Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-06
WHAT MESMERISM IS.
1t Consists Simply Of the Abolition of
intellectually.
sOMNAMBULISM ANALOGOUS TO 1T.
From Its Very Nature Only the Mentally
Weak Are Susceptible.
NOT A SAFE Or HEALTHY CONDITION

practlce-or, What is much the same thing,
its applicability to the wants of social life
when that life has to be ministered to for the
relief Of the ailments which beset it. In
these latter days, mesmerism is no longer
known under that name. 1t is now desig-
mated "hypnotism, and, as such, figures
boldly both in the medical journals and in
lay newspapers. Whether or not the civil
lied world is to allow itself to be hypnotized
will only be settled when it thoroughly un-
derstands what hypnotism is and what it
processes to do in the way of curing disease.
1 shall attempt an explanation, based on
general grounds, such as, I trust, may be
"understanded of the people" A human
brain is composed of series of nerye-cen-
ters, or parts regulating and controlling
actions of more or less well-defned nature.
1t is not one organ, but collection Of or
gans, all working together, in the healthy
organism, for the regulation of the life
mental and the life physical as well. This
much is certain and sure. While there is
harmonious working, hewever, between the
brain-centers, there exists also a certain
amount of independence among them. Such
independence is inseparable from the nature
of the multifarious duties the brain centers
discharge. They may be compared to the
sub-departments in great government al
fair-like the postoffice, for example
wherein each subdivision, while owning
central and connecting authority, exercises,
on its own behalf, fair share of response
bility for the discharge OF its own duties.
INTELLECTUAL VS.. AUTOMATIC CENTERs
Now. roughly, yet correctly speaking, the
brain shows a division into what we may
term Intellectual centers and lower auto
matte ones. The former, located chiefly or
wholly in the forehead lobes Of the brain,
deal with the highest affairs of the mental
state. They exercise the will, they are the
seats of intellectual operations, and they
constitute by their collective working, "the
conscious ego" which is the essence of our
responsible individuality. The lower or
automatic centers, on the other hand, as
their name implies, are in position OF SELF
acting machines. They control actions and
operations which lie outside the will, and
which are not necessarily at leasD asso-
ciated with our consciousness.
Reading and writing and walking are
each and all acts which are automatically
regulated. We have to acquire them, it is
true, but, once acquired, they are ever after
ward performed without thought. Over
such acts, then, the lower brain centers
preside. 1 might quote the hearts action,
the regulation of the blood vessels, swallow
ing, and the movement of the stomach in
digestion, as additional illustrations OF
automatic acts. These lower centers of ours
save us vast deal of trouble and worry.
They leave the intellect free to deal with
deeper problems than are involved in the
mere acts of living and being; and when we
come to think Of it we see that good three
fourths of our lives are really composed Of
actions which are performed utterly without
thinking, and which are all the better per-
formed, in truth, because we have not to
think about them at all.
SIMPLY THE ABOLITION OF WILL.
In sleep walking we see how the lower
centers OF the brain can assume temporary
command of the body, how they can rouse
the sleeper from his bed, and direct and
guide bis movements unerringly in the ma
jority of cases. Now, mesmerism or hyp-
notism, is an analogous condition of SOM
ambulism. take it that in the hypnotic
state, however induced, there is essentially
the abolition of consciousness and will, by
the repression for the time being OF the in
tellectual eenters. It is useless and need
less TO say how this occurs; it is sufficient to
say it does occur.
In one way or another, the hypnotizer
succeeds in abelishing the intellectually of
bis subject The lower centers are stimu-
lated and come to the front. Automatic
life replaces the conscious existence; and
the individual is, temporarily, as clay in
the hands of the potter; he Is made to think
and act at the behest and command of the |
individual or individuals who have sue
ceeded in reducing him to the level of a
mere machine. This is the essence of hyp-
notism. Sir Andrew Clark put the matter
in other words when he said that the ability
Of anyone to be mesmerized stood in inverse
ratio to their intellectual development. If |
this means anything at all, it implies that it |
is the intellectually sensitive Cor weak) who |
are the hypnotiser's best subjects.
ONLY THE wEAK-MINDED SUSCEPTIBLE. |
made that remark in the London Illus
rated Nes0s not long since that the mesmer- (
st or hypnotizer could only be successful |
where there existed intellectual sensitive
less on the part of the subjects Ny words |
we're: "It is impossible to hypnotic every
,ne; and, as far as my experience of it goes,
,nly in the case of the intellectually sensi-
ive-shall I add weak?-can hypnotism
rope to secure the most characteristic
Effects" DIR. Bramwell and Mr.. Lloyd
Best, referring to these words, state that
3eaunis, Continental authority, is "of the
opinion that everyone is more or less sus-
eptibIe to hypnotic influence" They add
hat their own experience seems to confirm
he views OF Beaunis.
Now, one fact is worth many theories, and
maintain fearlessly that both DR.. Bram-
Tell and Beaunis are in error. For, per-
onally, although have been many times
ried by different hypnetizers, have not
cen in the least degree affected. Again,
know others who are in similar posi- ton
D myself. They have not been mesmerised
fter repeated trials.
THEIR OWN STATEMENT Is WEAK.
Dissected out, Beaunis' statement is a
elative statement, after all It includes
comparative degrees, from success to the
ero point; and it does not logically, there
're, mean all its authors might evidently
e regarded as implying. To allege
nat everybody can be hypnotized is
rash assertion, and nothing more.
-fter this declaration, have no more to say
n the subject. II DIR. Bramwell or any
ther hypnotizer can persuade certain people
lat they are not ill, that pain has left them, !
nd that they must be made unconscious
lille being operated upon, have no con- {
,rn whatever with his procedure. ALI 1
aintain is, that he will not and cannot sue
led with people having fair or complete I
lare of volition and Intellectual orce. '
Nor do envy those who can be "mesmer- {
ed" As have often expressed it, per- {
N who is hypnotized is in the position of
aving the captain Of the ship deposed from '
e quarter deck, and the cabin boy installed l
the captains place. And this is not an {
,reeable, safe or healthy proceeding either
! shipboard or In mental lite.
ANDREW WILSON.