CRIMINAL SUGGESTION

93

of attempting to silence the voice of conscience by reasoning with ourselves that the coveted sin wasn't so bad after all. If one has succeeded in convincing himself in this way, the laying bare of his subconscious nobler nature may reveal a higher type of manhood.

"The question as to whether hypnotism can be successfully employed for criminal purposes must be determined in each individual case by the character of persons engaged in the experiment." "If the subject be a criminal character he might follow the suggestions of a criminal hypnotist and actually perpetrate a crime.” In such a case a resort to hypnotism for criminal purposes would be unnecessary, except to abolish fear of detection. The effect upon the will of continued hypnosis is not proved to be detrimental.

If we accept the statement of Moll, that intelligent people and those with strong wills are more easily hypnotizable than the reverse, it would seem that this very strength of will is required to perfectly control one's inhibitory faculties, that extraneous thoughts - other ideas than those suggested-shall be held in abeyance. The proof of this statement is the fact that the good operator, whom it is tacitly assumed must be of strong will, may also be a very good subject.

Hypnotic experiments should be conducted with great care, to guard against erroneous conclusions. 'Bramwell: Hypnotism.

This point is well illustrated by the history of the development of the science.

One should constantly be on his guard lest he be deceived by the subject pretending influences which are not real. Until one has become somewhat expert, he should never employ a paid subject. It is advisable to experiment with a small company of friends, assuming the rôle both of subject and operator. The educational value of being hypnotized has not been properly recognized. In this way you have a practical knowledge of the phenomena which you witness in your subject.

Auto-suggestions and preconceived ideas are very important factors in producing unexpected results. The subject is vividly alert not only to the things you say but to your unuttered thoughts. It is not intended by this to claim telepathy, but we all unconsciously disclose our thoughts by gestures and inflections. This is illustrated by the "willing game." In this a person is brought into a room blindfolded, it having been arranged that he should find some article. One or two of the company who know what is desired take the "operator" by the hand, and all of the company concentrate their attention on the thing selected. With the attention thus fixed the "guides" unconsciously contract or relax their hand muscles, and really direct the operator to the desired spot.

This is known as "muscle reading," and often gives surprising results, but it does not prove telepathy.

HYPNOSIS-PHENOMENA

95

It has been claimed that a hallucination of a coin can be doubled by a prism. With a real object a prism gives diplopia, and a patient who knows this property of a prism would by the deductive process perceive a double hallucination. It is possible to secure the hallucination of two coins without a prism, so we need not invoke the principle of false orientation of a hallucinatory image.

CHAPTER VII

SUMMARY

What is hypnotism? Theories.—1766, Mesmer, animal magnetism. Influence of heavenly bodies. 1851, Professor

Gregory, "Animal Magnetism." — Influence of inanimate bodies.- Confirms Reichenbach's odylic force. - Operator's will sufficient to control subject. — Defends phrenology, but suggestion will produce same results.—1843-55, Braid, three distinct theories: (1) Physical theory, “hypnotism ” manipulation of cranium produces characteristic phenomena; (2) Substitute monoideism for hypnotism, preconceptions of subject, dominant ideas, suggested by operator, magnets, metals, and sealed medicines, inert except as vehicles of suggestion; (3) Double consciousness. Modern theories.- Charcot, Salpêtrière, the discordant note. - Responsible for modern prejudices. Bernheim, suggestion, the all-sufficiency of. — Sidis, laws of suggestibility. Myers, subliminal consciousness. Volition, subject not unconscious. - Supra-normal: clairvoyance, clairaudience, prevision, telepathy, the problem of personality.

THE acceptance of the phenomena of hypnotism as facts forces upon us the attempt to answer the question, "What is hypnotism?”

Mesmer's theory (1766) of animal magnetism, a fluid which was transferred from the operator to the subject, seems to have been held in more or less modified form by Esdaile and Eliotson.

William Gregory, professor of chemistry, Edinburgh University, published in 1851 his classic on

ANIMAL MAGNETISM

97

animal magnetism. In this no mention is made of the influence of the heavenly bodies, but he states in no uncertain terms his belief that some subtle fluid emanates from the body of the operator. For this he adopts the name odylic force, which had just been brought forward by Baron Reichenbach. This force resided, he believed, in numerous physical substances, especially in magnets, in which later it could be seen by sensitives as a red light at the north pole and a blue light at the south pole.

Gregory devotes a chapter to the confirmation of phrenology, stating the "facts" as follows: "It is really, in many cases, like touching the keys of an organ when the bellows are full of wind, and the sound instantly follows. If Tune be the organ touched, the subject forthwith breaks into song. If it be Self-esteem, he throws back his head, struts with immense dignity, and declares himself superior to the rest of mankind. Touch the organ of the Love of Children, and he dandles an imaginary babe, with most paternal affection. Touch Benevolence, the expression changes to that of compassion; his hand is thrust into his pocket, and held forth with all his store. Touch Acquisitiveness, the griping miser instantly appears, and with appropriate look and speech the money is restored to its original receptacle; it is well if the nearest object, however bulky, be not ' boned,' to use a slang but expressive phrase. If Caution be the stop touched, the music is the most distressing, often appalling pantomime