20 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



this state (which he designated as hypnotism) could be induced in a 

 large proportion of individuals of either sex, and of all ranks, ages, 

 and temperaments, who determinately fix their gaze for several minutes 

 consecutively on an object brought so near to theii- eyes as to require 

 a degree of convergence of their axes that is maintainable only by a 

 strong effort.* 



The first state thus induced is usually one of profound comatose 

 sleep ; the " subject " not being capable of being roused by sensory 

 impressions of any oi'dinary kind, and bearing without the least indi- 

 cation of consciousness what would ordinarily produce intolerable un- 

 easiness or even severe pain. But, after some little time, this state 

 very commonly passes into one of somnambulism, which again corre- 

 sponds closely on the one hand with natural, and on the other with 

 mesmeric, somnambulism. In fact, it has been by the study of the 

 somnambulism artificially induced by Mr. Braid's process that the 

 essential nature of this condition has been elucidated, and that a 

 scientific rationale can now be given of a large proportion of the 

 phenomena repoi'ted by mesmerizers as having been presented by 

 their somnambules. 



It has been claimed for certain mesmeric somnambules, however, 

 that they occasionally possess an intelligence altogether superhuman 

 as to things present, past, and future, which has received the designa- 

 tion " lucidity ; " and it is contended that the testimony on which we 

 accept thereality of phenomena which are conformable to our scientific 

 experience ought to satisfy us equally as to the genuineness of those 

 designated as " the higher," which not only transcend but absolutely 

 contradict what the mass of enlightened men would regard as univer- 

 sal experience. This contention, however, seems to me to rest upon 

 an entirely incorrect appreciation of the probative force of evidence ; 

 for, as I shall endeavor to prove to you in my succeeding lecture, the 

 only secure basis for our belief on any subject is the confirmation 

 afforded to external testimony by our sense of the inherent probability 

 of the fact testified to; so that, as has been well remarked, " evidence 

 tendered in support of what is new must correspond in strength with 

 the degree of its incompatibility with doctrines generally admitted as 

 true; and, where statements obviously contravene all past experience 



' Mr. Braid's peculiar success in inducing this state seemed to depend partly upon 

 his mode of working his method, and partly upon the " expectancy " of bis subjects. 

 Finding a bright object preferable, he usually employed his silver lancet-case, which he 

 held in the first place at ordinary reading-distance, rather above the plane of the eyes ; 

 he then slowly approximated it toward the middle point, a little above the bridge of 

 the nose, keeping his own eyes steadily fixed upon those of his " subject," and watch- 

 ing carefully the direction of their axes. If he perceived their convergence to be at all 

 relaxed, he withdrew the object until the axes were both again directed to it; and then 

 again approximated it as closely as was compatible with their continued convergence. 

 When this could be maintained for a sufficient length of time upon an object at no more 

 than about three inches' distance, the comatose state generally supervened. 



