The Elbert County tribune., 1908-03-12

- ieesistahce 10 hypnotic influence /
is not due TO ones strength of will |
but to the mental attitude.
g. Hypnotic suggestion, properly
applied is the most powerful brain
building agency known to man.
z. Hypnotism is not, necessarily. i
sleep, but state of suggestibility be-
yond the normal, and may occur even |
though Consciousness and memory re-
main unaffected.
8. While hypnotism is the result of |
suggestion mot necessarily spoken), |
all suggestion is not hypnotism.
.. Hypnotism, rightly defined. is
an induced quiescence of the objec- |
tive faculties followed by increased
activity of the subjective faculties.
Hypnotic sleep. says Bernheim, does
not differ from ordinary sleep. The
one. Ike the other. is due to the fixa-
ton OF the attention and of the nerv-
GUS force upon the idea of sleep.
The individual who wishes to sleep
isolates his senses. meditates and re-
mains motionless. The nervous force
concentrates itself, so to speak. at one
point OF the brain upon a single idea
and abandons the nerves of sensation.
motion and special sense. The con-
centrauon Of the whole thinking be-
ing upon single idea gives rise to the
inertia of the will, which constitutes
the basic of the hypnotic condition.
Brief History Of hiypnotism.
Hypnotism was preceded by what is
still known as mesmerism | am not
speaking of the thing itself, but of the
name. For that which is now known
as "hypnotism' we could trace back
as far as the writings of Paracelsus
and even to a more remote period and
then not discover its true origin. In
fact hypnotism, although not known
by that name. antedates the Christian
era But to DR.. Franz Anton Mesmer.
is due the credit of having first
brought the subject to the attention
of the scientific world-for which he
paid dearly.
After becoming imbued with the spirit
of astrology and attributing his cures
to an electrical and planetary influ-
ence, he changed his views and called
it magnetism
At that time (1776) he discarded the
use of artificial magnets with which
he stroked the body, seeing that the
same results were being accomplish
ed by one Gasener. catholic priest.
simply by manipulation, DIR. Mesmer
saw fit to call this animal magnet
ism" but his followers prefer the term
''mesmerism."
Two years later all Paris was
thrown into a state of the widest ex-
citement by the marvellous effects OF
his method of treatment and the
many wonderful cures that resulted.
While the medical fraternity and
committee of investigation were
Obliged to acknowledge the cures he
had wrought, they denounced him
moss bitterly because of his "fuidic"
theory. and claimed that the cause
was purely imagination"
All this trouble and annoyance
caused by mere theory and-an in
fringement on the sole right of "the
regulars This status of affairs has
not changed much even to this day
and generation. What mattered either
theory or cause providing 1t was harm.
less and the results beneficial? Facts
are facts, the how but mere incident.
The final outcome, as far as DIR. Mes.
mer was concerned, was disastrous to
him as he was forced into exile and
died in 1916.
A number of years passed during
which time the subject was agitated
again and again but without definite
or satisfactory results until DR.. Braid,
of Manchester. England, discredlted
the magnetic fluid" theory and. by
placing the cause on a physical basis,
gained the confidence of the public
land the physicians) to such an extent
that the subject was at last acknowl-
edged to be within the domain OF the
exact sciences.
The next important step was to find
a name to fit the theory and to meet
the prejudices of the medical profes-
sion. lnasmuch as the result OF the
mode of treatment produced sleep, or
a condition thereof, the word sleep"
proved key to the solution; hence
the word "hypnotism." from the Greek
radix "hypnos." signifying sleep.
From this beginning various schools
have sprung up. each with Its own the
ory but the results practically the
same. The two best known and thor
oughly established are the Nancy
founded by LiebaulD and the Paris
(by CharcoD. The one known as the
Mesmeric also has many followers.
To Liebault. more than to any other
man, is due the credit OF discovering
the underlying principle. the master
key to the whole situation. 1t is
summed up in that one word "sugges-
ton" This word. DIR. Hudson claimed.
will unlock the secrets of every psy-
Geological mystery. All hypnotic phe-
nomena are the result of suggestion"
in some form.