The morning times., 1897-02-14

the mind OF the subject is passive and is
aoquiescent.
lit may surprise you to know, says Dr.
Liebeault. that il is possible To- hypnotic
s. per cent OF mankind. The remaining
per cent are impcryiouS to the direction OF
the hypnotiSt, let him be OF as strong mind
as he may. All these persons who are sus-
Cuptible 10 the Influence Of hypnOtiSm are
not affected to the same degree. The in
flaence of the hypnotist on woman is very
different taan upon the Stcrner sex. II is
more difficult for Il woman 10 fix her at
teutinn upOna given object than fo- man
t. do So THIS much we know, that a woman
does But pCssesS the power or CUnoeHtra-
tion given to man. That is my expIana-
tion.
You see. this is the case. Persons who
are easily distracted; who. from naUuic
or training, have not the power OF fix
ing the attention or concentrating thought
and persons in agitation. those who are
heavy and dull, idiots whose brains lack
the power of understa nding what is re-
quirei OF thein--tIese are tie least capable
Of hypnosis
The central idea OF hypEotiSm is simple
enough. It's merely making a suggestion
u a certain person, instead Of that person
ma King the suggestion for himself The
nvunGtisl must be able 10 impress that
suggestion on the n4ind OF the subject so
thoroughly that the result viii be the
same ~ if il came from ;hC Individual
himself. To DO this, the subject must first
bc placed in the hypnotic state. Wien in
this state he is practically asleep.
The process OF placing a subject in
the so-caled hypnotic state is simple,
despite the great efforts which have been
made 10 cloak it about with mysterious
rites and fnoaHtations. When one wants 10
produce hypnosis in its most ordinary form,
he asks The patient to fiz his eyes upon
the oThs Of the hypnolIst, that is, him
SELF This is the first step toward con
c,stration. The subject is desired in this
WY To free himself from direct excItation,
such as hight. sound, and touch. In order
L pTcdEce this it is necessary for a per-
sos 10 possess the faculty OF concentra-
tipn. III other words, it requires a strong
Iniud gradually to slacken mental activity
This state Of affairs being arrived at,
the operator Of hypnotist, then, by means
Cf hypnotic suggestion. gradually induces
the subject to think Of sleep, and with the
thought comes SlQmbcr. II simply amounts
t. this. Sense and activity are subtractcd
from the subjects mind, and in their
place is sleep. Once the subject accept S
the suggestion of the operator. Il ia dtaraily
follows that he will accept suggestions
others than those which are first given
yet is is absolutely impossitIc to make 4
person who is hypnotizcd perform crime.
N person cIn be nypnatizcd against his
will. / aIn fClly aware that III saying
TINS. particularly the first assertion made.
ana contra dicting gencrany accepted be-
liefs. Yet tie statement i s the result OF
extensive Stigatinn and experiment 1t
IS .io deduction from theory. but fact. fact.
fact.
You ask nae why nan cannot be in
s.ucc,i 10 commit a crime while under the
inilGcnCc OF hypnosis. Simply because the
power Of the hypnotiSt does not extend that
far A person may be made to become
thoroughly iBscnsble TO pain, and his mind
may bc turned III various directions up TO
a ccItaiu limit. but that limit Is reached,
then a halt mast be called, or rather, the
hypnotist finds himself incapable of fore
ing further acticn on the part Of his sub
Jctt Truly, BE may make the subject
think Of crime by offering such Il suggcs-
tor. hut he cannot force him to commit
action of that sort
1t Is very I.lain to the hypnotist that
hypnosis as applied To women TO relieve
them Of a frightfu pain is of inestimable
value. For instance, in the matter of
thcra pcutics. it is exceedingly useful. Fer
centuries Il has beer atlnittcd that there
was no medicine that c1ualed sleep There
fore. the doctor who can place his patient
at a critical time under the influence Of
hypnosis is really giving her an oppor-
tunity to find the relief that can be gained
in no other manner except by the Use OF
anodynes. i am sure thar there is no
woman who would object to being placed
under the Influence q hypnosis if She IN