376 HYPNOTISM. 



"dual consciousness," are, as is well known, paralleled by 

 cases of spontaneously occurring phenomena in the mental 

 life of some individuals. 



With suggestion. — By suggestion, however, various altera- 

 tions in the memory can be brought about. Thus, if a sub- 

 ject in a state of somnambulism be told that, on awakening, 

 he will remember the events of that hypnotic state, he does 

 so — there is no subsequent amnesia. By suggestion, then, 

 we can abolish this •' dual consciousness." 



Again, by suggestion, it is possible during hypnosis to 

 produce an amnesia or hyperamnesia for events of the per- 

 son's past life. Thus if a person did not remember what he 

 had eaten for dinner two days before and were hypnotised, 

 he would, on suggestion, recall this, down to the smallest 

 details. Another might be made to forget his age, name, 

 and where he lived. 



Or a paramnesia may be suggested. Thus a " subject " 

 was told he had just run half a mile ; he immediately 

 presented corresponding signs of distress, with quickened 

 breathing and pulse. Another was told he had had nothing 

 to eat that day ; he said he was very hungry, and ate 

 ravenously of food placed before him — and this though he 

 had had a good meal a couple of hours previously. 



It is to this amnesia and paramnesia on suggestion that 

 are due the marked differences in reaction to suggestion 

 between persons in the pre-somnambulistic and somnam- 

 bulistic states. Thus if a " subject " in the first state were 

 told he would pronounce all a's as e's, he would do so, but 

 would be annoyed at his betise ; if he is in the somnam- 

 bulistic state, he pronounces the a's as e's without evincing 

 the least sign of annoyance, the suggestion that he should 

 do so having made him forget what he had before learned. 



To this, again, are partly due those remarkable transfor- 



