204 ROUGH WAYS MADE SMOOTH. 



broken off. Those who make practical application of the 

 phenomena of hypnotism should not only divest their own 

 minds of all idea that some occult and as it were extra- 

 natural force is at work, but should encourage no belief in 

 such force in those on whom the hypnotic method is em- 

 ployed. Their influence on the patient will not be lessened, 

 J believe, by the fullest knowledge on the patient's part that 

 all which is to happen to him is purely natural that, in 

 fact, advantage is simply to be taken of an observed pro- 

 perty of the imagination to obtain an influence not other- 

 wise attainable over the body as a whole (as when the 

 so-called magnetic sleep is to be produced), or over special 

 parts of the body. Whether advantage might not be taken 

 of other than the curative influences of hypnotism is a 

 question which will probably have occurred to some who 

 may have followed the curious accounts given in the pre- 

 ceding pages. If special powers may be obtained, even 

 for a short time, by the hypnotised subject, these powers 

 might be systematically used for other purposes than mere 

 experiment. If, again, the repetition of hypnotic curative 

 processes eventually leads to a complete and lasting change 

 in the condition of certain parts or organs of the body, the 

 repetition of the exercise of special powers during the 

 hypnotic state may after a while lead to the definite acquisi- 

 tion of such powers. As it now appears that the hypnotic 

 control may be obtained without any effort on the part of 

 the operator, the effort formerly supposed to be required 

 being purely imaginary and the hypnotic state being in 

 fact readily attainable without any operation whatever, we 

 seem to recognise possibilities which, duly developed, might 

 be found of extreme value to the human race. In fine, it 

 would seem that man possesses a power which has hitherto 

 lain almost entirely dormant, by which, under the influence 

 of properly-guided imagination, the will can be so con- 

 centrated on special actions that feats of strength, dexterity, 

 artistic (and even perhaps scientific) skill may be accom- 

 plished by persons who, in the ordinary state, are quite in- 

 capable of such achiev ements. 



