HYPNOTISM. 367 



of movements. For instance, I tell a hypnotised person to 

 put his arm in some position, and then tell him that it is 

 getting stiff, so that he cannot move it ; if this sugges- 

 tion be accepted, the arm becomes rigid in the position 

 assumed, and the muscles will be found, on examination, 

 contracted so as to hold it so. The arm is then said to be 

 in a state of suggestive catalepsy. Similarly any part or 

 the whole of the body may be put into a state of suggestive 

 catalepsy in any desired position. It is found that the 

 development of this condition is often facilitated by making 

 passes over the part of the body to be affected ; these almost 

 certainly act merely by strongly directing the " subject's " 

 attention to the part, and not by any local stimulation of 

 the muscles affected. 



These imperative suggestions have been of some act to 

 be done, or of some position to be retained ; they may, 

 however, take another form — of increased muscular strength. 

 Thus, on the suggestion, the " subject " will be able to 

 squeeze a dynamometer harder than he can in his normal state. 



Inhibitory suggestions of movements are found to be 

 accepted in the same order as are imperative suggestions. 

 Thus it is easier to prevent a '• subject " taking a deep 

 breath than closing his hand. And, finally, it is possible 

 to inhibit any movement by suggestion. Also one may 

 inhibit not merely some simple action, but some group 

 of actions, co-ordinated together for some special purpose, 

 e.g. writing (producing agraphia), or sewing. It is found 

 that, although the person can move his hand freely for all 

 other purposes, he cannot do this particular thing. This 

 comes out still more clearly if, e.g.^ he be told he cannot 

 write the letter a ; it is then seen that, whilst all other 

 letters are correctly written, the a's are left out, as he 

 copies a few lines from a book or writes from dictation. 



