The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-08
Hypnotism and
How TO Practice II
The Operator Requires No Occult
Power or Special Qualities.
POST-HYPNOTIC SUGGESTIONS
Claims of the German and French Schools
on the Subject of the Operators
Will-Some Very Interesting
Recent Studies.

Despite very prevalent belief to the
contrary, there is nothing of the occult
in hypnotism. The operator requires
no special power or qualities. A school
boy, had he patience, could produce the
same phenomena as the most learned
scientist. To hypnotic a person it Is
only necessary to give him something
bright to look at, with the suggestion
that after awhile the eyes will grow
very tired, will close and he will go
quietly to sleep. This is the method used
by Bernhelm, the head of the German
School of Hypnotists. He says 1.-The
will of the operator has nothing to do
with making a subject sleep" On the
other hand, Charcot, of the French
school, claims that the influence of the
mind is largely responsible for the sub
ject's sleep, and that only nervous or
hysterical persons may be hypnotized.
AS Bernheim has succeeded in hyp-
nothing every one on whom he has had
an opportunity to experiment, his
theory is the one generally accepted.
Simply looking at something bright
is not all that is necessary to make a
person sleep, says writer in the st.
Louis Star-Sayings. No one can be
hypnotiZed against his will. This sub
ject must, therefore, consent to be ex-
perimented upon, and should feel per-
feet confidence in the person conduct
ing the trial
To obtain the best results, place the
subject in an easy chair with instruc-
tions to assume the most comfortable
position possible Give him something
bright-almost anything will do; a cork
wrapped in tinfoil answering very nicely
and let him look fixedly at this. His
gaze should not be removed under any
preteXt whatever. In the course of a
few minutes his eyes will grow very
heavy, will close slowly, and a percepti-
BILE fluttering of the underlid will be no.
ticeable. When this stage Is reached the
operator should give the suggestion to
sleep. For this the voice must be low,
but perfectly distinct and firm so as to
command obedience.
| If the suggestion has been properly
| given the subjects eyes now close and
he will sleep more or less profoundly.
Suggest then that he sleep soundly until
told to awake.
The Five States.
He is now in the first stage of the hyp-
motto trance. BernhGim divides this
trance into five states, so closely allied
that it is almost impossible to distin-
guish between them. Three stages are
oil tlat thn a.. 1
notice. First, lethargy; second, cata-
lepsy; third ,somnambulism. The cata-
leptic state is often entirely absent un-
less the patient is told that his muscles
are rigid either in the whole or in part
Of his body.
After sleeping from two to twenty
minutes the subject enters the third
stage, that of somnambulism He viii
now obey any suggestion made to him
will open his eyes (having been first
cautioned that, though he does so, he
will be still asleep, will walk about and
even carry on an animated converse.
ton. He will do whatever he is told
to by the hypnotizer.
Care must be taken, however, in max
ing suggestions to person hypnotizeC
for the first time. The patient is in ;
state of unusual mental susceptibility
He hears and sees, without realizing
everything that goes on about him. H
knows that he is the centre Of attrac
ton, and feeling of shyness come
over him. He even resists in measur
doing what he is told. 1t is because o
this peculiar sensitiveness of an mex
perienced subject that a request of an,
unexpected character will startle him
frequently to such an extent as t
cause him to awake.
Only trained subjects obey unhesita
tingly every command. By a traine
, subject is meant one who by frequen
| hypnotism has become accustomed t
the hypnotic state, and submits entirel
. to the operators control, his own wi
: having apparently no power whateve
of opposition.
= The Trained Subject.
The more frequent a person is hyr
Noticed the more easily he complies wit
, the demands made upon him, until, /
the course of time, varying in lengt
according to the persons susceptible
to outside influences, he becomes wha
is known in technical language as
good subject"
The most important thing for perso
experimenting in hypnotism to learn
the art of awaking a sleeping subjec
Here come in the unexplained phenon
ena of post-hypnotic suggestion, or tn
carrying out after awaking of a sugge!
ton made while asleep.
> To awaken a subject by simply bic
ding him to do so is to take chance
Owing to the unusual condition
, which the hypnotized person has beel
1t is not improbable that he would avail
en- with q start, possibly having a 81
we're headache and feeling so drows
that he would insist upon again goin
to sleep.
To avoid this the operator should US
some such formula as "T am now abol
to awake you. You will have no hea
ache or pain of any kind You will fe
comfortable and happy. You will |
rested and refreshed from your slee
and will remember nothing that hal
pened while you slept. When / coul
!; three, your eyes will open and you wi
be wide awake"
If the experimenting is done in Il
evening 1t is well to add the cautic
that the patient will sleep we'll thi
night. These suggestions given, proceC
= to count three slowly and distinctly. 4
the last word the subjects eyes w
open, and in the course of minute
two he will have shaken off the feelr
of drowsiness still present when Il
eyes first enclosed.
post.IIypnotism.
The field of post-hypnotic suggestiC
seems unlimited. A good subject,
rapport with the hypnotizer will car
out after awaking almost any sugge
ton which has been made.
To subject recently hypnotized !
the writer the suggestion was given tn
he knew nothing of the vowels e al
l. After awalling he was requested