The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-12-28
How to Mesmerize.

A recent writer on the mysteries of
mesmerism SAYS: "I lay it down as a
matter which can be verified by all who
are curious enough to try it, that the
mesmeric conditions can be produced
without the use of the cabalistic passes
of the mesmerist, without the bouquet,
the magnetic rod or any of the mysteri-
Gus means employed by the profession
ais to helghten the effect of that would
be too simple and too unattractive If per-
formed straight-forwardly. The direc-
tions are these: Place the person to be
operated on naturally in chair. With
your left hand suspend by string,
about foot from the eyes, some small
object, dark marble or a bright steel
ball, or a diamond, it matters not what,
though something bright is, perhaps,
preferable. Direct the subject to fasten
his eyes and concentrate his attention on
the object. Slowly raise your left hand
until the object is as far above the eyes of
the patient as is compatible with his
gazing steadily at it. Watch his eyes.
At first you will see the pupils contract,
but after few seconds they will expand
rapidly. When they are at the point of
greatest expansion, move the first two
fingers of your right hand from the OBJ
ject directly toward the eyes, the fingers
being separated, fork-like, to embrace
both eyes. AS the fingers approach, the
eyes will close, and the subject will be
unable to open them. After quarter
of minute the subject will be thor
oughlv under control, so that the opera
tor may make him believe whatever he
tells him. Left quietly, the subject will
sink into profound torpor, during
which his ears may be pierced, his cheeks
sewed to his nose, and even a finger cut
off without pain. To arouse him--and
this is an important step--wind should
be directed against his eyes, or else bis
eyes should be tickled with feather.
The rationale of the method is SIMPLE
The fixed stare of the subject fatlgues
his retina nerves, and when the opera
tors fingers approach, the eyelids close,
as eyelids always do when the eyes are
threatened. But the fatigue of the
nerves has produced muscular fatigue as
we'll, transient paralysis of the eyelids
has resulted, and they cannot be opened.
The eyelids being then closed, the deli
cate frontal nerves exhausted, and the
mind made vacant by monotonous atten-
ton to one subject. the patient is in
cOnultlOn 10 Iall ASleep-uuu Ho uocS IuIA
asleep. He is now ready to dream. The
only thing remaining to do is make him
dream.
But how is this to be effected? Dream
ing, as has long been determined, is the
result of external suggestion. DR..
Gregory, to illustrate, having been think
ing of Vesuvius, went to bed with q Jug
of hot water at his feet, and dreamed
that he was climbing the sides OF the
burning mountain. DR.. Reids read
book on the Indians, put a blister to his
head on retiring, and in his sleep thought
he was being scalped. Both dreams, as
all otners are, were caused by sugges-
tions offered externally. These sugges-
tions, being received while the directing
power, the common sense of the mind,
was in allegiance, owing to sleep, were in
terpreted very enormously, yet accord
ing to plain laws of association. The hot
water in one case called up the previous
subject of thought. Vesuvius; the sting
ing blister in the other, the equally sting
ing scalping-knife. 1t is now easy to see
how the sleeping subject may be made to
accept as truth whatever is told.