The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1900-12-01
SCIENCE OF HYPNOTISM
SOME OF ITS ACHIEVEMENTS AND
USEFUL POSSIBILITIES.

preston Created by Stage Exhibitions
The Power is Not a Gift of the Few.
The popular notion of hypnotism is
derived mainly from the stage exhibit
tions of professional hypnotists and
from a certain grade of fiction in
which a fav0rite feature of the plot
is the involving of an innocent per
son in crime under the hypnotic con-
troll of a villain. With only these
sources of information it is little won
der that hypnotism is regarded by the
masses as something like demonia-
cal influence.
Among intelligent people 1t is well
known that serious study has been
given to this subject for years by EN-
inent physicians and surgeons in
France, Germany. England and
America. and that hypnotism is now
being successfully used in the treat
ment of various functional and nery-
ous diseases. Comparatively few,
however, are aware of the great inter
est with which leading psychologists
are studying the power Of suggestion
upon the mind DIR. Sidis In his yalua-
BILE work on ''The Psychology of Sug-
gestlon," speaks Of having performed
5000 experiments in this line In the
psychological laboratory at Harvard.
One of the results Of the painstaking
Investigations into the power of sug-
gestion upon the mind both in the nor
NAL and in the hypnotic ttate has been
TO show the great use which can be
made OF this influence for moral and
educational purposes.
Three years ago In one of our large
cities there was high school boy who
had ability but disliked study and was
at the foot Of his class. The boy was
pursuing an English course OF study
ON account Of his aversion to Ian
guages He was in ris junior year
and his parents were anxious to have
him remain in school until graduation,
but the boy wished to give up study
and 20 to work The director of a
gymnasium who knew the young man
put him into the hypnotic state and
told him that he was fond of study,
that he was ambitious to stand well
in his class, and to have an education.
He also assured him that he was par
ticularly fond of languages and mathe-
matics-two branches for which the
boy had shown a marked dislike. 1t
was expected that the treatment
would need to be repeated several
times to produce lasting results, but to
the surprise OF all acquainted with the
case, not excepting the operator this
did not prove TO be necessary. The
youth began to work and In short
time stood among the best In his
class. AT the end Of the year he told
his parents that he wanted to study
Latin and Greek. and during the long
vacation he made such progress In
those subjects that he was graduated
the next year from the classical
course Of the high school. In his
senior year he took trigonometry as
an extra study for the love of 1t. From
the high school he went to Yale, where
he is distinguishing himself as q
student
Pesons have been treated by sugges
tIon with evident good results to i'm
prove the memory and to acquire the
habit OF mental concentration. Some
OF the applications of this influence
have been very ingenious. | was re
Gently told Of the device of two col
lege students who had overworked anC
were In danger Of breaking down be
fore the end OF the year. In this em
ergency they resorted to mental sci
enee healer who put them into hyp
motto sleep every day for week. III
that state all of their lessons were
read TO them with the injunction t.
remember what they heard. On awak
ing they found themselves prepared
for the next days recitations without
any OF the usual labor. Having OBJ
tanned a weeks rest in this way they
were able to begin work again.
With the exception Of the last, tht
instances that have been mentioned
are examples OF a purely philanthropi,
use of the power of suggestion fol
moral and educational purposes. Tn
doubtedly there are professional hyp
notists who are conscientious, but th'
opportunity for imposture In the mat
ter Is so great that people are justified
in being shy of a man who makel
hypnotism his business. AT least on
would wish TO be sure that the opera
tor is an intelligent. educated person
Of well-baIanced mind and of goot
moral character before trusting one
self TO his treatment.
The power to hypnotic is not as I
: commonly supposed a gift belonging
! to few people. but it exists in all II
J different degrees. Like all other ca
! pacities, 1t needs training and practic
TO develop it. Composed, self-relian
, natures are more successful than tim
, Id, hesitating ones. Physicians pos
sess the great advantage that patient
have faith in them and are in tn
habit Of obeying their directions. Thi
natural attitude of the mind goes fa
I. in itself toward enabling the phys
clans to hypnotic a patient.
The susceptibility TO suggestion
varies greatly In different persons. an