CHAPTEE XXVIL 



HYPNOTISM. 

 MODES OF OPERATING, AND SUSCEPTIBILITY. 



The * hypnotic,' ' mesmeric,' or ' magnetic ' trance can 

 he indiiced in various ways, each operator having his pet 

 method. The simplest one is to leave the subject seated 

 b}' himself, telling him that if he close his eyes and relax 

 his muscles and, as far as possible, think of vacancy, in a 

 few minutes he will ' go off.' On returning in ten minutes 

 you may find him effectually hypnotized. Braid used to 

 make his subjects look at a bright button held near their 

 forehead until their eyes spontaneously closed. The older 

 mesmerists made ' passes ' in a downward direction over 

 the face and body, but without contact. Stroking the skin 

 of the head, face, arms and hands, especially that of the 

 region round the brows and eyes, will have the same efl'ect. 

 Staring into the eyes of the subject until the latter droop , 

 making him listen to a watch's ticking ; or simply making 

 him close his eyes for a minute whilst you describe to him 

 the feeling of falling into sleep, 'talk sleep' to him, are 

 equally efficacious methods in the hands of some operators j 

 whilst with trained subjects any method whatever from 

 which they have been led by previous suggestion to expect 

 results will be successful."* The touching of an object 



* It should be said that the methods of leaving the patient to himself, and 

 that of the simple verbal suggestion of sleep (the so-called Nancy method 

 introduced by Liebeault of that place), seem, wherever applicable, to be 

 the best, as they entail none of the after-inconveniences which occasionally 

 follow upon straining his eyes. A new patient should not be put through 

 a great variety of different suggestions in immediate succession. He should 

 be waked up from time to time, and then rehypnotized to avoid mental 

 confusion and excitement. Before finally waking a subject you should 

 undo wnatever delusive suggestions j'ou may have implanted in him, by tell- 

 ing him that they are all gone, etc., and that you are now going to restore 

 him to his natural state. Headache, languor, etc., which sometimes fol- 



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