The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-07-20
SYMPATHETIC IMITATION,

SYMPATHETIC IMITATION.
Singular Effect of MIndsUpon Mind spirit
usllsm, Epidemics of Suicide, Murde.
and Other Crimes-The Innuence ol
Words.
At a reception recently given at the
Long Island College Hospital, DIR,
Samuel G. Armor, Dean of the college
faculty, delivered an address on 1.-The
Interaction of Mind and Body,n which
sparked with gems of thought.
The singular quality of the human
mind, said the lecturer, of being ..af-
fected by the affections of another is
one of the great facts of human history
which at different periods of the world s
history has had a strange and powerful
influence in shaping human destiny; and
yet as scientific fact, historically con-
| adered, il has received but little investi-
CATION. Men are bound together not
more by the mutual dependencies dis
covered by reason than by the intuitive
sense OF the emotions that move and the
unreasoning impulses that direct and
guide each other in action. And all
these emotional impulses are born
Of sympathy, and involve an impulse to
initiate in feelings and in action those
whom we love and admire. This prin-
eple of sympathetic imitation, like
other elements of human character, ex-
sts in different degrees in different per-
sons. Some are born leaders of men;
T. others are born for the rank and file.
The principle of imitation differs also at
Different periods of life, and in the differ
ent races of men. Children learn in
sensibly to model their habits on the ap-
pearance and manners of those with
whom they are familiarly conversant
AZ we advance to maturity the pro-
pensity to imitation grows weaker. Our
improving faculties gradually divert our
sttention from the models around us to
IDEAL standards, more conformable to
our tastes. The inferior races of men
ne in this respect much like children.
They learn largely by imitation their
aeal standard being feeble in comparison
WITH their initiative faculties.
That the mesmerized subject often
passes into the state of anesthesia, as well
y other peculiar mental states, / have
ma ABUNDANT testimony. And that the so
zile0 opiratualists-some of them at
Rast--believe they have communications
WIN the dead. I can readily believe.
ssy more, that to their minds they actu-
Z aly see and converse and walk with the
d aeaa IS not improbable. tbs in harmony
sha what is known of certain psyche
Z sgleaI phenomena-the concentration
leory OF trance. Strong concentrated
nsa,ai Impressions, acting upon what
F!cnoiogists call the emotion of expec-
aaol. not unfrequently become convert
1, aanlo sensational realities. The eye,
+ y instance, sees what the mind strongly
1 acelses the ear hears voice that Still
Se,s as memory in the brain; the in
Y esesly superstitious see in the dim twi-
r as me ghost wrapped in its winding
& scs Learned school men call this
Y sl.eislon OF mind and sense objective
aleeuVlty. Common people call it q
e xlasicn. The most extravacant perform
I sass @ the subjects of hypnotism, as
y - 49,. now called. is no external, super
ssl1 spiritual manifestation it is
n es an exaggeration of what we wit
ss... s.. y everyday life, an extreme mani
II . aoh OF the control of one person
ess aaotner, which we so constantly
ss sss. During the Middle Ages, when
N; supershhous and fanatical element
sn ly predominated, numerous nervous
i d s'0ns s spread as epidemics in waves
Issis palny. sometimes spreading over
r. rm 0vlnmuaifies like the fury of
4 A. u 0ermany at one time it took
4 n MI M q the dancing mania, which
1r go reosoiy nothing more than an ex-
II 3 ss.asea s. iorm of st. Vitus' dance. It
& ms aa:scterized by eomieal and ludic-
i = gllmaces, and sometimes by, yio-
! e,tnlss; nls;'oraons, leapings and fantastic
IN b s,olls ~ hundreds flocked to see
8 sase soas delusion, and soon, we
n Nv ~. an Germany was dancing
n ssrsss resssssacaiatlng with the unhappy
& ats ss. r About the middle of the
q pn nsshry uuhry strange panic seized
h Fe]d deh minds that the end of the
Ss lsa,sa sas close at hand. This STRANGE.
a. eis s impulse has run through fhe
n ak -, = a ana powerfully affects many
n ks;ss IN later times, murders,
@ nrs,s suicides and other crimes have
y se;e s;e'alled ah as local epidemic. The
q a ny suaracter of suicide has long
lsea s nlzed. A singular instance
InrslE;ar E rench history. At the Hotel
ID saas NV IN Paris, among the old |
1 II ~ ano aa had been long accustomed |
4! of Is honcert :t with their commanders.
b = h. inmates was found dead one |
assuha hang, and within a short time |
eemss ae's 81 hanged themselves on the |
hsnc;. = ne post was removed and |
s1g ceasnd S;,..I