Multiple Ego Several Persons in One. 959 



nite and fixed, and the banishment of the inhibited organs more corn- 

 complete. 



When we consider the conditions in hypnotism, it is seen that the in- 

 hibition is more positive than in any waking state. But there are dif- 

 ferent degrees in hypnotism. Some authorities reckon six ( see page 

 808). Edmund Gurney 1 makes but two, an "alert" stage and a 

 " deep " stage, the boundary line between the two being near that be- 

 tween the third and fourth, on page 808. In the alert stage most of the 

 memories belonging to the waking state can be called up, and after the 

 subject has come back to the waking state he can remember most of the 

 things done in the "alert," stage. In the deep stage, too, he can re- 

 member a few of the most general circumstances of his waking life, but 

 when awake he can never recall anything done in the deep stage. To 

 this there may be a very rare exception now and then. Again, a cir- 

 cumstance taking place in either state which cannot be recalled when 

 the subject wakes up, may be remembered by him if he be again thrown 

 into the stage in which the thing happened. But a further remarkable 

 fact is that none of the memories of the alert stage can be recalled 

 when the subject is in the deep stage, or vice versa. Mr. Gurney, how- 

 ever, found a brief moment while the subject was passing from the 

 alert to the deep stage, a mere knife edge as he designated it, in which 

 memories of both could be recalled, but on the opposite sides of this 

 narrow boundary are two separate personalities entirety independent and 

 distinct from each other, except in respect to the memories belonging 

 to the waking state, which might be common to both. Moreover there 

 are subdivisions in these stages of hypnotism, and different degrees of 

 inhibition in relation to different organs. A subject may, by the asser- 

 tion of the operator, be made to believe he is some other person. But 

 this belief requires that the memories of his waking state be inhibited 

 or put to sleep, otherwise they will contradict and expose the delusion. 

 If this inhibition be partial and incomplete, the delusion will be asso- 

 ciated with doubt. A subject of Mr. G-urney was told a white hand- 

 kerchief flourished in his face was a ghost, and in terror he ran away, 

 yet after awaking he remembered that though he was frightened, as at 

 a ghost, he was dimly sensible of its being only a handkerchief. In 

 this alert stage the uninhibited organs mingle their influence with the 

 new organs erected by the suggestion or command of the operator, and 

 co-operate with, or counteract them, as the case may be. A republican 

 subject, ordered to go into the street and raise a shout for Cleveland, 

 would demur and resist, and yet go and obey. I have known such a 

 case. A subject in such case often feels as if there were two of him, 

 and there are. One is the body of his organs acquired in a normal 

 1 In Proceedings of Psychical Research Society. 



