HYPNOTISED INTO LAUGHTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7019, 6 January 1910, Page 2

HYPNOTISED INTO LAUGHTER.

While the' freshmen of Connecticut State Coliege were having festivities at Willimautie. (says the Hartford pondent of the ‘‘New York Amemchn ), John Bergensen, of the now class, singled out - Burton. White, a student with whom he had been friendly, and said:—“I’ni going to hypnotise you. You 11 have to do what 1 say.” . , ■ He made a few passes with his hands; then reminded Vvhito that >at a party which both had attended on the previous -night White had laughed rather inordinately. ‘ _ ‘Laugh again. White. Show e’m how you'can laugh!” Bergensen commanded. To the amazement of Bergensen and the others about who all thought the hypnotising was a joke, White went into a -fit of laughter. He laughed hysterically for an hour, when the soared students took him to his dormitory room. They tried to stop his laughter by stuffing bedclo thing into his mouth, but when it was taken out he laughed next morning the college authorities heard of the case, and President Charles L. Beach -sent for Dr. William L. Higgins, of Coventry. Dr. Hoggins had never attempted to hypnotise anyone; but ho saw the White boy was in a critical state of weakness from his involuntary mirth, and he placed hie hands upon White's head and said: “Now look iuein the eyes. You will wake up wood. You will stop laughing.-’ Gradually under constant repetitions of these commands, the laughter grew less/ continuous, ‘and at last, . after several hours, it stopped! But White was still under hypnotic influence. Dr. Higgins took the student out In his automobile for a long ride, rand at frequent intervals repeated, “You must wake up. You must come to yourself!” For ■* two days tbo physician repeated his efforts to awake White, and finally brought him, into a state nearly normal. Meanwhile Bergensen, the amateur hypnotist, had tried and failed to undo his- work. • . . :