Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-12
WHAT is HYPNOTISM?
VIEWS or AN EXPERT ON SUBJECT
OF SUGGESTIVE THERAPEUTICS
A CURE FOR CERTAIN DISEASES.
The Science "a Valuable Aid In This
Respect-Mr. Chntterton Talks In
terestux!y on This sabjcct-Rcla-
ton Of Hypnotism Ia Crime.

Mr. w. J. Chatterton, a graduate OF
the Chicago School Of Psychology, the
parent school Of hypnotic suggestion, has
been spending the last few weeks In
Richmond lie was seen at Murphy's
Hotel last night by a Dispatch reporter,
and gave some interesting information
about the science of suggestive thera-
peutics," as hypnotism is now called. LAS
you are probably aware" he began
there exists a great prejudice against
the employment ~of hypnotism in the
treatment Of disease but that is CON
dition that should not exist in this age
of so-called scientific enlightenment. and
mink / am correct when | claim that
popular prejudice IS wearing away IN
the face OF the undoubted and easily
demonstrated value OF hypnotic sugges-
tions as a curative force.
"This value Is not without limitation
IL would be foolish to declare that hypno-
tic suggestion is all powerful; it can be
| applied with success only in nervous
| diseases functional disorders. and for
the correcting of abnormal habits and
] tendencies Granting, however, that we
limit its successful employment TO these
| lines alone, what an enormous field lies
! before it!
\ CURE FOR INSOMNIA.
Take insomnia, for instance COM
| mon form OF nervousness among brain
/ workers There is no drug or material
/ medicine known that will cure insomnia.
/ The drug relieves the condition, but does
| not cure IL. Hypnotic suggestion cures,
| because, as a matter OF fact, the cure
| ID o. i'm ba rtut Id rf
! himself His own nature must throw on
/ the disease, and the drug is only tenn
/ pOrary assistance 90 This nature of his
| 90 act. They rouse ro nnf O. fn. npwrr
| Of disease resistance which Is dormant
/ in hlnl, aad hypnV,l, $500 a-l.-. ,..a sac
! same work but does 10 more completely
! and accurately.
LAS an educational and therapeutic
agency hypnOtism is TO be welcomed,
but as means of providing entertain
ment for a few idle people II is equally
| 10 be summed, not that l mean to inn
! ply, added Mr.. EhattertOn, that there
is any danger In these hypnotic enter
! tainments. l look upon them as less
dangerous than foolish.
! "Ihe average professor Of hypnotism
is one Of the most curious creatures in
existence. lie seems to occupy niche
OF his own I'm the classification OF
human beings lie Is comparatively
[ honest, but grossly ignorant. and he
usually believes his own preposterOus as
! sertiOns 10 be founded on fact. Whereas.
We know that every man and woman is
"a hypnotist; that there are no secrets
! IN hypnOtlsm; that all phenomena OF
| hypnOtism are due 20 suggestion: that
! you cannot hypnotic a person against
his Will; that to be capable of being
hypnotized implies strength Of will
rather than weakness; that men are more
easily hypnOtized than women; that there
Is no evidence of the fact that mind
communicates with mind. except bv
spoken word or the significant gesture.
IN other words, that the telepathic rap
port said TO exist between operators and
subjects Is eXplainable on the ground
or simple suggestion alone, and does not
| dl an imply the power Of thought trans.
ference OF mind reading"
HYPNOTISM AND CRIME.
What is your opinion Of the relation,
eXisIing between hypnousm and crime?'
MI. CLatterton was asked.
Ihere IS absolutely no relation OF
cause and effect between them" he re-
pied. That is TO say, II is impossible
TO cause hypnotized person or subject
to commit in the hypnotic state an act
winch ne would not perform in tho
waxing condition. The subject Is never
Unconscious Of his actions; is never an ir
responsible automAton; is never in sub
Jecuons 10 the will Of an
operator in any matter that /,
associated with principle. He is prac
tically in a subjective condition TO the
suggestions of the operator, so that wher
the latter says, as a test of his subject.
! ieceptivity TO suggestion You cannot
| open your eyes the subject believes Ci
accepts the suggestion. and the muscles
OF the eyelids refuse TO perform then
| function.
III, however the suggestions Of tho
operator are distasteful TO the subject
his resistance is instantaneous aud com
plete. He can break the hypnotic sleer
J just as soon as he finds there Is a gool
reason 10 do 50. He can throw off IN:
influence even in defiance of the suggos-
tons Of the operator"
IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE
"Then crime is impossible IN the hyp-
] motto state?' the reporter suggested.
| by no means" was the reply. "but
before crime could be connected wiz
! hypn0tism, there must be as parties tC
I ii both criminal operator and q crini
| nal subject. IL only the operator be
criminal, he cannot by his plausible Oh
positive suggestions break down tine fe
sistance OF his moral subject lie can
not blind the latter TO the nature Of IN,
offence he is asked 90 commit. The active
somnambulist is in a very acute menta
condition. but through all the feats aLo
experiments which he performs at Ia,
bidding of the operator there Is ever
present in his mind a sub-consciod,
| knowledge of the fact that the things he
is doing are only experiments, and ars
to be rated accordingly.
"The idea that hypnotism tends &C
weaken the will Of the individual is d
false one. born Of ignorance and fosteree
/ by superstition as a certain well-knOWI
lecturer would say. The usual appl!ea
ton Of hypnOtism, whether for curatly,
or experimental purposes. as practiccd
for instance, at the Nancy School, in
| France neither strengthens nor Weakeni
the will OF the individual
There are some organic diseases a
the body. organic LESSONS and structural
| affections, for which hypnotism is value
less but in all mental affections | thinl
! II should be made use Of and, as / sal,
before, in the correction Of habits an,
In nervous arrangements IL is a powerful
agent.
Whether hypnotic treatments are per
! manent i'm their beneficial effects depend
upon the nature of the person treate,
and upon the manner in which he h1
been treated rather than upon his dis
ease. In some instances the good cf
fects are instantaneous and permanent
| in others the suggestions must be re-
peated daily, driven into the subjective
| mind. and clinched there before they car
be said TO have made the desired impress
sions.
QUICK CURES SOMETIMES.
Hypnotic suggestion is not the imme
| date success IL is commonly represente,