Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-12-07

If the experimenting is done in til
evening, it is we'll to add the caution
e that the patient will sleep we'll tina
t night. These suggestions given, pro
ceed to count three slowly and dis
tinctly. At the last word the subject
eyes will open, and IN the course of
minute or two he will have shaken OF
the feeling of drowsiness still presen
D.. when the eyes were first unclosed.
The field of post-hypnotic sugSes
ton seems unlimited. A good subject
en- rapport with the hypnotizer, will
carry out after awaking almost any
suggestion which has been made.
To subject recently hypnotized by
the writer. the suggestion was given
that he knew nothing of the vowels
E and 1. After awaking he was re.
quested to write the word weight"
Without hesitation, he wrote "wght."
Told that his spelling was wrong, he
insisted that it was not, but that the
spelling was a new one, which had
been recently adopted. The word
"eight" he refused to write, saying
that he had forgotten how. Asked to
repeat the alphabet, he ran through it
very rapidly. omitting the letters
specified. He did this much more
rapidly than any one else in the COM
pany, who, in . normal state, at
tempted the same feat. In the course
OF few minutes the letter al" came
back to his memory, and later still
the letter "E." While they were last
to him he explained their disappear
ance by saying that they had formerly
existed, but man had thrown them
away. The subject was young boy,
and there is no doubt, whatever, Of
his honesty.
An equally curious experiment fire.
quently tried is to tell subject that
upon awakening certain object will
be invisible. If the object chosen is a
person, it is we'll to suggest that they
will be neither seen, heard or felt. II
this were not done, the voice or touch
OF the invisible person might give the
subject severe fright, or even drive
him into hysteria.
These abnormal conditions OF the
mind soon fade and disappear OF their
own accord, as a rule. 1t is always
safest, however, to rehypnotize the
subject and restore him to q natural
condition by suggestion.
The mention of hysteria brings up
point which is we'll for the novice to
remember. Nervous persons often
become hysterical when in the hypno.
tic state. This is caused generally by
dreams, pleasant or otherwise; by the
sound of laughter, or loud talking.
To avoid this give the suggestion to
sleep soundly, but not dream. Also
to sleep quietly. At the first sign of
approaching hysteria suggestion will
often severe to quiet the subject. If,
however. he refuses to be quieted, and
becomes really hysterical, the only
course left is to awaken him as quick.
ly as possible.
The hypnotist must at all times re.
member that he can do anything at
all with good subject, ii the proper
suggestions are given. He should
watch the subject closely while hypno.
tized, and at the least sign OF pain or
discomfort correct it without delay.
The subject will believe implicitly
anything he says, and he should al.
ways insist upon every suggestion
made being carried out to the letter.
This is too broad a subject to at
tempt laying down all the rules which
could be catalogued. Experience and
observation will readily teach the best
method of handling any particular
subject.
1t is we'll to keep in mind the good
which may be done through past
hypnotic suggestion. Headache, or,
in fact, almost any mild pain or dis
comfort will readily yield to its influ-
ence. BY repeated suggestion, day
after day, habits may be formed or
broken. There is almost no limit to
its application.
Unfortunately there is = criminal
side to hypnotism. In speaking of
this DR.. John Alexander who was for
years associated with Bernheim, says ::
1t is impossible to fix limit to the
power OF suggestion. In the hypnotic
state aperson may be made to do any
thing, even to committing a crime.
have seen very severe tests Of this
made, and know that it is so. The ei.
feet of criminal post-hypnotic sugges.
ton would depend largely upon the
sensitiveness of the subject. / have
in mind one whom l hypnotized fire.
quently and who never failed in any
suggestion l made to him. His moral
standard was very high, yet 1 am GER
tain that had / bypnotized him daily
and each time suggested that he steal
from the store in which he was EN-.
ployed, and bring to me the stolen
goods, in the course of time he would
have done so. Whether he could
have been made to commit a capital
offense or not, l cannot say"
On the subject of mental suggestion
he says: 81 am not prepared to say
that mental suggestion is impossible.
Men whose veracity is above question
say they have succeeded in making
suggestions by simply thinking intent
ly upon the thing to be done. l will
say this, however, in all my experience
1 have never yet obtained what 1 con-
slider satisfactory proof OF such sugges-
ton. As for clairvoyance, among
many subjects who 1 have examined,
some of them claiming to be clairvoy'
ant, have never found one."