Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-27
TRANCE sALks At CRIME.
Impossible to Hynotize Person Into
Doina Wrona. Say Scientists.

Impossible to Hynotize Person Into
Doing Wrong, Say Scientists.
Scientists who observed keenly the
case of Ramona Borden, daughter of
the millionaire New York milk mag
nate, declare 1t was not the power of
a superior mind and mental suggest
ion that prompted her to escape from
a sanitarium within which she was
seeking rest on her fathers orders.
mo person ever was hypnotized
into committing a crime or a wrong
that might reflect discredit upon their
family" is their unqualified state
ment, and they dare the world to dis
prove 1t. {.
DIR. John d. Quackenbos, the most
eminent authority on hypnotism in
the United States, gives clean bill OF
wholesomeness to the oft-discussed
and much criticised power Of mental
suggestion and control.
Hypnosis cannot compel a person
to commit wrong Of any nature If
that person does not want to-" he de-
clares. "It is true that the influence
of one person frequently Is applied to
lead another from the path of right
eousness, but this Is not hypnotic in
fiuence. Such transgressions general
ly are obtained through the influence
of word of mouth-the persuasive
powers of speech.
"I have searched the records Of
the New York police department. and
never have succeeded In finding a
case where the ultimate results show
ed crime instigated by hypnotic in
fiuence.
This fact, coupled with expert
ments and observences covering a
long period. has established the be-
lief among scientific investigators
Of mental phenomena that man can
not be hypnotized to commit wrong.
even in the deepest trance stages
In other words, that the subliminal
self Of an individual is intrinsically
wholesome and honest and will not
be swayed without being deliberate
ly subjugated by the objective mind.
IT mean by this that the mind Of
a man in hypnotic trance. while open
to suggestions Of wrong, and be-
lieve that Providence has arranged
It thus to protect from just such
things as hypnotic influence in crime.
Several years ago, when hypnosis
began to be practiced more widely In
this country, It was observed that per-
sons thrown in simple mesmeric
|trances-put to sleep, as the express
sion goes-could be made to commit
all manner Of ridiculous tricks at the
suggestion Of the hypnotist.
"Sedate judges rode broomsticks
about the parlor, imagining they
were horses; men stretched between
two chairs sustained weight on their
bodies that would have crushed them
while out Of a trance; old ladies
danced, believing they were young
girls again, and other absurdities were
performed by all degrees Of persons.
"This showed the wonderful power
the hypnotist could exert upon the
subjective minds Of persons In trance
state. Naturally the question arose
in the minds Of the hypnotists and in
the minds Of the public, IL such things
can be done in trance at the mere bid
ding of mesmersit, where will the
thing stop?
"'Cannot a mesmeric operator put
a millionaire into trance and make
him write a check for all his Wealth.
Or, what power has a mesmeric
over the moral character of those who
for few moments lend themselves
to his will and go into trance" Or,
again, broadly and BRIEFLY, what Is
there to prevent hose possessed Of
the power Of mesmerism making
criminals out Of all who become sub
ject to them? Surely. nothing could
be easier than to hypnotic man
and send him out to steal for you,
were common questions and COM
ments.
1.-THE apparent possibility of such
things did much to throw popular
sentiment against hypnotism and Its
many estimable uses for long time.
1t was only comparatively recently
that it has been proved that hypnosis
has no powers to make a man do
wrong.
Through countless experiments 1t
was ascertained that the subjective
mind has a strange stamina all its
own. We found that, while a subject
in trance might do all manner Of alb
surd tricks at the suggestion Of the
operator, the subjective mind was
fully aware that the body was making
a fool of ITSELF and was enjoying
the fun quite as much as the opera
tor and spectator.
ALSO, when the trance suggestions
were good this subjective personality
was aware Of that, and lent itself
readily to carrying out the suggestion.
But when the suggestion was evil
we'll. the subjective person was just
as perceptive Of that, and fully cap
able of resisting. In other words,
the subjective self might obey the will
of the mesmerist to do a foolish
trick, or perform a harmless or good
act, but when wrong was suggested,