Make passes over the head, from the back forward. Keep telling him to sleep and sleep soundly. Use a drawling tone of voice and enter into the spirit of drowsiness. Keep him in this condition at least ten minutes. If he should suddenly awaken, show no discomfiture, but quickly say: "Well, that's enough for to-day. You're a good subject, and we will do this again soon; only next time we will go a little farther."

The chances are that the subject will not awaken of his own accord, especially if you say to him: "Sleep till I tell you to wake up." He may be perfectly conscious and yet will manifest his drowsiness in an unmistakable manner. In that case, carry the experiment a little farther and make some farther suggestion. For instance: "Your eyes are so tightly closed that you can't open them. Shut them tighter, tighter, tight shut. Now, you can't open them. Shut them tight." He will shut his eyes very tight and then make an attempt to open them, which you must not encourage, lest he should succeed. Tell him: "Never mind, now sleep," and then make passes as before and let him become drowsy and remain so for some time and then snap your fingers and say: "All right! wake up. You're all right."

He will quickly awaken and look confused for awhile and perhaps remark: "Is that all? Why, I knew all the time what you were doing." Tell him: "Certainly you did. I told you I wouldn't hypnotize you very soundly. Next time we will do more." This gains his confidence. He realizes he obeyed you and that you did in fact hypnotize him, and stopped because you did not care to do more. It is well also to tell him that the operation tired you. which will be the truth,, for your nerve tension and suppressed excitement is exhausting.

The Second Seance

During your second seance you can accomplish much more. After proceeding as before, make suggestions to him that will call his attention to sensations about the head or upper part of the body or cause him to employ his hands. For example:

"You are perspiring on your forehead. Take your hand and wipe off the perspiration." He will do so. "Loosen your collar and wipe off your neck." "There is a little bug back of your ear. Your head itches. Scratch it. You are perspiring again. Wipe the perspiration from your forehead. Your hands are wet with it. Rub your hands together. Make your hands go like a wheel. Round and round and round. Faster, faster, faster, faster. Now the other way. Now back again. Now the other way. Now stop them."

All your suggestions will be instantly carried out, and your mind may think of a great many diverse actions that will require movements of the hands, without involving the lower part of the body. It may be probable that during the second seance, the most profound hypnosis can be produced, but it is best not to attempt more than has been mentioned at this time.

The Third Seance

The third time you place the subject under your hypnotic influence, you can go to great extremes with safety and perfect confidence.

He will not open his eyes until you tell him to do so and it is best for him to keep them shut during the performances of at least the first, second and third experiments. The third trial will be best adapted to muscular suggestions.

Make passes over the forehead and press the thumb between the eyes and tell him: "You can't open your eyes, try it, you can't do it." He will try in vain. Then say: "Now you can open them, but shut them again." Make passes from his shoulders to his wrists and tell him to fasten his hands together and that he can't take them apart. After he has struggled in vain to (Jo so, tell him: "Now, you can take them apart." Make passes from his head to his knees and tell him he can't get off the chair. Then tell him: "Now, you can get up." After he is up you can make him dance or walk or stand immovable or do almost anything that is not dangerous or ridiculous. It is best not to suggest anything laughable until the fourth experiment. Just before ending the third seance say: "Now, stay asleep, but open your eyes. Look at me steadily and when I count three, then wake up." Count three and then say loudly: "All right. Wake up; wake up. You're all right."

The Fourth Seance

The fourth seance may be characterized by the full limit of hypnosis, but it is best to confine it to the production of somnambulism. After repeating the performances of the first, second and third seances and after having the subject open his eyes and keep them open, suggestion may be made that will give evidence of absolute control over his five senses. It is best to make such suggestions as will gradually lead from one of the senses to the others. For example:

"The day is cold. You are shivering. Here, put on this overcoat. See, the snow is falling, listen to the sleigh bells. Here comes a sleigh. Jump in and take a ride. This is delightful. Oh, my, the sleigh has upset. You have injured your arm. It is paining you. Here is some ammonia liniment. Smell it. Look out, it is strong. Never mind, it won't burn you. Rub it on your arm. Now, the pain is stopped. Take a little of this ginger ale to warm you up. Now you feel better. Let us get in the sleigh again. All right now, here we go."

By such a train of suggestions you have influenced the senses of feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling and tasting and we have made him realize the disagreeable sensation of pain and have banished it and also excited in him the emotion of joy. Henceforth you can make him realize anything you may suggest. You have him under absolute control.

It is always best to connect the senses in harmonious relationship and not excite them individually and abruptly.

The Fifth Seance

The fifth seance may be given over to various experiments characteristic of the somnambulistic state; such as singing, dancing, declaiming, fascination, anaesthesia, post-suggestion, etc. Clairvoyance belongs to the somnambulistic state, but it should not be attempted until after the subject has been under your influence many times, and then it will not be successful unless the subject is especially adapted to it. See Chapter VIII (Clairvoyance).

The Sixth Seance

The sixth seance may be devoted to inducing the cataleptic condition. After bringing the subject into the somnambulistic state, suggest that his muscles and joints are getting so stiff that he cannot move them. Make passes down his arms and legs and press the joints as though you were tightening them and he will soon be stiff as a board. After this has once been accomplished, you can instantly produce catalepsy by sudden suggestion and the subject will remain immovable in the attitude assumed at the time of the suggestion. Release the subject from the cataleptic state by suggesting that he can now use his muscles and give him some pleasant movements to perform. Never awaken him entirely with abruptness from the cataleptic condition.

Proof Of Hypnotic Ability

After you have succeeded in carrying your subject successfully through the experiments enumerated, or similar ones, you may rest assured that you can accomplish whatever any other hypnotist has accomplished. You will need practice before you can influence more than a small percentage of persons, and these must be for some time such as you are confident are not your superiors in will power, social standing or education. Repeated experiments will soon give you confidence in your ability and it will not be long before you can control eighty per cent of those whom you meet. Your confidence in your hypnotic power will counterbalance all deference to your otherwise superiors.

The lethargic condition should not be induced for purpose of amusement. There is no reason why any subject should be placed in a deathlike sleep. You can exercise such power, but it is wisest not to do so, except for purely scientific reasons and then only with the full consent of the subject.

You may be able to develop subjects in two or three seances, but the deeper degrees of hypnosis are not usually developed until the fourth or fifth. With rare exceptions, you will in six or seven seances, gain as full control over your subject as it is possible for you ever to secure, though you may do better with a different subject.