular being farther off
we
than
are
wont
Mrs. Piper
"Of what period I
I
is
to think it."
reported to have said
occurs after
remember nothing
said or what was
sive agent in the
me.
I
I
enter the trance
—nothing of what
said to me.
I
am
but a pas-
hands of powers that control
can give no account of what becomes of
me during
a trance.
The wisdom and
inspired
eloquence which of late has been conveyed to Dr.
Hodgson through my mediumship
tirely
beyond
my understanding.
I
is
en-
do not pre-
:
:
HYPNOTISM.
214
tend to understand tion
:
—
I
simply
it,
know
and can give no explanathat I have the
going into a trance when Professor James says
:
I
power of
wish."
"The Piper phenom-
ena are the most absolutely baffling thing
I
know." Professor Hudson, Ph.D., LL.D., author of
"The Law of Psychic Phenomena," comes
as
near giving an explanation of "spiritualism," so called, as any one.
He
begins by saying
"All things considered, Mrs. Piper ably the best 'psychic'
now
is
before the public for
the scientific investigation of spiritualism it
must be admitted
that
prob-
if
munications from discarnate
;
and
her alleged comspirits
cannot be
traced to any other source, the claims of spirit-
ism have been confirmed."
Then he goes on
"A few
words, however, will
to the scientific
mind
that her
make
it
clear
phenomena can
be easily accounted for on purely psychological principles, thus
"Man
is
endowed with a dual mind, or two
CONFESSIONS OF A MEDIUM.
215
minds, or states of consciousness, designated, respectively, as the objective
The
objective
mind
is
and the subjective.
normally unconscious
The
of the content of the subjective mind. latter
is
gestion,
constantly amenable to control by sug-
and
it is
exclusively
endowed with the
faculty of telepathy.
"An
entranced psychic
is
dominated exclu-
sively by her subjective mind,
abeyance.
Hence she
is
tion, and, consequently, is
herself to be a spirit,
gestion
is in
any way
automatically
"She ries is
is
in
acts
and reason
is
in
controlled by sugges-
compelled to believe
good or bad,
if
that sug-
imparted to her,
and she
accordingly.
no sense responsible for the vaga-
of a Phinuit, for that eccentric personality
But she
the creation of suggestion.
is
also
in the condition which enables her to read the
subjective minds of others.
normal knowledge of the
What
Hence her super-
affairs of her sitters.
he knows, or has ever known, consciously
or unconsciously perfect),
is
(subjective
memory being
easily within her reach.
HYPNOTISM.
216
"Thus
far
no
intelligent psychical researcher
what
will gainsay
I
have
But
said.
it
some-
times happens that the psychic obtains infor-
mation that neither she nor the have consciously possessed.
sitter
Does
it
could ever necessarily
follow that discarnate spirits gave her the in-
formation? 'last ditch'
Spiritists say 'yes,' for this is the
of spiritism.
"Psychologists declare that the telepathic explanation as
it
is
as valid in the latter class of cases
obviously
is
in the former.
Thus,
tele-
pathy being a power of the subjective mind,
messages at
any
may
be conveyed from one to another
time, neither of the parties being ob-
jectively conscious of the fact.
It
follows that
a telepathist at any following seance with the recipient can reach the content of that message.
"If this argument is
self-evident
case that
may
—
it
is
is
valid
—and
its
validity
impossible to imagine a
not be thus explained on psycho-
logical principles."
Professor Hudson's argument will appeal to
:
CONFESSIONS OF A MEDIUM. the ordinary reader as good.
may
It
217
be simpli-
however, thus
fied,
We may
suppose that Mrs. Piper voluntarily
Perhaps she simply puts
hypnotizes herself.
her conscious reason to sleep. tion the rest of her
mind
in
is
In that condi-
an exalted
state,
and capable of telepathy and mind-reading, either of those near at
Her reason being
hand or
asleep,
and the questions of her
at a distance.
she simply dreams, sitter are
made
to
fit
into her dream. If
the
we regard mediums
as persons
who have
power of hypnotizing themselves and then
of doing what
we know
persons
who have been we have
hypnotized by others sometimes do,
an explanation that covers the whole case per-
At
fectly.
warns
us,
the
same
we must
time, as Professor
believe that the
more complex than we think
are
it.
THE END.
mind
James is
far
accustomed
to
,
YOUNG FOLKS'
Dialogues and
Dramas
A collection of original Dialogues and Dramas, by Edith Brown-Evarts and others. They are new, original, sprightly and sensible and particularly adapted tor young people from ten to eighteen years old, on subjects and ideas fitted to their age, handled in a quaint manner, and with appropriate action can be rendered very successfully. The dramas are short, pithy and funny, while the dialogues are suitable for all occasions, such as special day celebrations, etc. This is without doubt the best dialogue book published. Paper Cover, 25c.
Cloth Cover, 50c.
AMERICAN STANDARD
Perfection Poultry By I.
Book
K. Felch, author of "Poultry Culture," the rec-
ognized standard work in poultry in America, adopted by many Poultry Associations in this country. It contains a complete description of all the varieties of fowls, including turkeys, ducks and geese. Many old-fashioned farmers are inclined to discredit Why? Bethe statement that there is money in poultry. cause they are not up to the new and improved ideas in poultry management. A little trial of the rules laid down in this book will soon dispel all misgivings in this direction and tend to convince the most skeptical that there is money in poultry-keeping. This book contains double the number •
found in any similar work published. the best and cheapest Poultry Book on the market.
of illustrations It is
Paper Cover, 25c.
Cloth Cover, 50c.
All books sent postpaid to any address in the United States, Canada or Mexico upon receipt of price in currency 6tamps, postal or express money order.
M. A.
DONOHUE &
407-429 Dearborn
St.
CO.
CHICAGO
i
Date Due '
*"Nk
rft \
\ \
* \Y/A >\L\E \I/r*
\
ML
#
—
t^w
n
iVFP^ ui"
i/M r l^
YALt
APS*1 .9
Demco
293-5
m
199^
F
