"HYPNOTISM."

NZ Truth, Issue 60, 18 August 1906, Page 3

"HYPNOTISM."

TO THE EDITOB.

Sir,— Will you kindly permit me to write a few lines dealing with the questions embodied m the above heading, which appeared over an article published m your widely- circulated paper, dated the 28th July. That the author of the article has had no practical experience m connection with the subject- of which he writes is only too evident. That such a .man, whoever he may be, should have the temerity to point to any particular book and assure your readers that that book contains the truth about hypnotism is I simply astounding. > Dr. Ernest Hart's book. is not. by any means a i standard work on the subject. Dr. X. La Motte Sage, one of the most successful hypnotists of the present day, m his valuable and comprehensive little book, entitled "Hypnotism as it Is," carefully! reviews- Di\ Hart's worl: and shows it to be -a mass of ■contradictions,! and certainly not <«. safe guide for a student of hypnotism. Some of these contradictions are so glaring that they ought not to escape the notice of the most careless reader. Dr. Charcot, another authority named m the article referred •to, was e in 1878 ;6ne of- .the best known neurologists m France, -but as a hypnotist he was a distinct failure, and the school of Salpetriere (Dr. Charcbt's) has become- almost entirely discredited. Dr. Charcbt rays that "hypnosis is an artificially" produced morbid condition found only m ti:o hysterical." The data of the school of Salpetriere is altogether insufficient. According td the statements of its own founders and supporters, they have only had a dozen cases of trie hypnosis m ten years, and a very large proportion of their experiments have been conducted on one person. Further, all his experiments were confined to subjects of pronounced neurotic tendencies. Dir. Osgood "Mason, whom the writer seems almost eager to discredit, is, on the other hand, one of the moslj reliable writer.! on hypnotism, as well as a clever hypnotist. While I am on the subject of books and writers, I should, like to. recommend the works of the following eminent English physicians, Dr. Milne Bramwell, Dr. Lloyd-Tuckey - and Dr. James Coates. These gentlemen have all used hypnotism very largely m their regular practice and speak .with no uncertain voice as to its curative value. In France we have Professors Liebault and Bernheim ; m Sweden Professor Wetterstrand, the latter of whom uses hypnotism and mental therapy almost exclusively m .his practice. , . In the foremost ranks of American hypnotists a*e Professors Thomas Adkins, X. La Mottc Sage, Herbert A. Parkyn, M.D., Wesley Cook, M.D., and Professor of Physiological MedH cine, and Dr. Pitzer. These practitioners dispense, with drugs almost entirely, and cure almost every ill that man is susceptible to through the agency of hypnotism and sugges-tive-therapy alone. Professor Thomar, J. Hudson, author of those masterly works, "The Law of Psychic Phenomena" and "The. Law of Mental Medicine," has. this to say on the subject : "That hypnotism has been proved to be an unalloyed blessing to millions of the Jiuman race cannot be successfully controverted. No intelligent observer who has made an honest and unprejudiced investigation of the, subject will deny its value, as a therapeutic agent, or gainsay the fact that it has been the means of restoring to health untold numbers of otherwise 'incurable sufferers from physical arid mental maladies." Alvin 0. Alphide, M.D., says : "The value of hypnotism and hypnotic suggestion to the profession is very and it is the duty of eveiry conscientious physician to understand and use it. No other single curative agent approaches hypnotism m its scope of application m the treatment of disease." Herbert ,A. Parkyn, M.D., says : "Hypnotism cures regardless of school, race or creed, patients who were positive that treatments would not relieve them. There is .no hit or

miss about it. It is the key to- successful treatment of functional disorders." I might quote, from many) other able physicians who have nothing but good to say; of hypnotism as a curative agent, but space forbids.. As near home as Master ton, we have Dr. Hoskings, who has successfully, cured patients from all pares of Ahe Island through hypnotic treatment, although he took irp the study late m life. For myself, I may say that I have 'been deeply interested m hypnotism and hypnotic phenomena for fifteen years, and four years ago took up the study with the avowed intention of mastering it thoroughly. During these four years the whole of, my spare time has been devoted to the. study and practice of hypnotism ; I have studied more than thirty of the best works on the subject (students courses inclusive), and have hypnotised one hundred and twenty odd subjects, which works out at nearly 80 per cent, of all those who submitted themselves for experiment. The prevailing idea, that only hysterical and weak-minded people can be hypnotised has absolutely no foundation m fact. The majority of my subjects have been blessed with more than the average share, of intelligence and have been m the full enjoyment of perfect physical health.

It is a regrettable fact that nearly every platform exponent of hypnotism lias done very much more to mystify and mislead; his audiences than to enlighten' them as 1 to tie real nature of hypnotic control. I will explain, as as one can, m a. 'few brief sentences what hypnotic control really is. Strange as it may seem to many who have not studied psychology, the human mind is dual m its action, or perhaps I shall be more readily understood if I say that we have two minds, each totally distinct from the pther, m so far that each may work on its own plane independently, and quite unconscious of the other. The first is the acting, thinking min<L which is so busily at work m oui? waking state, the fully conscious, objective mind. At 'the back of this is the sub-conscious, submerged, or subjective mind, the mind that dreams. The sub-conscious mind sets m motion every physical action, sometimes on its own initiative, sometimes prompted by the conscious mind. A number of those processes going on within tile human system, which some writers choose to designate automatic, are beyond all reasonable {?oubt controlled by the sub-conscious mind. It necessarily follows that, if we violate nature's laws, this mind becomes overtaxed, and some part of our organism suffers m consequence.. It then become 3 necessary for a dominant mind to 'direct ' it to certain channels and once more establish an equilibrium. Directly the active thinking mind decides that something must be done, the passive palrtner, the subconscious, is notified, and, unless the action is one which previous experience, education, or intuition says is wrong, it is immediately carried into effect. The sub-consciour, mind is constantly .ci,menable to suggestion (with-, m certain limits) *ithor given to one's self or given by ■& hypnotist.

Plypnotising ':. person is simply a matter of causing tine conscious, objective mind,- by a systematically aciranßed formula of verbal suggestions, and manipulations, to sleep The subconscious is then stimulated by suggestiona from the operator and aroused to ft temporary conscious .state. In conclusion, I must say that m regard tq hypnotism I have taken nothing for granted. I have experimented ( carefully, m every .conceivable direction, and have produced m my own I subjects most of the phenomena that the various writers have commented upon. As an anaesthetic it has no rival. By suggestion the anaesthesia may be confitfed to a single inch of the body or the ' whole body can bo anaesthesed. Further, the patient can be wakened m, an instant at any stage of the operation. Thi& cannot be said of chloroform or. ether. After taking the necessary precautions to ensure cleanliness I have passed needles through my subjects' hands and ears frequently. There is not the least sign of flinching, no pain is felt, and there is no trace of blood when the needle is withdrawn. All the while the patient may . be talking quite lucidly to the operator and

even, taking a mild interest m. the operation. After awakening the subject feels no pain and it is often difficult to convince him that such a test has taken place. In conclusion, I have only to say that I am quite prepared to prove the truth of any assertion I have made here m connection with hypnotism by practical demonstration. — Yours, etc., c. 'j. McDowell. Palmer ston North.