The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-08
LAWS OF HYPNOSIS.
TheOSOphic Lecture on Misunder.
stood MeSmeriSm.

Last night before Golden Gate Branch of
the Theosophical Society DR.. jerome A.
Anderson lectured on the much specialized
subject, hypnOtism. Red Mems Hall, where
the lecture was delivered. was filed by the
crowd attracted there by the announcement
that that subject was to be considered.
DR.. Anderson prefaced his address with
the statement that he intended to give the
philosophic rather than the phenomenal
side of the question. 0ccultism starts like
science with the atom. but not the same
kind. Science starts life and all material
and spiritual things with an ever-deereasing
unit as one progresses farther into the CEN
ter or interior. OcculiSm claims that the
atoms do not grow smaller but more homo
genOus and ETHEREAL. and that will-power is
but the motions of these etherialized atoms.
Tn is is parallel to the Theory of motion as
held and advanced by the present day
science. The mighty creative power Of a
Shakespeare is but the higher ana more
perfect motion Of these atoms.
0ccultism claims also that there can be
no sudden flight of imagination or cOncep-
ton Of the beautiful unless the conditions
of the atoms have been changed 10 a state
en- rapport with the conditions OF things
thought Of This brings one to the place
from which hypnotiSm must be considered.
Men SO far have their powers Of thought
and Will very poorly developed and very
unequaly. This difference IL is that gives
one mind its power over another. When
ever one mind subjects another il subjects
il 10 an actual force, a force that can be
measured and controlled. There has been
an actual exchange of force. The will is
but function OF matter.
The term hypnOtism was used because it
was thought to be self-induced sleep. and,
since there are such manifestations, it seems
that that word should be applied TO those
phenomena alone, aud that 'meSmerlsm"
would still be kept TO describe the inter-
change of will force we are considering.
The very first step in hypnOtsm and mes
meTism is to reduce the vibration of the
mind atoms we wish TO control TO that Of
our own. BY gazing tKedly at a bright OBJ
jeCt the person gazing Will finally fail into
the consciousness identical with that Of the
object gaZed at. That is, one will or may
become as unconscious as it is possible for
the human mind to become, The seeing OF
pictures, double tasting, etc, that have so
long baked scientists, Is but the unccon-
SciOus suggestion Of the hypnOtIZer These
are the physic Of phenomena, above them
are the psychic, such as mind-reading, and
above that is the menaSic or BOn-eating
state; that is the state Of rest and complete
ness, whore only the universal vibrations
can control.
The many vibrations OF the hypnotic state
are Of low order, passing from without
within, and those Of mesmerism within
without. The one IS sitting and death-giv-
ing, the other is ilfe-glVlug. The one Is on
the plane of the blind, the other of the in
teIligent Prophetic dreams are often re-
peated and are natural. for then the ego is
active on its proper plane and can sense the
truth without the need Of rational thought.
Theosophy does not look with favorable
eye on hypnOtism. II the very stones OF the
wall retain the shadows cast upon them, as
science admits they no. then no theosOphist
can encourage the subsection OF one mind by
another IL is a question whether a sub
ject ever RECEIVERS from the influence cast
over him. From a criminal standpoint 1t
has been proved that murders have been
committed year after the hypnosis. Any
one had better submit to any degree Of tor
ture rather than be hypnotized.