The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-04-24
HOW TO MESMERlzE.
A Man Who Paid for the Information
Tells How it is Done.

An account was printed in this pa
per few days ago of mysterious
letter received by the police, in which
the writer, supposed to be young
woman, told how she had been placed
under the control, through mesmer-
ism, as she believed, of man whose
will she was powerless to resist. The
letter has caused a good deal of com
ment among those who are either
believers, or disbelievers, in so-called
"hypnotism." One man, who read it,
told the News about his experience in
mesmerism. He says that he paid a
professor" good price to learn the
art, and he thus describes the method
OF operating:
eff you want to mesmerize a person
who has never been put into that
state, you must place him in an easy
posture and request him to be calm
and resigned. Take him by both
hands, or else by one hand and place
your other gently on his forehead.
But with whatever part of his body
you choose to come in contract, be
sure to always touch two points an
swering to the positive and negative
forces. Having taken him by
both hands fix your eyes upon his
and if possible let him conten tedly
and steadily look you in the face. Re-
main in this position until his eyes
close. Then place both your hands
on his head, gently pass them to his
shoulders, down the arms, and off at
the ends of his fingers. Throw your
hands outward as you return them to
his head, and continue these passes
until he can hear no voice but yours.
He is then entirely in the mesmeric
state. When a person in this condi-
ton, whether put there by yourself or
some one else, you can awake him by
the upward passes, or else do it by an
will count three, and when say three
1 will slap my hands together, and you
will be wide awake, and in your per-
feet senses. Are you ready? If he
answers in the affirmative you will pro-
coed to count 'one, 'two,' three The
word three should be spoken sudden
ly, and in very loud voice, and at
the same instant the palms of the
hands should be smitten together.
This will instantly awaken him. An
other way is this: Take the individual
by the hand in the same manner as
though you were goingto shake hands.
Press your thumb on the uInar nerve,
which spreads it's branches to the ring
and little finger, an inch above the
knuckle and in range of the ring finger.
Lay the ball of the thumb flat, so as
to cover the minute branches of this
nerve of motion and sensation. When
you first take him by the hand re-
quest him to place his eyes upon
yours and keep them fixed so that he
may see every motion of your mind
expressed in the countenance. Con-
; tinue this pressure for half minute
or more. Then request him to close his
brush downward several times over
the eyelids, placing him in any posi-
ton you choose, and throughout the
whole process feel within yourself a fix
ed determination to close them so far
as to express that determination fully
in your countenance and manner.
.. Then place your hand on the top of his
head and press your thumb firmly on
the organ of individuality, bearing
J partially downward, and with the
other thumb still pressing the ulnar
tell him "You cannot open your eyes. :"
. Remember that your manner, your ex-
preston circumference, your motions
! and your language must be all of the
positive character. If he succeeds in
opening his eyes, try it once or twice
more, because impressions, whether
physical or mental, continue 70
strengthen by repetition. In case, how
ever that you can not close his eyes, nor
see any effect produced upon them, you
have now fairly tested that his mind
and body both stand in a positive re-
lation, as regarded the doctrine of i'm
pressions. If you succeed in closing
the subjects eyes by the above mode,
: you may then request him to put his
hands on his head, or in any other
position. Tell him he can not stir.
; In case you succeed, request him to
!; be seated and tell him, "You can not
|: rise" If YOU are successful in this, re-
QucSO uHIl W pun Ills lictIlIAc LII lllOOiOlI
!. and tell him, ''You can not stop them''
. Ii you succeed, request him to walk the
floor and tell him, "You can not cease
|, walking" And SO you may continue
|! to preform experiments involving
: muscular motion and paralysis of any
; kind that may occur to your mind un-
: til you can completely control him
;. in arresting or moving all the volun-
! tary parts OF his system.
Recollections.of Noted Harvard Pro-
feSsorS.
s The leading scientific men at Har
d ward were Agassiz, Peirce and Gould
: each not only pre-eminent in his de
!, partment, but in certain sense a pic
Il neer. PIERCE was the first American
to learn modern mathematics and to
!. teach his countrymen that what they