One by one they get up and take their seats, feeling a little ashamed, perhaps, but enjoying it for all that. There are many people who find much fault at their fellows being "made fools of" by a stranger, or at a "weaker mind being controlled by a strong one!" which, to the mind of the psychologist might appeal or might not appeal. These subjects arc not duped into coming upon the stage. They are not forced; they come of their own free will and are at liberty to go at any time. True, the work that is seen in the average hypnotic show is not illustrative of the highest type of psychology. But it has its mission and it always will have - or until people have been educated to that point wherein they can utilize the mental forces in every-day life. The hypnotic show starts many people to thinking; it brings forth advocates and bitter enemies. Opponents are always necessary; if there were none, the world would be a much blinder place than it is at the present time. When opposition is created toward any study, the false is bound to be weeded from the true in time, the radical will be eliminated and that which will be of some aid to humanity will remain.

Now, it will be well to use most of the subjects. Of course, the girl who recently gave me the trouble will be excused, and, so that she will not feel slighted, I have placed her back with three others, who are not good subjects. I want the best somnambulists for this next act, which is to be the balloon ascension. Half of my subjects will be on the ground among the spectators and the other half will be in the balloon. Many things must necessarily happen or the work of sending the aeronauts skyward will be of no avail.

I arrange them in two sections. The section over to the right will be the party to ascend; those to the left will be the spectators. I have instructed them all to look at a wand which I hold. It is a good idea to work in the wand, as it lends a little more local color to the majesty of the hypnotist.

As I wave it, I tell them that the party on the right-hand side will find themselves in a balloon when I allow them to cast their eyes from the wand; the other party will look at the balloon as it swings upward into the clouds. Thus I suggest:

"As I swing this wand you are forgetting all about your surroundings ; you are being transported and when you come back to environments, they will be entirely changed and you will find yourselves in the two different parties in which you were before the change took place, those on the right hand being in the basket of a balloon which is rapidly rising. You will not feel it until I tell you to look, then every one of the balloon party will grasp the sides of the swaying balloon and look down on the left, and this party in turn will look up at their friends who are in the balloon. You are all watching this wand as I wave it and when you come out of this trance in which this wand has placed you, you will find things as I tell you. Watch the wand closely now and when I swing it downward with force and then stop it, you will see sparks fly from it; then things will suddenly change and you will be in the two parties, the one at the right up in the ascending balloon and looking down at the vanishing crowd and town and the other party on the ground looking upward at the rising balloon party!"

I have spoken with force; I have been swinging the wand from side to side with a rhythmatic movement. As I stop speaking, I bring the wand downward with a sudden jerk and the subjects blink their eyes and look around. Immediately the crowd on the right grasps at the sides of the car of the balloon. Some - who cannot accept suggestions of something where there is nothing - grasp chairs and others take hold of the thin air and look cautiously over. The crowd to the left are looking upward, some waving their hands and others standing open-mouthed, gazing at the vanishing balloon.

This is something new to the audience. I am repeating what I have advocated to my students, and that is variety. Here the audience have seen some seventeen subjects put directly into the somnambulistic state without taking them through the stages of sleep. To the thinker there is herewith presented much food for thought. To the man who believes in the work, there is room for much wonder. He sees these subjects placed in somnambulism and he does not understand it. So, I repeat, always figure on taking the audience by surprise. Give them something new and your success is far greater. The hypnotist with the true heart of the entertainer will not stop at getting his hall filled, but when it is filled, he will use all his art to entertain and to instruct through that entertainment. If he is really interested in the deeper branches of psychology he will make his hypnotic entertainment a school and while his audience laugh, they will learn and later it is even possible that they will realize the wonderful power of suggestion and some of them may apply it in their ordinary routine.

I step toward those who are supposed to be in the balloon. "You are getting up higher and higher; soon you will not be able to see the crowd beneath you and it is getting cold away up there, very cold".

They grasp the suggestions at once and they are straining their eyes looking down the dizzy heights. When I say that it is getting cold, they commence to shiver and their teeth chatter. The boys button their coats and the girls try in vain to pull their scant collars over their ears.

Now I turn to the crowd watching the ascension. "You can scarcely see the balloon now; it is high, nearly out of sight. Keep track of it as long as you can".

They are looking upward and swaying from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of the disappearing balloon.

Turning again to the aeronauts, I tell them that they are in the clouds and that they can wash their hands and faces if they so desire. They immediately commence to busy themselves with washing in the clouds and their earnestness brings forth new applause from the audience.