Mistaken belief - Subject can always be awakened - Accidental injury or death of the operator - Extreme lethargic condition - Common method of awakening - Display of alarm - No harm from delayed awakening - Lethargic subjects awaken slowly - Blowing upon the neck - Sleeping all day - Suggestions of the operator - Not awakened suddenly from somnambulism - Pleasant suggestions before awakening.

A great many persons entertain the idea that a hypnotized subject might possibly fail to awaken under the commands of the operator, and that serious consequences would then follow. This thought is often uppermost in the minds of those who desire to be hypnotized and yet hesitate, and it is also entertained by many who are entering upon the study of hynotism with the desire of becoming operators.

There is nothing whatever to fear in connection with awakening from hypnosis. A subject who has been placed in the hypnotic condition can always be awakened by the operator who hypnotized him, and the operator will always be able to awaken him, unless, of course, he should himself be overcome by a stroke of paralysis or other accident, when the subject would, even then, awaken of his own accord, the time of awakening being in accordance with the degree of hynosis. There is one remote exception to this rule. It is possible for a subject to be put in the extreme lethargic condition, or a state of death-like trance, and to be told by the operator, "You cannot possibly awaken without my awakening you." Then, indeed, we might fear evil consequences might follow if the operator should die or become paralyzed before awakening his subject.

The most common method of releasing a subject from hypnosis is for the operator to snap the fingers close to the subject's ears and sharply command him to "Wake up! wake up! Now you are awake! You're all right!" In nearly every case this will suffice to make the subject give a start and look about him in a confused manner for a moment or so, and then smile and probably make some such remark as "Yes, I am awake."

If from any reason the subject does not awaken at once by such an action, then it should be repeated a little more sharply. But never under any circumstances should the operator manifest the least alarm or discomfiture if there should be delay. No possible harm is going to happen, and the awakening will soon be complete. Occasionally the awakening from the cataleptic, somnambulistic or lethargic stages may be rather slow. To hasten it, blow a quick, short breath through the puckered mouth upon the neck of the subject. This will have the desired effect.

It may happen that the operator has told the somnambulist that "You will sleep all day," and then he might experience difficulty in awakening him before evening. It is, therefore, important that the operator should exercise reasonable judgment in his remarks and commands. He should remember what he has said, and if at variance with quick awakening, he should contradict it by other remarks, such as "You needn't sleep all day; you will wake up whenever I tell you to do so."

Some operators make it a rule to state to their subjects before awakening them, "Now, I am going to count three, and when I say three you will wake up." This is usually sufficient.

It is always a good plan to have a subject in a light degree of hypnosis before awakening him. For instance, he should not be suddenly awakened from somnambulism, or if the cataleptic stage has been induced, he should be told, "Now you can move your arms freely, and now you are not as sound asleep as you were; you are going to wake up soon." When he is apparently in the early stages of hypnosis again, then tell him, "All. right! Wake up!"

To make the subject's experience with hypnotism as pleasant as possible and render him anxious to repeat the experiments, tell him, before awakening him, "You are feeling splendid - Oh! so comfortable and happy," and make other similar suggestions. He will usually say, "Yes, I feel very good, and I am very happy. I wish I could always feel so good." Then tell him, "Well, while you are feeling so good I am going to wake you up. All right! Wake up! wake up!"