The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-03
SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF DREAMS
Being Made at Yale COI1ege-StartlfnE
Discoveries.

New Haven Dispatch to the Boston Herald.
At Yale the professors in psychology have
for years been making a special study or
the phenomena and scope of dreams, hallu-
cinations and hypnotism. During the past
two years Professor George 7. Laid has
been diligently at work on the historical
side of the subject, and has gathered all
the possible material for a thorough pre-
liminary course OF experiments on the sub
ject along entirely new and original lines
of research. Professor Ladd has prepared
the mind of the New Haven public Tor
these experiments by two courses OF lee
lures. embodying the result OF ms WORK.
university course of lectures, ana were
heard by crowded audiences both last year
Now that the work is ready to be con-
tinued in an experimental way, 1t mas
passed largely into the hands OF Or. Ed.
ward w. Scripture, who has done SO much
original investigation at Yale in physio-
logical psychology the past year. and he has
already made some startling discoveries III
cidental TO his new line of research.
.aThe experiments of DR.. Charcot OF La
Salpetrier in Paris and DR.. Luys, OF soutn-
ern France SAID m or; S SSIl9's pla SV- Compared
to what will be done in the united Stales
during the coming few years relause =
the Investigations of the Phenomena ol Ta q
lIcinations. hypnotism and dreams. The
scope and desire OF the French school mas
not. been SO progresslve ; as ras s y will :" I
think. come from investigation In iapora-
tories in American universities.
Dr ScrlDIuI6 dtlu lie go N9
have during the past few weeks been busy
In manufacturing new apparatus for their
experiments. as all the Work 10 De oohe TO
How to cure some of the ills that the
flesh. or rather the nerves, are heir TO, Is
the aim OF the experiments at Yale, and the
Importance attached to hypnotism in Euro
pear countries t~estifies that the results at
Yale will be of momentous scientlnc w0rtn,
ore thiug. his experiments IN measuring
h~aIlucinations. This, he says, has never
been done in the civilized world pelore SO
His simplest experiment of this kind is
by taking a. couple of wires which are at
tached to an electric battery and putting
them in the hands of a person. Just enough
electricity is then passed through the wires
TO warm. them; This is repeated several
times, till finally the subject is given the
direction: Tell me now when you feel the
electricity" None is passed through. but
invariably in a few seconds the subject ex-
claims. II feel it."
The time which various persons require
before they are subject 10 the Naturalization
differs widely. This last is a unique and
valuable discovery. IN some cases the time
is as short as seven seconds. and in others
as long as thirty.
TO take place is termed by DR.. Scripture
the time Of suggestibility." Imaginative
persons and those not psychologically
trained are the most susceptible, and, there
fore, this experiment may conversely be-
come a practical test OF a persons imagi-
native powers.
By the delicate instrument for making
sucn measurements IN the Yale laboratory
the intensity of the stimulus has been accu-
rately measured.
a second law evolved by Or. Scripture is
this: IN finding that stimulus whose SEN
sation IS not perceptioly different from the
Authorization. the intensity of the nailu-
c~i1stion itself can be measured.
a third principle is: BY the relation Of
the time % reaction to the hallucination,
q. record OF the time required for the hallu-
cination has been calculated, showing IL
TO be from seven 10 thirty seconds in diff
<s~eEE -gCIgidu4l&
Heretofore all the experiments performed
az Yale have been upon persons iabCcing
Under Authorizations of temperature. AS
soon as apparatus can be provided persons
subjected TO Authorizations Of hearing and
sight will be experimental upon, and thus
q. new field for original investigation
opened.
Again, people under abnormal conditions
VIII be treated, such as persons thoroughly
hypnotiZed or asleep, or insane persons,
the latter including those suffering from
monomania and kindred mental states
which has always baffied medical science.
DR.. Scripture and his corps of assistants
will continue their Investigations IN this
line throughout the year, at least, at Yale,