Smyrna times., 1880-10-13
For The Smyrna Times.
Answer to 'Saehem."

Answer to Sachem,"
| I" l visited q noted exhibitor of mesmersm |
and Psychology few evenings ago. am |
a skeptic in the science of psychology, and |
l am of the opinion that the influence he |
pretends to exercise over others is either |
done by an electric apparatus or by num-
Der of hired assistants. What is your opin.
ion of the science of psychology and of
mesmersm?
Sachem."
The above slip having been sent me for
an answer, is as followes:
In thinking over this subject in which
the voltoral Tor will power is in allegiance,
we find it to include not the Psychological
and mesmerised only, but includes the
ARCHAEOLOGICAL, somnam bulism, artificial
ly, or naturally induced. and the latest Hyp.
notism, by Mr.. Braid in England.
These states of mind may be artiticially
induced in many individuals by steady
fixed gaze at al object placed at o moder.
ate distance, which corresponds with that
OF revery and abstraction, in regard to the
complete suspension of the directing power
of the will over the current of thought,
but which differs from these in the readi.
ness with which the mind may be possessed
with ideas suggested to it through the
medium of language
1t has been proceed by direct experiment
that when the Human WHIP is in abey.
ance, either naturally or arti6cally indu-
ced. the whole course of thought may be
determined 10y suggestion operating from
without, or by the "idea" dominant in the
mind at the time the mind in itself hav-
ing no power to alter the course of these in
even the slightest degree, is cut off from
all recourse TO previous experience, for the
examination of their correctness, or the
determination of their fallacy.
The phenomena presented by the psy-
chologised, &c, are by no means the same,
for in some individuals, it is the relation of
the mind to bodily action which is most re-
markably affected, in others it is the rela-
ton OF the perceptive consciousness to
sensation, and in others Especially those
who are naturally of an imaginative and
excitable dsposition) it is the course of
thought and feeling which come most com.
pletely under external guidance.
In this state of mind thus induced) the
subject feels bound to obey any behest, and
all that is necessary is to say, "Sir, l say
you must do this" or, Sir, ! say you can.
not do that" and he does it according ly,-
which, when it takes complete possession
of the mind of the subject, reduces the
aoiU to IL state of entire poWerless.
1t is not the ,oM of the operator which
controls the sensations of the subject 1.-THE
common but erroneous belief but the sug
gestion, which excites q corresponding idea
the ,falsity of which is not corrected, sim
ply because the mind (of the subject
being so completely engrossed by it can
not apprehend the truth less forcibly i'm
pressed on it through his own senses.
The same general statement is true as tc
the faculty of memory,-thus the operator
asserts that the subject cannot remember
the most familiar thing-his own name fol
example, and he is prevented doing so, no
because his will is controlled by another
but by the impossbility of the mental &C
which engrosses his own mind and by thu
want of that voluntary control over the di
rection of his OWn thoughts, which alone cal
enable him to recall the desderated idea
or impression.
The same is true of the abolition of thu
sense of personal identity,-Mr. A. for ex
ample, believing himself to be a Mrs. B
and Mrs. G. believing herself Mrs d
and acting in perfect conformity with tina
belief, is induced in the same manner, o
mode Yet the mind of the subject is no
so far removed from its ordinary condition
as to prevent his usual habits of though
and feeling from displaying themselves
and he has in most cases perfect recolleC
ton OF what has taken place, when hi
mind has returned to its previous cond
ton of activity, though the recollection
does not extend to particulars.
So long as an individual retains his "wi
power" so long can he resist the inhuenc
of mesmerism, &C., as has been proved b
Mr.. Braid and others, and when we exam
inc into the cause of a volitonal movemer
(physologically speaking) we find it to lii
as in other instances, in certain combini
- ton of material conditions with dynamici
agency. The aggregate Of the materiI
|,s conditions is a state of the integrity c
muscular and nervous apparatus throug
which the will operates, the dynamici
agency is the effort we are conscious of pu
@ ting forth, and which we feel to bc tn
pot0er by which the work is done; the d
gree of volitional exertion required bein
strictly proportional to the amount of r
9 by corresponding sense Of fatigue, whiC
is the indication of the expenditure
force.
To this category are to be referred
& large number of those religious delusiol
of the past and present, and that whiC
is common to all of them being the enti
possession Of the ideational consciousne
with some strongly excited dominant ide
% the intensity of which blinds the commc
, sense, subJugates the VIII, so that IL EXPIRE
lass sss itself in bodily action without the lea
z-ly restraint. In this state of mind an inc
vidual may be impelled by non. controlab
- necessity to execute any act, good or ba
The act may be confined to single inC
vidual, or it may lin its simpler form
spread epidemically through multitud
and may be one that interests the feeling
or it may be of nature purely intell'
10 tual t1.ai
Thus the wild but transient vagries of
ligious enthusiasm in ages as shown in [
Pythonic inspirations of the Delphic
estesses; the Leaping Ague in Scotland,
- still later times, when they would lie
AS around like frogs at the same time sha
ing az il having an ague; the Tarentism
Southern lilly; the Tigretier of Abyssin
the ecstatic revelations of Catholic n
Protestant Missionaries; the Dancing Maj
PA Of the Middle Ages; the preaching e
I5.sm demic among the Huguenots in Fran
and more recently in Lutheran Swede
$500 the strange performances of the Cow
SHoa Lii 49, IL l..