380 HYPNOTISM. 



Post-hypnotic suggestions of movements, but of these 

 only., may be given in the pre-somnambulistic state ; in this 

 case the subject never passes into a hypnotic state whilst 

 performing the action, but does it consciously — recognising 

 the origin of the impulse, but not being able to resist it. 



Theoretical. — We have in the foregoing part of this paper 

 shortly described the most characteristic phenomena of the 

 hypnotic state. The much more difficult task now is to 

 attempt to give some general idea of the origin and nature 

 of this curious mental condition, and of its relations with 

 other mental phenomena occurring in the individual. We 

 may best commence this by comparing hypnosis with the 

 allied condition of sleep. 



It has been shown that, in the pre-somnambulistic stage of 

 hypnosis, consciousness and memory are intact, and that the 

 alteration is the gradual loss of control over the voluntary 

 movements. In the first stages of sleep, however, it cannot 

 be said that this is the case ; consciousness and memory 

 gradually fail, concurrently with loss of control over volun- 

 tary movements. The analogy is closer with the stages of 

 awakening from sleep, in which our power over voluntary 

 movements is often the last thing to occur, long after 

 consciousness and memory have returned. 



If, however, we compare the somnambulistic stage of 

 hypnosis with sleep, the resemblances are much more 

 numerous. In both there is a more or less complete amnesia 

 on awakening, and yet in neither is mental activity during 

 the period wanting. During sleep we dream (except appar- 

 ently in its very deepest stages) ; during hypnosis sequences 

 of mentxil operations occur on suggestion, which have great 

 resemblances with dreams. The diiferences of origin between 

 these is quantitative only, dreams being more frequently 

 excited by sensory stimulation than by verbal suggestion, 



