6 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
to make the attempt. A long account might be given of the experiences 
of different individuals, all tending to show that, at several exhibitions, 
all who were experimented upon were, at some time or other, more or 
less under what is commonly called the-hypnotic influence. 
So far as I am aware the voluminous literature relating to this subject 
contains no record of the experiences of one who was able to trace the 
mental process by which he was made to enter the realm called hypnosis. 
As it was chiefly by my own experience that I was led to the conclusions 
to be hereafter stated, I shall now attempt to describe how I was hypno¬ 
tized. During Annie Abbott’s performance I was at all times fully per¬ 
suaded that she was largely an impostor. Her statements concerning 
Lord Kelvin and Mr. Edison were quite sufficient to convince me of this. 
But from accounts given me of previous performances I believed her to 
be a hypnotist of unusual power. I had no definite idea of what hypnotism 
is, save that it is generally believed to be largely a matter of will power. 
In the first experiment I was not greatly surprised to find that I could 
not hold the chair perfectly still at the moment when she sprang away 
from it. But, when a young friend could not prevent it from following 
her across the stage, I was utterly at a loss to know how to account for 
it. When asked to try to put to the floor a chair that she held at arms’ 
length, I was astonished at the audacity of the proposition. This was 
changed to utter amazement and confusion when I found that I could 
not lower it, though I had pulled so hard as to break one of the legs. 
That unsuccessful attempt was the most complete surprise of my life. 
Up to that moment I had not believed it possible for any one to hypnotize 
me. I then began to fear that this woman had done so. I could give 
no other explanation to my failure. I determined to watch myself to see 
if I could detect any indications of this mysterious influence. When I 
tried to push her over, and found that I could not, I asked myself, “Are 
my muscles all in normal working order?” I discovered that I could 
not maintain the posture necessary to give a strong forward push. This 
was realty due to the ingenious mechanical advantage taken by the 
woman; but at that moment I was fully convinced that there must be 
something the matter with my legs. Quickly turning my attention to 
them I found that it was as I had expected: the muscles were all con¬ 
tracted to such an extent that I could scarcely bend my knees. Believ¬ 
ing that I had detected the real nature of her power, and realizing my 
helplessness, I made no further attempt to push her over. I was next 
asked to try to lift her. I had said that I would, and determined to do 
so, though I knew that a number of stronger men had failed. Grasping 
her as directed, I would not make the attempt till I had examined mysUf 
to see that my legs were all right. Just as I had predicted to myself, I 
found them again paralyzed. “This,” said I to m} r self, “is certainly 
