HYPNOTISED GIRL'S ACTS.
CRIME COMMITTED BY SUGGESTION. The experiment of a hypnotist in giving a criminal suggestion to a subject recently worked so well that all Vienna l s discussing a sensational case which mystified the police and fooled several reputable Physicians and specialists. Walter Senn, a professional hypnotist, wished to dLsiprovG an assertion made by Dr. Wagner-Jauregg, a famous Vienna psychiatrist, that a crime could not be committed In response to a hypnotic suggestion. In the presence of two witnesses, Senn hypnotised an eigliteeu-year-old girl, Mia Osta, whom he had used regularly as a subject for experiment and to whom, while she was in a hypnotic sleep, he gave an explicit command to force her way at all cost into the presence of Dr. WagnerJauregg, and shoot him with a pistol, after which she would continue under his hypnotic control until a given hour. The girl was provided with an old muzzle-loading pistol which had been rendered -harmless by the removal of several parts. Thereafter she was -followed by witnesses. It took her two days to obtain access to the scientist, but finally she succeeded during his office hours and stood face to face with him and attempted to discharge the pistol.
Dr. Wagner-Jaurezg believed he was a victim of vengeance and caused her to be arrested, not realising he was dealing with a hypnotised subject.
Mia O-sta was taken to the police station, where detectives discovered they. were questioning a girl who wan stupefied and who was unable to give her name, her address or to explain why she had attempted to kill the scientist. Even the •police physicians were unable to diagnose her case. She was then committed to a psychiatric hospital for o-bservuition. There, punctually at the time set hy the hypnotist, she awoke from her hynotic state and gave her name and address. Senn explained the incident to the newspapers later.
It is held that the case deals a heavy Wow at the medical experts who dealt with it.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 19, 22 January 1921, Page 19
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334HYPNOTISED GIRL'S ACTS. Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 19, 22 January 1921, Page 19
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