Experimental fascination. In this work, I shall give the student an idea of
the methods of conducting experimental work in that phase of fascination, which has been
called mental impression, et cetera, following the lines of the best investigators and
experimenters in America and Europe. My reason for so doing is that the student
may have a thorough idea of the practical work, even though he may not
wish to conduct such experiments in person. I think that everyone should be made
acquainted with these things as a matter of knowledge, and also for purposes of
the self protection which arises from an understanding of the subject startling phenomena explained.
I also desire to satisfy the careful student and investigator that defeats tests and phenomena
which have heretofore been regarded by the general public as inseparably connected with mesmerism,
hypnotism, and sleep conditions may be reproduced without the aid of sleep conditions and
without the hocus pocus of the public performer. The entire phenomena of mesmerism,
hypnotism, et cetera may be produced by simple and scientific methods along the line
of mental fascination, by means of menative induction without any attempt to produce sleep
as a necessary precedent condition. When this matter is thoroughly understood by the public,
the glamour and sensationalism of public mesmeric and hypnotic performances will vanish, and
the subject will receive the scientific consideration that it merits. But at the same
time, people will be again to realize the mighty power of the mental influence
that is capable of producing such styling manifestations in a waking state, and will
seek to guard themselves against the abuse of the power. Hypnomic performances condemned.
It should be almost unnecessary for me to add that I have no sympathy with
the public performances of that phase of mental impression known as hypnotism, mesmerism,
et cetera, in which subjects are made to go through all sorts of foolish
and absurd performances. Outside of my objection to people surrendering their will to another
in this way, I feel that such exhibitions are lacking in feeling, good
taste, and often indecency. To say the least, it is making horseplay
of a scientific phenomenon. Thing In sympathy with such manifestations or exhibitions, and
shall speak of them in this work only to condemn the methods employed scientific methods
in my remarks and instruction along the line of scientific methods, along the lines
of the best authorities upon the subject, and in accordance with the rules observed
at the best conducted experiments of such authorities, at which experiments I have frequently
been present. I wish my students to place themselves in a scientific attitude of
mind, just as if they were attending lectures on the subject at some leading
university in its scientific course. The subject is a strictly scientific one and should
be approached, considered, and investigated only in accordance with the scientific spirit of
investigation. It is not a matter of fun or idle amusement. I trust
that I have made my position on this point sufficiently clear to all, so
that there may be no understanding regarding the same the importance of the knowledge.
I do not advise all of my students to engage in this experimental work,
for there is no necessity for them, so doing what I am really trying
to do is to acquaint them with the methods used in these experiments and the
results obtained in this way, they may acquire an extended knowledge of the subject,
which will enable them to really understand the different phases and prevent them from
entertaining erroneous ideas concerning the matter. This knowledge will also enable them to detect
any symptoms of an attempt to use this force upon them in everyday life.
When a person becomes acquainted with the true inwardness of a thing, so that
he recognizes it whenever he sees it, there is little danger of his falling
into error regarding it. The knowing of a thing is half the battle of
repulsing it. And with this understanding, and with this explanation, I shall
now proceed to describe the work in experimental fascination now being performed by scientific investigators
in the colleges and other places in this country and in Europe favorable environments.
The investigator of experimental fascination soon learns that certain environmental conditions have a marked effect
on the degree of success attending his experiments, and accordingly he endeavors to surround
his experiments with the best conditions possible, as indicated by his experience. A
knowledge of these conditions is an important thing for an uninvestigator, and experimenter along
these lines desirable conditions. The investigator finds that he can obtain much better results
when his experiments are conducted in a quiet place, the atmosphere of which is
conducive to calm, undisturbed, peaceful mental states. This atmosphere affects both operator
and subject, allowing the former to concentrate his mind and the latter to give
his full attention and to rest in the passive mental state. It is well
if the experiments be conducted in a room remote from the street and as far
as possible apart from the rest of the house, so that noises of either
cannot well penetrate. The experimenter should also take measures to prevent interruption, for
the latter will interfere with its concentration and the subject's attention sense impressions. The
best experimenters see that their experimenting room is furnished plainly, having no pictures or
decorations, et cetera. Calculated to attract the subject's attention. A soft carpet
which will deaden the sound of footsteps is advisable. I have seen some experimenters
go even so far as to place rubber tips or cushions on the feet of
the chairs, tables, et cetera in the experimenting room. In order to
obviate such noises, the room should be kept at a comfortable temperature, neither
too warm nor too cold, as either extreme will make the subject uncomfortable and
less able to give his full attention to the experimenter. I have heard of
cold rooms, drafts, et cetera interfering with the best conducted experiments, and
every experimenter is aware of the fact that a close sultry day will interfere seriously
with his experiments. Care should be taken to avoid the glare of light in
the room. Shades of soft greens or blues are advised, and these same
colors should be used in the decoration of the rooms by the experimenter who wishes
to obtain the best results. Remember the expression a dim religious light and you
will get the right idea psychological effects. Some experimenters burn a little incense in
the room before the experiment is performed, the same having a tendency to quiet
the nerves and impart a feeling of restfulness to those in the room. You
will notice that the conditions that tend to produce the most successful results in these
experiments are the same that the ceremonial churches of all races have adopted in their
services, et cetera. This fact needs but bear mention to the thinker.
It is well known that soft, quiet religious music will produce a psychological condition
in which persons become quite impressionable, and some of the French psychologists have taken
advantage of this fact. The whole theory rests upon the production of the feeling
of ease in the subject. Consequently, it is scarcely necessary to add that
the cheers should be very comfortable and easy. The room of a leading suggestionist.
I may conclude these remarks upon desirable conditions by quothing from an article for
a magazine written by myself about seven years ago under a pseudonym. The article
described the experimenting room of a leading American suggestionist and a series of experiments conducted
before a class of investigators and students at which I had been present. I
think that the description will convey to your minds the ideal conditions for experiments along
these lines, I said in the article. The room is well ventilated and
lighted, although there is an absence of glare. It is remarkably quiet and
free from disturbing sounds and sights, the air of seclusion and remoteness from the
scenes. Without being very marked, the impression grows upon one and reminded him
of the interior of some quiet, old rural chapel on the summer afternoon,
when all around seems to indicate the lack of existence of an outside world,
save the occasional breeze faintly fanning the cheek, and some muffled sound seeming to
come from some far distant point, and perhaps the droning of some stray bumblebee
that had chanced to float in the open door. The semi religious air is
heightened by the dim religious light and by the voice of the experimenter as he
gives the repeated suggestion to the patient in the same monotonous tone, encouraging and
hopeful, and at times reminding one of an earnest prayer. The surroundings,
the stillness, the tone of the operator, the reclining position of the patient
all give the strongest suggestion of quiet, calm, peace, ease and rest,
freed them from care and worry, relief from pain and trouble, Nirvana.
The influence of these suggestive surroundings is distinctly felt by the visitor, and
he also unconsciously assumes the role of the attendant at the chapel. The writer
was told by some of the patients that they soon become totally oblivious of the
presence of the class and are, to all intents and purposes aknown with the
operator, with no other thoughts than the suggestions being made to them. I
might add that the suggestions given to the patients at the beginning of the treatment
were calculated to increase the desired mental state of rest, calm, and quiet.
How to determine impressionability. The first thing that the experimenter does is to
determine the degree of impressionability of the impressionable. There are a number of ways
to determine this. One of the methods that have been found the most effective
is to have the impressionable partially extend his left hand and arm until an easy
position is obtained. Then have him hold the hand with palm downward, and
then raise or elevate the third finger of that hand generally known as the ring
finger, holding the other fingers steady and down on a level with the palm.
Then tell him that you will proceed to will that he shall feel a
tingling sensation in the finger, which feeling will increase gradually and will then begin
to extend up the hand and wrist, and then up the arm to the
shoulder. Tell him that the feeling will be faint at first, but that
it will begin to tingle more and more in a few moments, and then
it will extend in the manner stated. Then concentrate your own mind on the
feeling you desire to produce in him, and will strongly that it be produced.
After a moment, ask him whether he does not feel the faint tingling
sensation, But note this, ask him in such a way as to give
him the positive suggestion that he does this way. For instance, you feel
the tingling already, don't you. This form of question is really a suggestion
for you state the thing before asking the question. When you say don't,
you emphasize the don't sharply and positively. You will find that the sensation is
perceived in a moment or two in a large percentage of cases, and in
many cases the more pronounced results are obtained. The degree of sensation produced determines
the degree of impressionability of the person tested. When you conclude the test.
In each case, be sure to take the subject's hand, grasping it firmly
and shaking it gently, saying your hand is all right, now, all
right, emphasizing the words all right, and saying them firmly and positively.
Always say these things with an air of conviction and assurance, for there is
a great suggestive quality in such tones. Testing a roomful of people. If
you are testing a number of people a roomful, for instance, you should
pass rapidly over the number to be tested until you have finished. You may
test the whole roomful at one time, as above, if you desire.
Do not act as if you were attaching much importance to the test, telling
them that you are merely testing them for impressionability, et cetera. But when
you have finished, you will know just the degree of impressionability of each person
in the room, and you will thereby be enabled to select the most impressionable
for the next test, impressing the subject. Having selected the desired number of
impressionables, pick out one of them and ask him to stand up before you,
looking you straight in the eye. See direction for acquiring the magnetic aze
in the later chapter, saying to him in a quiet but firm, positive
tone. Words to this effect. Now give me your entire attention. I
wish you to fix your attention firmly upon me and what I am saying.
For in this way only can the best results be obtained. You must forget
everything and everybody else in the room, and must hear only my voice and
feel my thoughts. Make yourself perfectly receptive and passive to my thoughts and words.
There must seem to be no one else here but you and I.
You must see no one else, must hear no other voice, must think
no other thoughts but mine. Give me your full attention now, and open
yourself to the inflow of my thoughts. Talk to him a few moments in
this strain, and then say, that's right. Now you are giving me
your full attention. You are now feeling my thought. All is going well,
et cetera, et cetera. In an encouraging tone, in the same
spirit as you would to a child who is trying to perform some task under
your direction, inducing relaxation, instruct him to relax all his muscles, to
take the attention off of them. Tell him that in so doing he will
draw his will away from his muscles. Which is just about what really happens.
If he seems to be slow at grasping the idea, give him a
practical illustration of relaxation by lifting one of his hands and then letting it drop.
If it does not drop freely, then he has not relaxed. Try
him until he learns just what relaxation means. This practice will bring about a
state of passivity, which will tend toward success in your experiments. Exercises in
relaxation. It is of the greatest importance that the subject of the experiments be
brought into a passive condition of mind, and the best way to induce this
desired condition is to bring about a passive condition of body, for the latter
will have a reflex action on the mind. According to well established laws,
the following exercises will aid you to bring about the relaxed condition preparatory to your
psychological experiments. Exercises instruct the subject to withdraw his will from his right hand,
making it perfectly limber, so that he may swing it loosely from his
wrist. Then have him so swing it backward and forward. Repeat with the
left hand. Then have him impart to the hands a twisting motion to and
fro from the wrist, of course, letting them twist about limply. Then
have him withdraw the will from his arms, and then shake and twist them
about the shoulder like a pair of empty coat sleeves. Then lift his arms
up above his head and allow them to fall like a dead weight to his
sides. The following must be occasioned by the weight of the arm, and
not aided by his will. His will must be withdrawn entirely. The above
exercises may be varied and amplified as found desirable. Putting subjects at ease.
Some of the best experimenters take considerable time in putting at ease the persons who
offer themselves as subjects for psychological experiments, and at the same time they bring
about the desired state of relaxation. They realize the distaste and fear that anything
like hypnotism inspires in the minds of people owing to the public performances thereof,
and they avoid any suggestion of similar conditions. They generally begin by talking of
the value of relaxation and how few people are able to relax their muscles.
Then they illustrate the matter by showing the subjects how few of them are able
to relax easily. This leads to the trying of the above mentioned relaxation exercise
or similar ones, which, as you will see in a moment, leads
directly to the first real test of mental induction and suggestion, which is known
as the falling forward test, which is one of the simplest tests known to
the psychological laboratory. From that test to others is merely a matter of successive
steps, So the experimenter really begins his work with the process of putting the
subject at ease and training him in relaxation. In this can I would say
that very few people know how to relax, and some teaching is necessary.
In the majority of cases, the above exercises should be sufficient the primary test.
After instructing the subject in relaxation, say to him, now look me
straight in the eyes and let my thought act through you. You are feeling
an inclination to fall forward, fall forward, fall forward toward me. Do
not find it, but yield to it. Yield to it, I say,
I will catch you as you fall. Now, fall forward toward me
slowly. That's it. You are leaning a little. Now, come on,
come on, come on, now, this way, this way,
now, extend your two hands, one on each side of his head,
but a little in front of him, so that he can see the palms
of your hands, which should face each other. Then, as you repeat
the suggestions mentioned above, draw your hands slowly away from him, as if
you are drawing him by some physical power. This is a strong suggestion which
will render him more susceptible to your will. The more reality you throw into
the acting out this drawing, the more strength you will put into your willing,
and the more readily will he obey. Using the will. While saying
these words, look contently into his eyes and will that he fall forward.
In a moment, he will begin to sway forward a little, and if
you keep up the concentrated will and suggestions, he will fall forward toward you.
Be ready for him, and catch him with your hands. This test
is far more simple than it would seem from reading the description of it,
and is capable of being produced in a large percentage of cases where the persons
will allow their minds to become passive to yours. Where there seems to be
a resistance, tell the person to hold the thought that he is inclining forward
towards you. Some find it easier to feel the falling forward sensation with their
eyes closed than with them open with others. The reverse is true reversing the
tests. After you have succeeded in this experiment, stand behind the person about
one yard and concentrate your case upon the point at the base of the skull,
that is where the neck joins the head. Then tell him that he
will experience a falling backward sensation, just as he did before in the falling
forward test. Be sure to tell him that you will catch him when he
falls, et cetera. In order to reassure him, use the same tones,
et cetera as in the falling forward test, except that you will substitute
the word backward for forward. In a few moments, you will obtain the
same result as in the falling forward. Both of the above experiments are among
the easiest tests known to experimenters, but they are important inasmuch as they serve
to inspire confidence in himself in the mind of the experimenter, and a passive
confidence in the mind of the impression of Then it is always well to begin
by some easy tests and then work up by degrees to the more difficult ones.
Even upon subsequent occasions. The fastened palm test. The next test may
be as follows. Tell the impressionable to place the palm of his hand upon
your own, allowing it to rest there a few moments, withdrawing all of
his will from his hand and leaving it perfectly relaxed and like a dead weight.
Then tell him that you are going to fasten his hand to yours by
thought. Then, looking him straight in the eyes, say in a strong,
firm, positive tone, now you can't take your hand away. You
can't, I say, try, but you can try, Try, Try,
you can't. You can't, you can't, I say, et cetera.
Always accent the word can't in these experiments, for that is the word
you wish to emphasize and drive home in his mind. And you must,
of course accompany your words by the thought you can't. You must will that
he cannot remove the impression by saying all right, now, all right.
The locked fingers test. Your next test is that of fastening his own hands
together. This is accomplished by getting him to lock the fingers of his two
hands together, holding them as tight together as he is able to do,
using his will actively in so doing. Then say to him, now,
do not resist me, but remain as you are Now. You can't unloose
your hands. You can't, I say, you can't. Try but you
can't, et cetera, et cetera. At the same time, concentrating your
gaze and will upon his hands, thus holding them together. It may help
you in the beginning to hold his hands together with your own at the first,
and then gradually loosen your own until they are entirely away from his hands,
repeating your suggestions. Meanwhile, remove the impression as previously instructed. The
clenched fist test. Your next test may be that of preventing him from unclenching
his fist. Proceed as in the last test, telling him to clench his
fist together as tight as he can, and then you must say to him,
now you can't unclench it. You can't, I say, et cetera.
It will be some time before he can get his fist unclenched. Remove
the impression. Rotating hands test. The next test may be that of making
him rotate his hands. Proceed by telling him to relax his hands somewhat,
but begin to rotate them around each other in an outward direction. Then say
to him faster faster, faster, faster, as fast as you can.
Then, when his hands are rotating rapidly, say to him, now you
can't stop them. You can't, I say, try, but you can't,
you can't, et cetera. And it will be some time before he
will be able to stop. Remove the impression by the suggestion all right,
all right. The drawing test. Your next test may be that of drawing
him forward or backward toward you. This is accomplished by standing before or behind
him, as the case may be, and telling him that he will walk
toward you, backward or forward as you wish. The command must be accompanied
by the will remove the impression akin to the last two tests as follows,
one preventing him from stepping out at all, and two preventing him from stepping
outside of an imaginary circle that you have drawn on the floor. These tests
are of course accompanied by the appropriate suggestions and use of the will remove the
impression. The chair tests similar tests, such as preventing him from sitting down
in a chair or causing him to remain seated in a chair unable to rise,
may be made in the same way remove the impression other tests. Another
common test is that of giving the impressionable a cane, telling him to hold
it fast, and then telling him sharply that he cannot throw it down,
for it is sticking to your hands, et cetera. Remove the impression.
A similar test is preventing him from from lifting a light weight, a box,
or a chair by your suggestions of you can't, accompanied by the use
of your will remove the impression. The name test. Some experimenters try the
test of preventing the impressionable from speaking his name by their Kent suggestions. A
variation of this is making him say his name is Tom Jones or some other
fictitious name by the mere strong suggestion of Tom Jones. It's Tom Jones,
I say, following upon the sharp question what's your name? Strange as it
may appear, this test is successful in many instances remove the impression. The
eyelid test. The test of fastening the eyelids is accomplished by having the impressionable
fasten his eyelids tied together, keeping them in that position for a few moments,
when the experimenter says, now you can't open them. You can't try,
but you can't, et cetera, et cetera. As above described,
release the impression. Stiffening the arm or leg is accomplished along the same general
lines using the appropriate suggestions, and will remove the impression. The catalepsy test,
the catalepsy feet of the professional hypnotists, is but an enlargement of the
above muscular tests and consists of producing a condition of rigidity all over the body
of the subject. I do not advise conducting this test, for accidents have
occurred in some cases, and there are other reasons why it is not advisable.
I mention it here merely as a matter of scientific interest. Notwithstanding the
claims of the hypnotists that this test is capable of being produced only when the
subject is in the deep stage of hypnosis known as a cataleptic stage, all
psychologists know that it may be produced in the wide awake condition, and is
merely a muscular test, having nothing whatever to do with the sleep condition.
One underlying principle. You will see that one law governs all of these tests
and thousands of others of a similar nature, which may occur to the experimenter.
It is all a matter of the use of the will and the suggestion
of the experiment accompanied by the relaxation of the will of the other person.
The law of mentative induction is the real cause behind the phenomena. The suggestions
render doubly efficient the will power of the experimenter by giving the mind of the
impressionable a mental image, around which is mental polls materialize on action muscular tests
and beyond the above tests are what are known as muscular tests, all depending
upon the control of the muscles of the impressionable by the will of the experimenter.
Many of these tests are believed by the hypnotists and mesmerists to be possible
of production only when their subjects are in the sleep condition, or at least
only after they have been put to sleep and then around. As a matter
of fact, sleep conditions have nothing whatever to do with this phenomena, as
may be proven by the fact that all of the above tests may be performed
without any suggestion of sleep or similar condition. There is a more remarkable class
of phenomena than the above mentioned, which will be considered in the next chapter,
all of which also may be produced without any attempt to induce sleep.
This sleep delusion has led people ashray for many years, but now it is
known that the phenomena of sleep itself is merely an effect of mental impression and
suggestion, instead of being the cause of the various phenomena known as mesmerism and
hypnotism removing the impression. Referring to my repeated caution to remove the impression,
I wish to call your attention to the fact that the best experimenters lay much
stress upon the advisability, if not the absolute necessity, of removing the induced
condition from the mind of the person experimented upon, Otherwise he might carry away
with him the induced condition or impression, which is often far deeper and stronger
than is commonly believed to be the case. I urge this upon you specially,
do not neglect it. The conditions may readily be removed by the suggestion
of now you are all right, all right, Now you understand you are
now all right, accompanying the suggestion by the mental picture of their being relieved
from the induced condition. The gentle touch of the hand, as in patting
the part that has been controlled, will help to accentuate the effects of suggestion
of all right, removing undesirable conditions. In this connection, it may be
as well to mention that if you ever happen to come across unimpressionable or the
tendency to manifest a drowsy condition, or the so called sleep state of hypnotism,
probably arising from previous suggestions, either direct from a hypnotist or from having
witnessed a hypnotic exhibition, you may proceed to awaken him to the method just
given for removing the impression. In such cases, you may make upward passes
along the sides of his head, saying to him sharply and positively, wake
up, Wake up now, I say, wake up, wide awake.
Now you're wide awake? Why awake? All right? Now? All right,
I say, all right, all right. And while awake, all
right, all right. You may heighten the effect by snapping your fingers close
to his face and slapping his shoulders sharply. Be sure to speak positively,
firmly and sharply, just as a father would in rousing up a sleepy boy
in the morning, and don't lose your head. You are not likely to
have need for this advice in ordinary experiments, but I give it in case
you happen to come across some impressionable or hyper impressionable see lay the chapters.
Who may have been previously hypnotized by some operator who believed in the sleep condition
and not seeing about by suggestion see lay their chapters, or else some subject
of the same class who has seemed hypnolic subjects go will sleep, and induce
the same state in himself by imitative self impression. In such a case,
I would advise that you afterwards give the subject a good sound suggestive treatment to
the effect that he will never again go to sleep. In this way,
that he is immune to hygnolic sleep suggestions, and in other ways build up
in him a resistance to this deplorable condition. These sleep condition hypnotists have much
to answer for, for which their plea of ignorance is not quite sufficient.