HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM (_continued_).
Mesmeric Methods.--The Fluidic Theory.--Influence of the Mind
of the Operator.--The Early Mesmerists.--Their Methods and
their Effects.--Decadence of the Higher Phenomena under Braid's
Methods.--The Causes explained.--Telepathic Powers developed
by Mesmerism.--Mesmerism as a Therapeutic Agent.--Method of
Operation recommended.--How to acquire the Power.--The Necessary
Conditions of Success.--Will Power explained.--The Fluidic Theory
requires Revision.--Distinction between Mesmerism and Hypnotism
sharply drawn.--Mesmerization of Animals distinguished from the
Hypnotization of Animals.--Methods employed in Each.--Tamers
of Horses and Wild Beasts.--Dog-Trainers.--Primitive Man.--His
Powers.--His Immunity from Harm.--Daniel.--The Adepts.--General
Conclusions.
That the magnetic hypothesis of the mesmerists has many facts to
sustain it cannot be denied. The experience of thousands goes to show
that when passes are made over them, even at a distance of several
feet, a sensation is felt akin to a gentle shock of electricity, which
produces a remarkably soothing effect upon the nervous system, and
eventually produces the mesmeric sleep. It is also known that when
patients are mesmerized for therapeutic purposes, and passes are made
over the affected part, the same soothing effect is produced, and pain
is relieved. In fact, if we consider mesmerism solely as a therapeutic
agent, and study it from that standpoint alone, the fluidic hypothesis
is perhaps as good as any. But when we come to study mesmeric
phenomena as a part, and only a very small part, of a grand system of
psychological science; when we examine it in its relations to other
phenomena of a cognate character,--it is found that the fluidic theory
should be received with some qualification.
The first thought which strikes the observer is that, admitting the
fluidic theory to be substantially correct, the fluid is directed and
controlled entirely by the mind of the operator. It is well known that
passes effect little or nothing if the attention of the operator is
distracted, from any cause whatever. The subject may be put to sleep,
it is true, solely by the power of suggestion; but the peculiar effects
of mesmerism, as distinguished from those of hypnotism, will be found
wanting. The effects here alluded to consist mainly of the development
of the higher phenomena, such as clairvoyance and telepathy.
It is well known that the early mesmerists constantly and habitually
developed telepathic powers in their subjects. Causing their subjects
to obey mental orders was a common platform experiment half a century
ago. These experiments were often made, under test conditions, by the
most careful and conscientious scientists, and the results are recorded
in the many volumes on the subject written at the time. Many of these
works were written by scientists whose methods of investigation were
painstaking and accurate to the last degree. In the light of the
developments of modern science, in the light of the demonstrations,
by the members of the London Society for the Promotion of Psychical
Research, of the existence of telepathic power, we cannot read the
works of the old mesmerists without having the conviction forced upon
us that telepathy was developed by their experiments to a degree almost
unknown at the present day. Why it is that the power to develop that
phenomenon by mesmerists has been lost or has fallen into desuetude,
is a question of the gravest scientific interest and importance. The
hostility and ridicule of the academicians undoubtedly had its effect
on many minds, and caused many scientific investigators to shrink
from publicly avowing their convictions or the results of their
investigations. But that does not account for the fact that mesmerists,
who believe in the verity of the phenomena, are rarely able to produce
it at the present day.
The first question which presents itself is one of dates. When did
the higher phenomena show the first signs of decadence? A moment's
reflection will fix it at or about the date of the promulgation of the
theories of Dr. Braid. It is a historic fact, well known to all who
have watched the progress of hypnotic science, that as soon as it was
found that the mesmeric or hypnotic sleep could be induced by causing
the subject to gaze upon a bright object held before his eyes, all
other methods were practically abandoned. It was much easier to hold an
object before the subject's eyes for a few minutes, with the mind at
rest, than to make passes over him for an indefinite length of time,
accompanying the passes by fixity of gaze and intense concentration of
mind. The important point to bear in mind right here is the fact that
in the old mesmeric method, fixity of gaze and concentration of will on
the part of the operator, were considered indispensable to success. It
seems clear, then, that it is to this change of methods that we must
look for an explanation of the change in results. That being conceded,
we must inquire how the conditions were changed by the change of
methods. What effects, if any, either in the condition of the subject
or of the operator, or in both, are missing when the new methods are
applied?
It is now necessary to recall to mind the fact (1) that Braid
demonstrated that suggestion is not a necessary factor in the induction
of the hypnotic state; and (2) that steadily gazing upon an object
will induce the condition in a more or less marked degree, whether the
subject is expecting the result or not. The intelligent student will so
readily recall thousands of facts demonstrating this proposition that
it is safe to set it down as an axiom in hypnotic science that intense
gazing upon an object, accompanied by concentration of mind, will
displace the threshold of consciousness to a greater or less extent,
depending upon the mental characteristics of the individual and the
circumstances surrounding him. The subjective powers are thus brought
into play. The subjective mind is released, or elevated above the
threshold of consciousness, and performs its functions independently
of, or synchronously with, the objective mind, just in proportion to
the degree of hypnosis induced. It may be only in a slight degree, it
may be imperceptible to those surrounding him, or it may reach a state
of complete hypnosis, as in the cases mentioned by Braid; but certain
it is that the subjective powers will be evoked in exact proportion to
the degree of causation. The conclusion is obvious and irresistible
that when a mesmerist employs the old methods of inducing the
subjective state,--passes, fixed gazing, and mental concentration,--_he
hypnotizes himself by the same act by which he mesmerizes the subject_.
The far-reaching significance of this fact will be instantly apparent
to those who are aware that telepathy is the normal means of
communication between two subjective minds, and that it is only between
subjective minds that telepathy can be employed. The objective mind
has no part or lot in telepathy until the threshold of consciousness
is displaced so as to enable the objective mind to take cognizance of
the message. It will be understood, therefore, that when the subject is
mesmerized, and all his objective senses are in complete abeyance, and
the operator with whom he is _en rapport_ is in a partially subjective
state, the conditions exist which render possible the exhibition of
telepathic powers.
This is what was meant when it was said in an earlier chapter of this
book that the discoveries of Braid had really served to retard the
progress of hypnotic science; not because his discoveries are not of
the utmost practical value, but because much of their true significance
has been misunderstood. The fact that persons can be hypnotized by his
methods, and that many of the phenomena common to mesmerism can be
produced by that means, is a fact of vast importance; but it is only
one link in the great chain, and not the whole chain, as his followers
would have us believe. The later discovery of the law of suggestion
was also of the most transcendent interest and importance; but it
is not the whole law of psychic science. This, too, has helped to
retard the progress of the science in its higher branches. When it was
discovered that suggestion by itself could induce the hypnotic state,
Braid's methods were in turn abandoned by students of the science.
This was partly because it was easier than Braid's method, and partly
because it produced less physical and mental excitement, and hence, for
therapeutic purposes, was less liable to excite the patient unduly. But
the fact remains that neither by Braidism nor by the suggestive method
can the subject ordinarily be made to respond telepathically. It is
true that there might be exceptions to the rule. If, for instance, the
operator in employing either of the methods should come in physical
contact with the subject, and should at the same time happen to
concentrate his gaze upon some object for a length of time, and fix
his mind upon the work in hand, he would be very likely to come into
telepathic communication with the subject. That this has often happened
there can be no doubt; and it constitutes one of the possible sources
of error which lie in the pathway both of the Paris and the Nancy
schools. It is perhaps superfluous to remark that the higher phenomena
of hypnotism can only be developed with certainty of results by
throwing aside our prejudices against the fluidic theory, and employing
the old mesmeric methods.
In this connection it is deemed proper to offer a few suggestions as to
the best methods to be employed for producing mesmeric effects, either
for therapeutic or for any other purposes.
It is recommended, for several reasons, that the mesmeric passes be
employed. First, they are so generally believed to be necessary that
they greatly assist by way of suggestion. Secondly, they are a great
assistance to the operator, as they enable him more effectually to
concentrate his mind upon the work in hand, and to fix his attention
upon the parts which he desires to affect. Thirdly, they operate as a
suggestion to the operator himself, which is as necessary and as potent
to effect the object sought as is suggestion to the subject. Fourthly,
whether the fluidic theory is correct or not, the power, whatever it
is, appears to flow from the fingers; and, inasmuch as it appears to do
so, the effect, both upon the mind of the operator and of the subject,
is the same as if it were so,--the great _desideratum_ being the
confidence of both.
The most important point to be gained, however, is self-confidence
in the mind of the operator. Without that no greater results can
be produced by mesmeric methods than by the process of simple oral
suggestion. The latter affects the mind of the subject alone, and
all the subsequent effects are due solely to the action of his mind.
Mesmeric methods, on the other hand, if properly applied, supplement
the effects of oral suggestion by a constant force emanating from the
subjective mind of the operator. In order to evoke that force it is
necessary for the operator to inspire his own subjective mind with
confidence. This can be done by the simple process of auto-suggestion.
The power to do this does not depend upon his objective belief. The
power to control subjective belief is inherent in the objective mind;
and that control can be made absolute, even in direct contradiction
to objective belief. If, therefore, the mesmeric operator doubts his
power over his subject, he can, nevertheless, exert all the necessary
force simply by reiterated affirmation to himself that he possesses
that power. This affirmation need not, and perhaps should not, be
uttered aloud. But it should be constantly reiterated mentally while
the passes are being made; and if in addition to this he concentrates
his gaze upon the open or closed eyes of the subject, or upon any part
of the head or face, the effect will be all the more powerful. Whatever
effect is desired should be formulated in the mind of the operator,
and reiterated with persistency until it is produced. The principle
involved is obvious, and easily understood. The subject is passive, and
receptive of subjective mental impressions. The subjective mind of
the operator is charged with faith and confidence by auto-suggestion.
That faith is impressed telepathically upon the subjective mind of the
patient; and even though his objective belief may not coincide with
the subjective impression thus received, the latter obtains control
unconsciously to the subject, and the end is accomplished.
The power to mesmerize by this method is within the reach of any
one with sufficient intelligence to understand the directions, and
sufficient mental balance to follow them with persistency; provided
always the subject is willing to be mesmerized, and is possessed of
the requisite mental equilibrium to enable him to become passive and
receptive.
All mesmerists and all hypnotists agree in holding that self-confidence
is a necessary part of the mental equipment of the successful operator.
This is true. It is also true that the possession of the requisite
confidence is the one thing which distinguishes the successful from the
unsuccessful operator. The foregoing remarks show how that confidence
can be commanded, in spite of objective unbelief.
Much has been said by mesmerists about the exertion of "will power;"
but no one has ever explained just how that power is to be exerted, or
in what it consists. Most people seem to imagine that it is exercised
by compressing the lips, corrugating the brows, and assuming a fierce,
determined, not to say piratical, aspect. It is perhaps needless to
remark that the attitude of mind indicated by such an aspect is the
farthest possible from that which is required for the successful
exercise of so-called will power. It requires no mental or nervous
strain to exert that power. On the contrary, a calm serenity of mind
is indispensable. When that is acquired, the only other requisites are
confidence and an earnest desire to bring about the results sought.
That these three requisites can easily be acquired by any one of common
intelligence has already been shown.
From what has been said it seems evident that the force developed by
mesmeric manipulations has its origin in mental action. That that is
the motive power is certain. Whether this mental action creates or
develops a fluid akin to magnetism, is a question which may never be
solved. Nor is it deemed important that it should be; and it may be
as well to class it at once among the many things unknowable, as to
waste valuable time in a vain effort to wrest the secret from Nature.
Electricity is known as a great force in physical nature; and it is
harnessed and made to perform many services to mankind. Like all the
great forces of nature, it is invisible, except through its effects,
and it defies analysis. It will never be known to man except as one
of the great correlated forces. It is equally impossible to know just
what the force is which emanates from the mesmerist and controls his
subject. We know that it exists, and that it can be utilized, and that
is all. Whether it is a fluid or not is as impossible to know with
certainty as it is to know what electricity is made of, if we should
determine it to be a substance.
For some purposes, as has been remarked, the fluidic hypothesis is as
good as any, and for such purposes it may be provisionally accepted.
But the question is, Will that hypothesis apply to all the phenomena?
If that question is answered in the negative, it demonstrates its
incorrectness, and it becomes imperative that it should be abandoned.
When mesmeric passes are made over a patient, a fluid appears to
emanate from the hands of the operator. An effluence of some kind
certainly does come from that source, and one that is perceptible to
the physical senses of the patient. Is it not a fact, nevertheless,
that the passes are principally useful as a means of controlling the
minds both of the subject and the operator? There are many facts which
seem to point unmistakably in that direction. The one fact alone
that persons can be mesmerized at a distance, seems conclusive. No
passes are then made, and yet all the effects of personal contact are
produced. Thousands of persons have been healed at a distance, by
simple concentration of mind on the part of the operator, the patient
knowing absolutely nothing of the proposed experiment. This branch
of the subject will be more fully treated in a future chapter on
psycho-therapeutics. It is sufficient to remark now that the method
of healing here indicated is, when intelligently applied, the most
effective of all systems of mental therapeutics. And the significant
fact is that in the majority of cases the best results are produced
when the patient is kept in absolute ignorance of what is being done
for him. The reason for this will more fully appear as we proceed.
Again, the manner of mesmerizing animals is proof positive that the
successful exercise of mesmeric power is not dependent upon passes made
by the hand of the operator, for the usual method is to gaze steadily
into the eyes of the animal.
And this brings us to the discussion of some important distinctions
pertaining to the mesmerization of animals, which seem not to have
been observed by the investigators of that subject, but which show
more clearly than almost anything else the line of distinction between
hypnotism and mesmerism.
The intelligent reader will not have failed to observe that the effect
produced upon hens, frogs, crayfish, guinea-pigs, and birds is purely
hypnotic. The methods employed are Braid's. That is to say, they are
purely physical, sometimes produced by sudden peripheral stimulus,
as in flashing a Drummond light in the eyes of a cock (Richer). But
in general the external stimulus used with animals is tactile, as in
seizing them (Moll); or in causing them to gaze upon an object, as in
Kircher's method of hypnotizing a cock; or in gently stroking the back,
as in hypnotizing a frog or a crayfish. Each of these methods may be
classified as a hypnotic process, and the full equivalent of the method
discovered by Braid. The effect is also purely hypnotic; that is to
say, sleep is induced, varying in degree from a light slumber to a
profound lethargy.
On the other hand, such animals as horses, wild beasts, etc., may be
mesmerized, but not hypnotized. The processes are purely mesmeric, and
generally consist in gazing into the animal's eyes. The effect is
simply to render the animal docile, and obedient to the will of the
operator. No one was ever able to put an animal to sleep by gazing into
its eyes; but the most ferocious of the animal tribe may be tamed and
subjected to the dominion of man by that simple process. A celebrated
horse-tamer, who travelled through this country a few years ago, was
in the habit of astonishing and amusing his audiences by selecting
the wildest horse present, walking up to him, gazing into his eyes
(apparently) for a few moments, and walking away, when the horse would
follow him wherever he went, apparently as perfectly fascinated as any
hypnotic or mesmeric subject was ever fascinated by a professional
mesmerist. A close observation of the horse-tamer's methods revealed
the fact that he simply rolled his eyes upward and inward, precisely
as Braid compelled his subjects to do by holding a bright object
before their eyes. He did not gaze into the eyes of the horse at all,
but simply held himself in that attitude for a few moments, in close
proximity to the horse's head, when the object was accomplished, and
the horse became obedient to every command that it was capable of
comprehending. It is probable that the horse-tamer knew as little of
the secret of his power as did the horse. The tamers of wild beasts
proceed in the same manner, and probably with as little knowledge of
the principles underlying the method.
Now, the question arises, What is the effect thus produced on the
animal? It is certainly not hypnotized by being compelled to gaze
into the eyes of the operator, for sufficient time is not given to
"fatigue the muscles of the eye." Besides, the animal cannot be
compelled to gaze at anything. Is not the primary effect--hypnotic or
mesmeric--produced, not directly upon the animal, but upon the man
himself? It seems clear that this is the true solution of the problem.
Braid has taught us that by steadily gazing at any object a man can
hypnotize himself without knowing, or having it suggested to him, that
it is possible for him to do so. The man, then, is partially hypnotized
by gazing into the animal's eyes. The threshold of his consciousness
is thus displaced. His subjective powers are brought into play, and
in that condition his subjective mind is _en rapport_ with that of
the animal. The mind of the animal, being almost purely subjective,
is thus dominated by the imperious will of his master,--man. That
telepathy is the normal means of communication between animals cannot
be doubted by any one who has observed their habits with intelligence.
That man has the power, under certain conditions, to enter into
telepathic communication with animals, there are thousands of facts to
demonstrate. In a recent English work on the training of dogs,[19] this
subject is alluded to in the following language:--
"As I before remarked, a man to be a first-rate dog-breaker must
have lots of animal magnetism. Now, I do not doubt that in nearly
every man who is born into the world this faculty exists to a
greater or less extent. It is the force of will that develops it;
and the more it is developed, the stronger it becomes. While, on
the other hand, if the will is naturally weak, and no other pains
are taken to strengthen it, it falls into abeyance, and in time, I
think, is utterly lost,--and that sometimes beyond recall.
"That there is such a power as this, no one who has ever had any
experience with animals will attempt to deny. Take the horse, for
instance. This is the easiest subject on which to exert the power,
simply because the rider, and even the driver, is in closer contact
with it than with any other animal.
"As an example, take two somewhat timid, highly bred young horses,
and put them side by side at the tail of a flying pack of hounds.
Both their riders are equally good men as far as nerve, hands, and
seat are concerned; but the one is a cut-and-thrust, whip-and-spur
sort of fellow, while the other is a cool, quiet, deliberate
customer, of sweet manners but iron will. As they cross the first
half-a-dozen flying fences, side by side, it wants a keen eye to
mark any difference in the execution. The difference, as a rule,
will consist only in the different ways in which the horses land
after their jumps,--the one will pitch a little heavily, a little
'abroad,' a little as if he got there somehow, but did not quite
know how; whilst the other will land lightly, exactly in the right
spot, and precisely as if the two partners were one.
"How comes this? One horse is being steered by physical power and
science only; the other by a wonderful force, which joins together
in one two minds and two bodies.
"Now, see the test. Yonder waves a line of willows, and both riders
know that the biggest and nastiest water jump in the county is
ahead of them. Both equally mean to get over; but if they do, it
will be in two different fashions: the one will compel his horse
to jump it by sheer physical force; the other will jump it, if
it is jumpable at all, as the 'senior partner' of the animal he
bestrides. Down they go, sixty yards apart, and each, say, has
picked a place which it is only just possible for a horse to
cover; neither horse can turn his head; for, at the last stride,
the velvet hands have become grips of iron. Splash goes Number 1;
he went as far as he could: but that last two feet wanted just an
impetus which was absent. How about Number 2? The rider has fixed
his eye, and his mind with it, on yonder grassy spot on the other
side of the water, and, sure enough, the fore-feet are simply
'lifted' into it by something inward, not outward; but only the
fore-feet. Still, the calculation of the strung-up mind has entered
into that, the stirrups have been cast loose in the 'fly,' and the
moment the hoofs touch the bank, the rider is over his horse's
head, with reins in hand; a second more, the horse is beside him;
yet another, and they are away forward, without losing more than a
minute.
"Assheton Smith expressed in _some_ manner--but only in _some_
manner--what I mean in his well-known dictum, 'Throw your heart
over a fence, and your horse is sure to follow.'
"I could give hundreds of instances and anecdotes of this magnetic
power of the rider over the horse, but one will suffice to prove my
point.
"I was out for a ride one day with an argumentative friend along
the road, and was on a very celebrated old hunter that had been
my friend and partner for many a season. We were talking on this
subject, and my friend scoffed at the very idea of such a thing as
a sort of visionary nonsense. A hundred yards ahead there was an
intersecting cross-road, at right angles to that on which we were
riding. I pulled up my horse.
"'Now,' I said, 'look here; I will prove my theory to you. Choose
and tell me which of these roads my horse shall take. You shall
ride three lengths behind me; I will throw the reins on his neck,
and I will bet you a sovereign he goes the way I will him; and
you shall be the judge whether it is possible for me to have
influenced him by any word, touch, or sign,--only, you must keep at
a walk, and not utter a word or a sound.'
"He made the bet, and fixed on the right hand cross-road as being
the one he knew very well the horse had never been before, whilst
the two others were both roads to 'meets.'
"I simply fixed my eyes and my will on the road, and when the horse
arrived at the spot, he turned down with the same alacrity as if
his stable had been in full view.
"I need not say that I have many times tried the same experiment,
and that with many variations and many different horses, and
hardly ever failed,--indeed, on American prairies I have found the
habit once or twice a dangerous nuisance, inasmuch as the then
involuntary exercise of the power has, when I have been myself
lost, influenced the horse to go the wrong way, because I was
thinking it was the right one, whereas, if he had been let alone,
he would not have made a mistake.
"Now, this magnetic power can be used with dogs, only in an
inferior degree to horses."
The author then goes on to relate numerous instances, some of them
truly marvellous, in which he demonstrated his power over dogs. He was
evidently intelligently conscious of his power, but did not know the
conditions necessary to enable him to exercise it with uniform potency.
The most striking manifestations of the force under consideration are
by professional tamers of wild beasts. The reason of this lies in the
simple fact that they uniformly employ the means necessary to its
development,--namely, fixing their eyes upon those of the beast. This
is the traditional method. Its potency has been recognized for ages,
although the philosophical principles underlying it have never been
understood.
The conditions necessary for the exercise of this power are: first, the
subjective, or partially subjective, condition of the operator; and
secondly, his perfect faith and confidence in his power. The first is
easily attained by the simple process developed by Braid. The second
comes from successful practice, but may be commanded by the power of
auto-suggestion, as I have already shown.
History is full of instances going to show that man, in the subjective
condition, is always safe from harm by wild animals. The subjective
powers of primitive man were undoubtedly far superior to any now
possessed by any one save, perhaps, the East Indian adepts. Before the
development of objective means of communication in the form of speech,
his ideas were conveyed to his fellows by telepathy. And just in
proportion to the development of objective means of communication did
he cease to employ, and finally lose, his primitive methods and powers.
God gave him dominion over the beasts of the field and the fowls of the
air. In his primitive condition he was destitute of effective weapons
of offence or defence, such as have been evolved during the long ages
of a later civilization. He was surrounded by a monstrous fauna,
capable of annihilating the present race of civilized mankind, could it
be suddenly resurrected and turned loose in its old numbers and haunts.
In what consisted the power of primitive man to assert and maintain
his God-given dominion over the monsters of his day and generation? It
must have been the same power which is now exceptionally exercised by
the artificial displacement of the threshold of consciousness, thus
developing in a small degree his long dormant subjective powers. His
dominion was then a true one, all-potent, and far more perfect and
effective than it is to-day, with all the appliances of civilization at
his command.
Facts of record are not wanting to sustain the proposition that man
in a subjective, or partially subjective, condition is safe from the
attacks of wild beasts. One of the first recorded instances, and the
one most familiar, is the story of Daniel. Daniel was a prophet,--a
seer. At this day he would be known in some circles as a spiritual
medium; in others, as a mind-reader, a clairvoyant, etc.,---according
to the conception of each individual as to the origin of his powers. In
other words, he was a man possessed of great subjective powers. He was
naturally and habitually in that state in which, in modern parlance,
the threshold of his consciousness was displaced, and the powers of his
soul were developed. In this state he was thrown into the lions' den,
with the result recorded. The sceptic as to the divine authenticity of
the Scriptures can readily accept this story as literally true when he
recalls the experiments made in Paris a few years ago. In that city a
young lady was hypnotized and placed in a den of lions. The object of
the experiment is not now recalled; but the result was just the same as
that recorded of the ancient prophet. She had no fear of the lions, and
the lions paid not the slightest attention to her.
The adepts of India, and even the inferior priests of the Buddhistic
faith, often display their power by entering the jungles, so infested
by man-eating tigers that an ordinary man would not live an hour, and
remain there all night, with no weapons of defence save the God-given
powers of the soul.
The power of idiots, and persons afflicted with certain forms of
insanity, to tame and subdue animals has often been remarked. In such
persons the objective mind is either wholly or partially in abeyance,
and the subjective mind is proportionally active. Their immunity from
harm by animals, however ferocious, is proverbial.
Volumes might be filled with facts showing the power of the subjective
mind of man over animals; but enough has been said to demonstrate
the fact that the power exists, and that under certain well-defined
conditions it can be exercised by any person of ordinary intelligence.
It is believed that enough has been said to show the source of the
power developed by mesmeric processes, as distinguished from the
results of hypnotism. It has been seen that the primary source of power
is in the mesmerist, that it is developed by processes which place him
in the same condition as, or in a condition cognate to, that in which
the subject himself is placed, and that when these conditions exist,
and just in proportion to the perfection of these conditions, can the
phenomena of telepathy, clairvoyance, and all the higher phenomena of
subjective activity be produced.
The difference between the effects of mesmerism on man and animals is
one of degree only; and the difference of degree is determined only
by their difference in intelligence. The laws are the same. When a
man is mesmerized, his subjective mind may be stimulated to activity,
whether his objective mind is completely in abeyance or not. If it is
completely in abeyance, the subjective phenomena will be all the more
pronounced and complete. But when an animal is put to sleep, little
or no subjective phenomena can be exhibited, for the simple reason
that he has not the power of speech, and his intelligence is otherwise
limited. The same law also governs the production of hypnotic phenomena
in men and animals alike. An animal can be put to sleep by hypnotic
processes; but he cannot be made to exhibit subjective phenomena during
that sleep, owing solely to the limitations of his intelligence. He is
not capable of receiving and understanding a suggestion. Besides, in
hypnotism, as has been shown, there is no telepathic rapport existing
between the operator and the subject. Consequently the phenomena which
may be exhibited through or by means of mesmeric processes, which grow
out of telepathic rapport, cannot be exhibited in hypnotism.
It may be thought that the laws governing the production of mesmeric
phenomena show that the law of suggestion is, after all, limited in
its scope and application. This is not true, except in the sense that
suggestion, as has already been shown, is not a necessary element
in the induction of the hypnotic state. The proposition that the
subjective mind is constantly amenable to control by suggestion
is not affected in the slightest degree by mesmeric phenomena. On
the contrary, they distinctly prove the universality of that law.
Suggestion is not necessarily limited to oral communication. Nor is
it necessarily a communication which can be taken cognizance of by
means of any of the objective senses. Telepathic communication is
just as much a suggestion to the subjective mind as is oral speech.
Indeed, telepathic suggestion is often far more effective than
objective language, as will be clearly shown in a future chapter on
the subject of psycho-therapeutics. Hence the power to mesmerize at
a distance. In such cases, however, it seems to be necessary that the
operator and subject should be by some means brought into telepathic
rapport. When that has been done, especially when the rapport has been
established by the subject having been previously mesmerized by the
same operator, it is perfectly easy to mesmerize at a distance. In such
a case no previous arrangement is necessary. The suggestion is then
purely mental. But it is suggestion, nevertheless, and demonstrates
the universality of the law. Numerous instances of the exercise of
this power by purely telepathic methods are cited in the able work on
Hypnotism by Professor Björnstrom, to which the reader is referred for
particulars.
One further remark should be made regarding the power to mesmerize at
a distance, and that is, that it depends solely upon the faith and
confidence of the operator. Distance, or space, as it is cognized by
our objective senses, does not appear to exist for the subjective mind.
There is, therefore, nothing in distance, _per se_, to prevent the
full effects of mesmeric power from being felt at the antipodes just
as plainly and effectively as it is in the same room. We are, however,
so in the habit of regarding distance as an adverse element that it is
difficult to overcome the adverse suggestion that it conveys. When this
principle is once understood and fully realized, there will be nothing
to prevent an operator from exercising his power at any distance he may
desire.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 19: Scientific Education of Dogs. By H.H. London. p. 85.]
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