HYPNOTISM AND CRIME.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11252, 26 April 1897, Page 2

HYPNOTISM AND CRIME.

Experiments made by the most famous French hypnotists show the singular fact that in spite of the supposed inferiority of woman to man in point of nervous and physical organisation, it is a third easier to place a man under the influence of hypnotism than it is to induce a woman to accept hypnotic suggestion. Perhaps the leading" mind among the French scientists who have devoted their attention solely to hypnotism, is Dr Liebeault. He has paid particular attention to the difference between the sexes in the matter of acceptance of. hypnotic suggestion. A series of experiments at Nancy, the doctor’s home, extending through twelve months, firmly established the truth of the assertion made regarding the sexes. During the time mentioned, Dr Liebeault caused, by hypnotic power, 682 persons to sink into. a deep sleep. It was shown beyond question that the influence of the scientist upon the person in point of sex was exactly in the proportion stated. Opinions differ widely as to the reason for this. It is the general thought, however, that it is because the mind of a woman lacks the strength of that of a man. It is often true that a person of exceedingly nervous temperament, lacking in a measure ability to concentrate thought, is a very poor subject for the hypnotist. This is shown by the fact that it is rarely possible to actually hypnotise a person whose mind is unbalanced. It is, as a matter of fact, almost impossible to place a person -under hypnotic influence unless the mind of the subject is passive and is ACQUIESCENT TO THE WISH OP THE IIYPNOPTIST. Dr Liebeault lis the leader of the scientists who have made hypnotism the study of their lives. It is, therefore, no ordinary statement which follows, just as it came from the lips of the distinguished savant:—

“ It may surprise you to know,” said Dr Liebeault, “ that it is possible to hypnotise 95 per cent of mankind. The remaining 5 per cent are impervious to the direction of the hypnotist, let him be of as strong mind as he may. All those persons who are susceptible to the influence of hypnoitism are not affected to the same degree, by any means. The influence of the hypnotist on woman is very different than upon the sterner sex. It is more difficult for a woman to fix her attention upon a given object than for a man to do so. Just why this I cannot tell. Of course, we all have our theories. This much we know, that a woman does not possess the power of concentration given to man. That is my explanation. “You see, this is the case. Persons who are easily distracted, who, from nature or training, have not the power of fixing the attention or concentrating thought, and persons in agitation, those who are heavy and dull, idiots whose brains lack the power of understanding what is required of them —these are the least capable of hypnosis.

“ The central idea of hypnotism is simple enough. It is merely making a suggestion to a certain person, instead of that person making the suggestion for himself. The hypnotist must be able to impress that suggestion on the mind of the subject so thoroughly that the result will be the same as if it came from the individual himself. To do this, the subject must first be placed in the hypnotic state. ■When in this state he is practically asleep. “ The process of placing a subject in the so-called hypnotic state is simple, despite the great efforts which have been made to cloak it with mysterious rites and incantations. When one wants to produce hypnosis in its most ordinary form, he asks the patient to fix his eyes upon the orbs"of the hypnotist, that is, himself. This is the first step towards concentration. The subject is desired in this way to free himself from direct excitation, such as light, sound and touch. In order to produce this, it is necessary for a person to possess THE FACULTY OP CONCENTRATION. In other words, it requires a stroug mind to gradually slacken mental activity, strange as that may seen. “This state of affairs being arrived at, the operator or hypnotist then, by means of hypnotic suggestion, gradually induces the subject to think of sleep, and with the thought comes slumber. It simply amounts to this. Sense and activity are subtracted from the subject’s mind, and in their place is sleep. That is all there is of it. Once the subject accepts the suggestion of the operator, it naturally follows that he will accept suggestions other than those which are first given. Yet, according to my belief, it is absolutely impossible ro make a person who is hypnotised perform a crime. No person can be hypnotised against his will. I am fully aware that in saying, this, particularly the first assertion made, I am contradicting generally accepted belief's. Yet I do not hestitate to say that what I have said is not only true, but that the statement is the result of thorough investigation and experiment. It is no, deduction from theory, but fact, fact, fact. “You ask mo why a man cannot be induced to commit crime while under the influence of hypnosis. Simply because the power of the hypnotist does not extend that far. A person may be made to become THOROUGHLY INSENSIBLE TO PAIN, and his mind may be turned in various directions, up to a certain limit, but that limit reached, then a halt must he called, or rather the hypnotist finds himself incapable of forcing further action on the part of his subject. He may make the subject think of crime by offering such a suggestion, but he cannot force him to commit action of that sort.

“ It is very plain to the hypnotist who has given the subject thought and who has tested his ideas by experiment, that hypnosis as applied to women to relieve them of frightful pain is of inestimable value. For instance, in the matter of therapeutics, it is exceedingly useful. You see, for centuries it has been admitted that there was no medicine that equalled sleep. Therefore the doctor who can place his patient at a critical time under the influence of hypnosis, is really giving her an opportunity to find in that blessed oblivion the relief that can be gained in no other manner, except by the use of anodynes. I am sure that there is no woman ■who would object to being placed under the influence of hypnosis if she understood how beneficial it would be to her under such circumstances. “ I do not hesitate tc make the assertion that hypnosis is of far greater benefit than ordinary sleep. Neither sleep nor medicine can approach in power the effect of thought reacting by suggestion upon the organism. Of course the hypnotized subject is possessed of but a single idea—whatever may have been suggested by the hypnotist. If it be a woman she is practically isolated mentally from the world about her. She possesses no thought, no knowledge of the pain she is really enduring Under the influence, then, of this suggestion the nervous force of the subject, liberated freely from or accumulating in certain organs of the body, reacts without hindrance upon the morbid affections to which it is directed, and that often with a

prodigious intensity which seems to work miracles. The patient wakens at the suggestion of fhe lr. pnotist and has no recollection or idea that she has been

SUBJECTED TO A GREAT THVSICAL STRAIN. “It is not true that hypnotism is dangerous, provided that the power is exercised by fit persons. But if the would-be hypnotist is not a proper individual to use the wonderful power, then his influence is evil indeed. I would say that the successful hypnotist must have absolute self-confi-dence, must bo sure of success when he begins, and above all things be possessed of a manner which is persuasion itself. These qualities insure any person the power to place a subject under the influence of hypnosis. Since mankind has existed they have voluntarily put themselves into an ordinary sleep. There is no difference in the way in which they enter induced sleep —if they wish it. The “hypnotiser is nothing in the world but an intermediary. He only helps his subjects to go to sleep, just as the subject enters into slumber habitually each night.” Much of what M. Liebeault says is like a revelation to those who have A HERB SUPERFICIAL KNOWLEDGE OP HYPNOSIS

and what it performs. In Paris his utterances are always looked upon as being absolutely authoritative. The wave of interest and investigation which has swept over France has stirred thousands to look into the mysteries which Dr Liebeault and his confreres have long studied. Of course this portion of it relating to the effect of hypnotism upon woman is but one of the ramifications of what seems to be a science of tremendous import.