523 A. In the paper just quoted Gurney maintained that the phenomena needed to establish the distinction between his "alert" and "deep" stages were to be found in the domain of memory, much of the alert state being remembered after waking, but nothing of the deep state. Within the hypnotic condition itself, says Gurney: -

Facts of the "subject's" general knowledge, his address, business, recent employments, and so on, are remembered even in the deep state.

With a favourable "subject," something that has happened during one of the hypnotic states will often recur to the memory on the next occasion when that state is produced, though in the interval of normality - amounting, it may be, to several days and nights - which has intervened between the two occasions, it has been completely forgotten.

The chief interest of this induced phenomenon of alternating memory lies in its resemblance to what occurs in spontaneous conditions, especially the spontaneous alternations in cases of double consciousness, where a single individual lives in turn two (or more) separate existences. The same alternation of memory occurs when a deep hypnotic state intervenes between two alert, or an alert between two deep states. I have then found that (with certain well-marked exceptions to be mentioned hereafter) the ideas impressed in the one sort of state are invariably forgotten in the other, and are as invariably again remembered when the former state recurs. Occasionally I have succeeded in hitting a transitional moment at which both things were remembered; but it was a sort of knife-edge, and the slightest manipulation or pause tending to deepen the condition brought about the customary separation and oblivion of the thing told in the alert state.

The subject was continued, and some experiments illustrating it were given in detail in a later paper, under the title "Stages of Hypnotic Memory," in Proceedings S.P.R., vol. iv. pp. 515 et sea., from which I quote, with abridgments, the following passages: -

I made the trials with a considerable number of "subjects," in different parts of England, employing three different hypnotisers, to each of whom the results were as new and surprising as they were at first to myself; there seems reason to think, therefore, that the results are tolerably normal, and not due to any special idiosyncrasies of operator or "subject"; as they certainly were not due to any guidance, or any interference with the free play of the "subject's " mind, in the remarks addressed to him during the progress of the experiment. The mode of effecting the passage from one stage to another has usually consisted in gentle passes over the face, without contact. It is most impressive to find that a few noiseless movements of one person's fingers, at a short distance from another person's face, have completely obliterated that with which the latter's attention two or three seconds ago was entirely engrossed, and have brought back within his mental horizon that which no other means in the world - no other physical operation, not the clearest verbal reminder, not the fear of death, nor the offer of 1ooo reward - could have induced or enabled him to recall.

With the assistance of Mr. G. A. Smith (whom I will in future call S.), I have lately made a fresh series of experiments in hypnotic memory, in which some further points have been observed; and it may make the matter more intelligible to give the details of a few cases. The great point, of course, is to use the right means for ascertaining whether the thing told is or is not remembered, and to avoid reminding the subject of it.

As I have said, the rule is to obtain two states or stages. [Some instances of this are given in the paper.] If the attempt is made to carry the trance-condition beyond state B, the effect is either to bring the "subject" into an apparently deep sleep, in which he is incapable of answering, and probably of hearing; or to create such a desire for sleep, and aversion to being questioned, that he becomes more or less intractable. With one "subject" I have found that even the second stage, on one or two occasions, could not be obtained. But there are other cases where the course of the trance allows a distinct third stage of memory to manifest itself before unconsciousness sets in. The following instance will make this clear.

In state A, S------t was hypnotised; and the fact of his being in state A was ascertained by his remembering an incident previously told him when in that state - that a balloon had been seen passing over the King's Road - and forgetting two incidents previously told him when in state B, - that an engine-boiler had burst at Brighton station, and that two large dogs had been having a fight in the Western Road. He was now told that a foreign flag had been seen floating over the Pavilion, and was then carried on into state B, when S. said, "People may well complain".

S------t. "Yes".

S. "Why?"

S------T. "Why, the nuisance - those dogs fighting in the Western Road".

(The idea proper to state B is revived).

S. " No, I meant about the flag".

S------T. "What flag? There are plenty of flags about." (The idea proper to state A is forgotten).

S. " No, I meant that cart running away in Montpelier Road" - a new idea, which will belong henceforth to the B class.

S------T. " What cart ? " Then, scornfully, " Cart running away! It's the horse that runs away".

He was then informed more particularly that a horse with a cart had bolted in Montpelier Road; and the deepening passes were continued.

S. "So they found it bottom upwards".

There was no answer; the " subject " had lapsed into sleep. He was called by name, and a few reverse passes were made, when he woke with an "Eh?"

S. " They found it bottom upwards".

S------t. "What? When?"

S. " A boat, I mean." He was then told that a very high tide had washed away a boat on the beach; but that after a time it had drifted ashore. This idea was suggested in what proved to be a separate and third stage, C, when he was on the very verge of lapsing into unconsciousness; and he did lapse immediately afterwards. He was roused, and S. said, " That's the effect of not tying it securely." S------t's answers now showed that the rousing had carried him over stage C, and that he was once more in stage B. He said, "Tied? They never tie them".

S. "No wonder it was washed away then".

S------T. " Washed away! Did it go over the cliff ? "

S. "No; what do you mean ? "

S------T. " That horse and cart you were talking about".

Here, then, was the stage B idea, the boat of stage C being forgotten. It remained to ascertain that what I have called stage C was not identical with stage A - that there had been a real progression beyond stage B, and not a mere oscillation between the A and B states. Accordingly, some reverse passes were made, with the view of bringing the subject into the A state; and S. said, " I dare say it will get knocked about on the beach".

S------T. " What knocked about ? "

S. " What I was telling you about".

S------T. " Why, have they taken it on the beach now, then ? "

S. "It was on the beach".

S------T. "Why, you said it was on the Pavilion".

S. "What do you mean ? "

S------t. "That large flag".

Here, then, was the stage A idea, and the memory of the boat of stage C proved as unrevivable as it had been in stage B. S------t was now carried down without pause into the state of deep sleep - the most certain way of lighting on stage C being to go beyond it in this way, and then to revive the "subject" just enough to enable him to understand and answer. He was called by name several times, and a few reverse passes were made before he answered, "Eh? what?" S. replied in words which would apply equally to carts or boats; but, as I expected, they were understood as applying to boats the stage C idea.

S. " Is it customary to tie them ? "

S------T. " Yes".

S. "I thought you said it wasn't." (He had said before that it was not customary to tie carts).

S------t. " Oh yes; sometimes they tie them to capstans, sometimes to larger vessels".

He was now questioned about the cart, but had no remembrance of it; also about the dog fight (which, the reader will recall, was another stage B idea), with the same result. Some upward passes were now made, and S. said, "Did you say they tie them to a capstan ? "

S------t. " No 5 they throw the reins loose over the horse's back".

S. "A lot of people saw it coming down".

S------T. " What, the horse and cart ? "

Here is evidently the reappearance of stage B; and proceeding again on the upward or lightening course, we found the A idea, the flag on the Pavilion, duly remembered. This was on February 28th. On March 2nd the same process was briefly repeated, and it was found that the subject still remembered each of the topics already mentioned when its appropriate stage was reached, and at that stage alone.