The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-16


haven't absolute confidence, assume as
much as you can. when trying your
first subject. Get you perSon,someone
who Is willing, and tell him you Will,
If he does what you tell him, put nm TO
sleep. Impress upon him the idea that
you can do what you say you Will. BE
fore beginning operations, tell him that
you win give him bright object TO
look at and that he will, after looking
at 1t awhile, become drowsy, then more
and more drowsy, until finally he Will
be compelled to close his eyes and TO
sleep. Be sure you tell him that he VIII
notice nothing unusual about the droW-
siness; tell him that it will be Just as
natural as any sleep that he has ever
enjoyed. Let him not expect anything
unusual to occur; for such Will distract
his attention and make him to some
extent less passive than he should be.
If the subject happen to be friend
who knows your purpose, it may be
necessary, in order to gain his consent,
to say that you will let him sleep only
q few minutes, and that you Will not
make him do anything ridiculous while
under your influence. OF course, you
intend to make him sleep long time,
and you mean to make him do great
many funny, if not ridiculous things
eXcusing yourself by the reflection that
you are guilty of the fiction for the
sake and benefit of science. You Will
after awhile become so Interested IN
making experiments, that you will feel
no stirring, much less pricking, of con-
science for a DECEPTION which injuries
no one. After assuring your subject
that no harm can come to him, you VIII
place him in an easy position, bring his
hand about four inches from his eyes,
having placed in it some bright OBJ
ject. / usually take a bottle-stopper
of cork and cover it with tinfoil; though
a coin, or even an object not bright
will do as well. Tell him to look right
at it; and to never, under any circum-
stances, look away from 1t, but to con-
tinue, no matter who comes into the
room or around him-to look straight
at it. Say such words as these: Keep
on now looking right at it, and direct
ly you will become droWsy, your eye
lids will get heavy, and then heavier,
and heavier; then you will close your
eyes and sleep. Now keep on looking,
and do everything 1 tell you to, but
nothing else" Pause a moment or two
and let him have time; for you will fail
If you try to hurry too much at first.
He will think it more natural if you
give him moment to get sleepy. No
wide-awake person can become sleepy
in a single moment. Again repeat:
Nov your eyes are getting heavier
still-you are getting more and more
sleepy-directly you will sleep-but do
not close your eyes until l tell you.
Now you can scarcely hold them open;
but keep looking at it. l will tell you
when to close them" Keep making
such suggestions, and be deliberate and
positive in making them. Make them as
If you knew them. Give him no time
to think after he really begins to get
sleepy. Let him only listen. AS soon
as you observe his eyelids really grow
ing heavy, say: Your eyes are al
most closed now," making your words
long drawn out. and spoken in a tone
which will not arouse him, but will, in
stead, indicate that you are yourself
sleepy-and almost gone. Continue as
follows: Directly your eyes will just
have to close-you just cannot keep
them open-See, they are cloSing-noW
they are almost ready to close-noW
they will close and you will sleep. Close
them Pause moment. then say:
"Sleep." Give the comand to sleep in a
quiet, yet firm and masterful, way.
MAKE SUGGESTIONS.
You will see that the eyelids may
quiyer for a few seconds, sometimes
tor minute; but very soon the subject
VIII settle back in his chair, frequent
ly with sigh, and the eyes will be-
come quiet, and his limbs show perfec,
relaxation. Let him remain so for
some minutes, saying nothing to him
atall. Whenyou are ready to operate, il
is we'll for you as a beginner, especial
4y II you have new subject, to con-
stantly make suggestions. For in
stance, you say, Nothing will wake
you, and nothing will hurt you. You can
open your eyes, but you will stan
asleep. Now l am about to raise your
arm, but you won't wake up. Nothins
viii wake you" Rub the arm a few
times and say, Now you can't take il
down-see, you can't. You are sounC
asleep and you will do everything
tell you to do; but you will not wake
up-you can't wake up till I tell you
The arm will remain in the position ir
which 1t is placed, and, if you tell him
that no one can take it down or bend
II, you will find it true that no one
can, l almost always begin operations
IN that way, placing both arms in up
hfted position, with both legs out.
stretched in same manner. When yor
are ready to take them down, rub then
gently but firmly Ghough in a differ.
ent manner from the way you strokeC
them in making them rigid, and say
NOW you can take them doWn-see
you can-you will do everything L tel
you. You Will have to do So No one
can wake you except myself"
some people say that the eyes mus
be opened or shock must be given
before the subject will becom,
cataleptic; but they are entirely mis-
taken. l have, with the subjects eye!
tightly closed, asked people to try t
bend rigid arm, and even though
they exerted their whole strength il
the effort. they have invariably failed
Again, have had a subject, while in tn,
cataleptic state, tempted by an offer o
reward to move his hand or other par
OF ms body; but in every instance tn,
arm mas failed to be moved. For eX
ample, l have, amusing my friends 10y
giving private exhibition, taken
new subject provided by them, and
having hypnotized him, asked in |
whisper someone to offer him money /
ne would only take it. Often the sub
1ects fingers would move very, VERY
slightly at the tips, but never has on
succeeded in taking the money. Again
atter l have suggested to the subjec
that ne may hear others talk but tha
he VIII not understand them, becaus