Speaker 1: The rationale of fascination. In this chapter, I shall proceed
to lay before you the rationale of fascination, that is,
an exposition of the principles of its operation. While the
phenomena of fascination extends over a very wide area or field,
there is still to be found a certain unity of
principle of operation underlying all of the forms and phases.
From this point of view, we may speak of the
science of fascination as well as of the philosophy of fascination.
The fundamental principle, the fundamental principle of the operation of
the mental phenomena known as fascination, is found in the
theory of mentitative induction, as stated in my work on
mental magic, and which is briefly stated in the first
chapter of the present book. This theory, you will remember,
holds that each individual mind is a center of meditative energy,
and that the menditative energy of an individual mind may
be and is transmitted from one person to another by
means of menditative waves or currents. That these menditative waves
or currents tend to induce in the minds of other
persons the emotions or feelings existing in the mental states
of the person sending out the waves or currents. In
this connection, we must also remember that there are two
mental poles, known as the motive and emotive poles, respectively,
the motive pole manifesting as willpower and the emotive pole
manifesting as desire force. Desire force acts in the direction
of drawing, pulling, attracting, luring, coaxing, charming, et cetera, while
will power acts in the direction of compelling, forcing, driving, impelling, commanding, demanding,
et cetera. Desire force always draws its object towards itself,
while will power always overpowers and compels its object, generally
in the sense of driving it into action menditative induction.
This mentitative induction acts along similar lines to the induction
of electricity and magnetism, that is, it sets up similar
states in the object affected, and the resemblance is even
still further marked when we consider that the phenomena of
electricity closely resemble the action of the will inasmuch as
both tend to drive outward in the form of an
impelling force, and that the phenomena of magnetism resemble the
action of desire inasmuch as both tend to draw inward
in the form of an attracting energy. An interesting question
in this connection, However, I would direct the attention of
the student to one fact concerning the effect of induced states,
which some have failed to grasp in my teachings in
my work on mental magic. The matter may be stated
by the inquiry of a student of the last mentioned
work who inquires, as follows, please inform me how it
is that an induced mental state reproduces the original mental
state of the mentator. In the following case, a man
desires to have another perform a certain act and sends
a meditative current which acts by induction on the mind
of the second person, setting up an induced mental state therein.
The second person then performs the act desired by the
first person. Now, if the induced mental state was the
same as the original one, would not the second party
simply also desire that the first party should do the act,
just as the first party desired that the second should
do it. But it does not work so, for the
second party does not so desire, but instead merely desires
to do just what the first party desired him to do.
That is, he feels within himself a desire to do
that which the first party desires. Shall be done. It
seems to me that the induced state is really the
opposite of the original state. Please set me straight on
this the answer. I am very glad to have the
opportunity to set straight my students on this point. A
careful examination will show that both states are similar. For instance,
A desires that B shall do a certain thing and
induces a similar state in B. The induced state produces
in B a like desire that the things shall be
done as he proceeds to do it. No opposite action
here is there. The essence of the desire in both
cases is the same, namely, that the thing shall be done.
The expression of the feeling of the two persons in
the case as one I desire that you shall do
and too, I desire to do, respectively, are merely the
personal forms of expression and not the essence of the
desire or feeling. The desire or feeling in its real
essence is I desire this thing done, and both hold
the same desire. A holding the original desire or feeling,
and be the induced desire or feeling. Think this over
a little until you see the point. Induced will acts
in the same way as the above mentioned instance of
the action of the induced desire. Of course, in all
cases of the action of desire, the will is also
called into operation. In the above cited case, it works
as follows. A feels the desire to have the thing done,
and so his will is called into operation to concentrate
the meditative currents and to project them to a focused
point on the mind of B. Then B, feeling the
induced desire that the thing shall be done, awakens his
will and does the thing. Do you see this also,
You had better fix this process firmly in your minds,
for it is the key to the operation of the
principal of fascination and other meditative phenomenon making another feel
like doing. Not to get back to the first principle,
which is that one person may make a second person
feel like doing a thing that the first person wishes
to have done. That is the thing in a nutshell,
And in the degree that the second person so feels
like doing the thing, so will be the degree of
desire and will induced in him, and consequently, so will
be the likelihood of his actually doing it. You see,
the matter of feeling like is at the bottom of
it all. And this being so, it is readily seen
that if one is able to induce a state of
feeling like in another, he has the secret of the
control of the other person's actions. Now this is the
basis of mental fascination. Now let us see how this
principle works out in a case of mesmerism or hypnotism
so called, which after all, is but a phase of
mental fascination governed by the above mentioned principle. I prefer
the term mesmerism for several reasons, among them being the
fact that it is a recognition of mesmer its discoverer
or rediscoverer, and also the fact that hypnotism means sleep,
while mesmerism covers the whole phenomena in both its waking
or sleep conditions. A case of mesmerism, well, let us
suppose a case of mesmerism. The mesmerist, whom I will
call the operator, faces the subject. The operator assumes a
positive state of mind, his will power being active and
concentrated practice having improved him along these lines. The subject
naturally assumes a negative mental state, opening his a motive
mental poll to the influence of the mind or will
of the operator, and allowing his motive mental poll to
remain quiescent or relaxed. That is to say, he opens
his desire mind to the influence of the operator and
lets his will remain inactive and relaxed. The operator desires
and wills that the subject be influenced, and the subject
degrees consciously or unconsciously to be so influenced. One wills
and the other is willing, which latter paradoxical expression means
that he is not willing. The operator naturally asserts his
positivity while this subject assumes a decided state of negativity.
One asserts a supremacy of will, and the others submits.
I would call your attention to the fact that there
is no physical compulsion or influence in the matter. It
is all a matter of mentation, and both parties fully
recognize the reality of the phenomenon the silent conflict. The
above relative mental state of the two persons is apparent
in a greater or lesser degree. Whenever two persons meet,
one is always stronger meantitatively than the other, and a
silent conflict ensues, from which one or the other emerges
a victor, and the result is recognized and acquiesced in
by both victor and vanquished. Ordinarily, however, the distinction is
not nearly so marked or great, as in the case
of a strong mesmerist and his negative subject, the latter
having probably been trained in negativity by repeated trials and
experiments in private and in public. For know you that
even as positivity may be cultivated, developed, and strengthened by
practice in actual performance, so alas may negativity be encouraged, developed,
and made habitual by a continued practice of giving in
to the will of another or others. It is all
a matter of habit, positive and negative. It will be
seen at once that given a subject and operator bearing
the state degrees of relative positivity and negativity, the subject
will have a tendency to accept and obey the wishes
and commands of the operator with a minimum degree of resistance.
The operator will strongly wish the subject to feel in
a certain way and to act upon the feeling. To
accomplish this result, he will concentrate his desire by his will,
and then direct a combined and focused attack on the
mind of the subject. He is likely to call suggestion
to his aid in the attack, for by so doing
he is able to obtain an additional advantage for a suggestion.
As I have stated in my work on mental magic
is a physical agent inducing mental states, or an outward
invisible sign of an inward feeling or mental state which
tends to induce a similar feeling in the mind of
accepting the suggestion the suggestive command the operator gives the
subject in the suggestion by command and in accordance with
the phrase of suggestion known as suggestion through obedience see
my work on mental magic. The subject obeys. It must
not be forgotten, however, that the suggestion is merely the
outward symbol of the inward mental state of the operator,
and becomes effective only by reason of this fact. The
operator throws his intensified desire, force and will power into
the suggestion and receives an effect along the line of
the threefold activity. With his will, he produces a dual
effect i e. One, he captivates the desire of the
subject and induces in it the desired feeling like state two.
He takes captive the will of the subject and subjugates
it to his own, and at the same time, by
his desire, he also produces a dual effect i e.
One he induces a similar desire in the mind of
the subject. By meditative waves or currents and two he
allures or seduces the will of the subject by the
strength of his desire. The result of this combined attack
causes the mind of the subject to act as follows,
which adds a third dual effect to the operation, i e. One,
the subject's desire, being induced as stated by the operator,
acts to influence his own will, thus making the latter
fall in with the induced desire. Two, the subject's will,
controlled as stated by the operator, acts upon its own desire,
thus making the latter fall in with this seduced will.
It must be remembered that the three mental operations above
mentioned are concurrent, that is, they act at the same
time and exercise joint action and control upon the mind
of the subject, and neither the operator nor the subject
are necessarily conscious of there being three dual actions underway.
The operator simply desires and wills with or without suggestion,
while the subject simply feels like as before stated, and
accepts the suggestion if one is given, without recognizing the
various mental operations going on to reduce the feeling like.
The detailed explanation may make the operation seem complicated, while
in reality it appears to both the operator and subject
as quite a simple matter. Indeed, the day dream state
the above process is the same whether the operator merely
produces the simplest result upon the subject, or whether he
secures the most remarkable and startling exhibitions of the control
of one mind by another. The principle of operation is
the same in all cases, with sleep or without sleep.
It is the same in fact, as we shall see,
the very sleep condition is produced just as are the
other facts, and its production merely tends to produce a
day dream state in the subject, and thus makes him
act in a day dream like manner with appropriate illusions.
A sleep phenomena are merely one of the side issues
of mesmerism when the true principle is understood. Habit and repetition.
Habit and repetition. In our consideration of the operation of mesmerism,
we must not forget the part that habit and repetition
play in the matter. For instance, the operator may be
able to produce only the simplest effects at first trial,
but at each subsequent trial, in which he gains more
and more control over the subject and a greater acquiescence
and degree of obedience, he is able to obtain a
still more marked effect If you will read my remarks
on the suggestion by repetition in my work on mental Magic,
page one twenty, you will realize the awful force of
repetition and habit, as well as the power of repeated statement.
This psychological fact is like the operation of the wedge.
Admit the thin edge in each additional blow drives it further.
In this works along the lines of both good and evil. Remember,
the wise use it to their own strengthening, while the
foolish allow it to be their undoing. Beware of the
thin edge of the wedge of undesirable habits of thought
and action, a psychological law. The mesmerist understands well, often
too well, the nature and results of the above mentioned
psychological law. He has found out by experience that although
it may be difficult to control a subject the first time,
it will be easier than next, and so on and
on until perfect control is obtained. And knowing this, he
bends his endeavors to inserting the very thinnest edge of
the wedge, understanding that in this he has his hardest
task before him. And alas, how many of us know
that the same principle is in operation in everyday life.
Although seemingly having nothing to do with mesmerism. How many
of us are able to regret the day of the
entry of the thin edge of the wedge. Another point
to be remembered is that the subject, who is under
a fair degree of control, does not feel as if
he were obeying the commands or wishes of the operator alone.
That is not, in the main. It is true that
he instinctively obeys the command of the suggestion, just as
a horse quickens his gait when spoken to, or a
soldier acts quickly in obedience to orders, et cetera, et cetera.
But the motive for the action or feeling seems to
come from within himself. To a great degree, it has
the force and effect of an instinctive action proceeding along
subconscious lines. He seems to want to do the thing
of his own accord. This is the dangerous feature. This, then,
and a general way, is the rationale of mental fascination,
as shown in its phase of mesmerism and its corresponding
exhibitions along less pronounced lines. If you will acquaint yourselves
with these principles of operation, you will have a grasp
on the whole subject. In our next chapter, we shall
have a view of the mental states of operator and subject,
which will throw additional light upon the subject before us.