KENNEDY, THE MESMERIST.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue X, 7 March 1896, Page 270

KENNEDY, THE MESMERIST.

Kennedy, the mesmerist, has been doing big business in Auckland—so big. indeed, that the ever-genial Lohr has decided to extend the season, adding the extra attraction of a man in a trance. For pure fun the Keunedy performance is certainly extremely hard to beat. One laughs till one'ssides ache at the absurd antics of the hypnotised victims. Their supreme earnestness and unconsciousness of appearing foolish adds decidedly to the absurdity of the proceedings. During the week Mr Kennedy gave a brief private tctance to a few pressmen and demonstrated the genuineness of his claims as a hypnotist by obtaining sufficient influence over one of the Graphic staff to make it impossible for him to open his eyes when once ordered to close them. Mr Kennedy explained that it is far more easy to give a subject an impression in the hypnotic state after he or she has been mesmerised more than once. The more often a subject is under the professor’s power the easier for him it is to work his will.

The Kennedy mesmeric tceaneet should certainly be seen. They give an idea of the enormous power for good (or otherwise) which can be executed by this new and mysterious agency which we call hypnotism.