HYPNOTISM

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1928, Page 10

HYPNOTISM

SCIENCE AND CHARLATANRY. The subject of hypnotism is very little understood by the average person of to-day, despite the fact that hypnotism has been practised extensively for 150 years, dating from the time of Mesmer, who gave his first demonstration in Paris in 1778. i Not only are most people ignorant of the subject, but the great majority have formed mistaken ideas regarding hypnotism. This is due chiefly to exaggerated claims which have been advanced by hypnotists. Many persons have accepted absurd statements as facts, and have come to look upon hypnotism as an amazing occult power, bordering upon the supernatural, while others have gone to the opposite extreme and have taken the stand that hypnotism is nothing more than a hoax.

Neither of these opinions is correct. Hypnotism does possess a scientific basis; but at the same time many of its reported marvels are frauds and delusions. The true facts are obscured by false statements which have gained credence year by year. The phenomena of trance and artificial sleep have existed since time immemorial. They were observed by the ancients and were used by the medicine men of primitive tribes. There are many strange, abnormal cases on record, but the thought of actual hypnosis did not reach its height untill the time of Mesmer, from whom the name mesmerism was coined, as another term for hypnotism.

Mesmer was scientific in his methods, but he was something of a charlatan also. He sought to creat the impression that he threw people into trances by means of a magnetic fluid, powerful but invisible, which was an all-compelling force. This notion was disproved; but the idea has still persisted that in hypnotism the operator makes use of a strong, unseen force that overwhelms his hypnotic subject. On the contrary, the hypnotist does nothing more than make suggestions to the persons whom he is hypnotising, and if the subject is responsive to these suggestions a trance condition may result. Most persons have experienced a mental condition which borders on trance. If anyone becomes deeply interested in a book, or in studying a particular problem, he will become oblivious to events which are taking place about him. He mfiy even fail to hear loud noises or to see persons who pass within his line of vision. If this concentration is continued, with the definite purpose of inducing actual trance, the result will be a state of hypnosis which will later pass off into actual sleep. There is no question but that some visions are the result of a trance state. Autohypnosis, or selfmesmerism, is not an infrequent occurrence, and the hypnotist merely induces his subject to hypnotise himself. Hypnosis is no more abnormal than dreaming, but it is less common, and as all minds are liable, in varying degree, to dreams, so are they susceptible to hypnotism. The stories of strong-willed persons who successfully resist the efforts of hypnotists are ridiculous. It is the subject who hypnotises himself, not the operator, and it is only the strong will of the subject that can make the experiment succeed.

This brings us to the subject of popular demonstrations of hypnotism, as performed on the stage. Many remarkable exhibitions have been given, and many people have come to believe that professional hypnotists are men *who possess a mighty power, whereas most of them are merely clever showmen.

It is possible to induce hypnotic sleep with a chance subject who may come upon the stage, but the conditions are not favourable, and the stage hypnotist rarely attempts it. Mesmerism on the stage is usually a pretence, not a reality. The subjects experimented upon are employed by the performer, and are instructed before coming on the stage to do as they are told.

The Showman’s Horse. It is necessary for the hypnotist to give preliminary instructions. If his manner is convincing and he appears to be very stern, he will influence his subjects to such an extent that they will forget they are only acting. This has been proved by trial time and again. In order to make his work convincing, the self-styled hypnotist must perform certain spectacular feats with certain subjects. There are men who make a specialty of being “hypnotised,” and travel with the hypnotists. They are known as “horses,” and the performer who employs a good “horse” can amaze his audience, particularly with a demonstration of catalepsy, or rigidity of the muscles. In this exhibition the subject stands upon the stage and becomes rigid at the command of the ‘hypnotist. He is laid between the backs of two chairs, his shoulders upon one chair and his calves upon the other. The chair backs are covered with rugs, and the chairs are firmly fixed so that they will not topple. The hypnotist and two or three other men then stand upon the body of the subject so that his form supports th© weight of 6001 b. or more. This seems miraculous. It appears to be an impossible demonstration, and people who witness it will unanimously accept the explanation of hypnotism. But it should be quite obvious (although it is not) that hypnotism could not impart to the body a strength of resistance that it does not possess. There must be a scientific explanation, and therejs. Hypnotism is not essential to the experiment.

The man between the chairs arches his back and makes his body rigid. In order to support a heavy weight he has two straps fixed to his legs, above his knees. He grips these firmly with his hands, and his arms act as powerful supports. In this position a great weight can be sustained, the exact amount being determined by previous experiment. The position thus assumed by the subject enables him to withstand an unusually great strain, the important secret being the barcing action of the arms, so they keep the body from sagging, and act as supporting girders to the human bridge. The work of th© hypnotist should not be belittled, however, merely because his methods are different from those which people suppose. In many performances of this nature he may actually induce the subject to assume a. hypnotic state, or a. stage that borders on actual trance, in order to produce more effective co-operation. But he must, in all instances, have the co-operation of a suitable subject in his experiments.