Facts

The chief fact of hypnotism consists in the altered mental condition (or condition of the brain activity, considered from the physiological point of view) of a human being. One can call it "hypnosis," or the condition of suggestibility, to distinguish this condition from ordinary sleep, with which it has a marked relationship.

A second series of facts consists of the manner in which this condition is produced and removed. But in this respect erroneous interpretations have given rise to the most incorrect conceptions. Hypnosis can apparently be produced in three different ways: (1) Through the psychical influence of one person on another by means of placing ideas before the latter, which the former induces the latter to accept. This kind of hypnotizing has been termed "suggestion" (dictation - the Nancy school). (2) Through the direct action of living or lifeless objects or of a mysterious agent on the nervous system. In this case, tiring of one sense, which is concentrated for a long time on one point, is said to play an important part. In this class one speaks of the specific action of the magnet, of the human hand, of medicaments enclosed in bottles, and the like. (3) Through the reaction of the mind on itself (auto-hypnotism). I think that I am justified in stating, in complete agreement with Bernheim, that, in the essence of things, there is only one scientifically assured method of inducing hypnosis - viz., the induction of this condition by suggestion, be it by means of the dictation of others or by autosuggestion.1 The ' The terms "autosuggestion" and "posthypnotic" have been attacked as being barboric, since they are derived half from Latin and half from Greek roots. This view is justified from the point of view of the purist. Still, we should be thankful that our terminology is not encumbered by words like "suthypoboly" or "ipsisuggestion" and "ephypnotic," for euphonism and general comprehensibility must also be taken into account. 40 possibility of unconscious suggestion or autosuggestion is not excluded with scientific certainty in the presumptive or apparently different forms of production of hypnosis, and seems even to be almost certainly present on closer investigation.

A third series of facts is that of the capabilities of the hypnotized. It is certain that in the condition of hypnotism induced by suggestion the most extensive reactions on nearly all the functions of the nervous system (a few spinal reflexes and functions of ganglia excluded) are possible. These include such bodily exercises as digestion, defaecation, menstruation, pulsation, reddening of the skin, etc., the independence of the cerebrum of which is generally forgotten or undervalued.

That the mental activity of the hypnotized is more or less dependent on the influencing of the hypnotist, according to the higher degrees of the influence, is also undoubted. Lastly, and of paramount importance, there is the indisputable fact that the influence exercised in hypnosis may extend itself posthypnoti-cally into the normal condition of the mind, in all regions of the nervous system and of the mind; it may include the influence of the hypnotist over the hypnotized, and can even be continued for a long time.

On the other hand, the alleged immaterial facts, such as second sight or telepathy, the so-called direct thought-reading, and the like, are doubtful, and, at all events, are scientifically neither sufficiently corroborated nor explained. It appears that a strictly scientific control, which excludes all possible unconscious suggestion, was mostly absent in experiments of this kind, with those extremely rare cases of somnambulism which are supposed to have been successful. Where such a control was present, the experiment appears to have ended in a perfect fiasco as a rule. Nevertheless, unprejudiced science requires that this question should be carefully investigated, since a number of trustworthy persons, who are wanting in discernment, affirm especially that certain cases of presentiments have come true.