The fourth method, of _passive sympathy_, is the most scientific, the
most novel and the most powerful of all,--the most competent to grasp
the helpless, hopeless, half idiotic, and half criminal classes and
restore them to normal intelligence and virtue. It was not mentioned
in the "New Education," for fear of alarming the orthodox stolidity of
the medical college and the church, but it will appear in future
editions. It is the method of bringing the subject into absolute
sympathy and absolute subordination under the operator.
It has been known throughout this century that certain persons can be
brought under the control of those of stronger wills, so as to realize
the thoughts, and even sensations of the operator, feeling what he
feels, tasting what he tastes, apparently more familiar with his body
than their own, and passively subject to his will. They are said to be
_en rapport_ with him, and with no one else. In this condition his
will is substituted for their own, which is entirely passive, and he
is able to fix impressions on their minds and produce changes in their
feelings and sentiments which may remain after his control is removed.
It is self-evident that in this process we have the most powerful
lever ever discovered for uplifting the fallen, and doing more in an
hour than can be done by the usual methods in many months. Why, then,
have we not had the benefit of this potent method throughout the
century? The answer is one word, _Stolidity_! These proceedings, which
are called magnetic, or named after Mesmer, mesmeric, have had to
battle for recognition, for existence even, against the college and
the church. The medical and clerical professions have been everywhere
educated to deny, despise, and resist this species of science, and
would, if they had the power, suppress it by law, their education
having made them ignorant of its merits and ignorant of its deeply
interesting literature. Prejudice and ignorance are inculcated as
easily as science, and they are inculcated in all colleges.
But all who are acquainted with the history of animal magnetism during
the present century know that it has nobly fulfilled its mission as a
system of therapeutics, by alleviating or curing all forms of disease
of both body and mind. That which cures bodily diseases and sometimes
overcomes insanity has certainly power enough to modify the action of
the brain; and if the large number of magnetic physicians who have
been successfully occupied in conquering disease had been employed in
modifying the action of the brain in the young, we might have had as
satisfactory reports of their success, which neither the medical nor
the clerical profession would have been so much moved by jealousy to
oppose.
In the light of anthropology, however, it is not necessary to adhere
to the old formulae of the followers of Mesmer. The hypnotic or
mesmeric state is simply a condition arising from the exercise and
predominance of a faculty belonging to all human beings,--a faculty
which may be evoked by other methods, or by the voluntary action of
the subject, or by the spontaneous action of the brain, as in those
who in sleep pass into the state of somnambulism, and go forth in the
night, walking in dangerous places with perfect safety, but in an
unconscious state.
This condition is also produced by gentle manipulations over the head
toward the eyes, or upon the chest down to the epigastrium (pit of the
stomach). The reason of these processes was entirely unknown until my
discovery of the organ of Somnolence in the temples, and the
corresponding region in the body showed that the results were produced
by manipulations which concentrated the nervous action to those two
locations.
[Illustration]
The entranced or mesmeric state, in which the subject is in a dreamy
condition with but little power of will and with extreme
susceptibility, which is also a state of great mental clearness, may
be produced by directly stimulating the proper organs with the
fingers, which should be placed upon the organ of Somnolence on each
side of the head, in the temples, about an inch horizontally behind
the brow. In persons who are impressible this produces a quiet dreamy
feeling, and a disposition to close the eyes. If carried further, the
eyes become closed so that it is difficult to open them, and the
unconscious state soon follows. The same effect may be produced by
placing the hand on the body just below the breastbone (sternum). In
this condition, the character, or action of the brain, is under the
control of the operator, and by gently applying his hand over any
portion of the brain, its organs may be brought into predominant
activity, while other organs may be quelled or quieted by gentle
dispersive manipulations. Thus, placing the hand gently on the top of
the head, touching very lightly, all the amiable or moral organs will
be brought into play, producing the most admirable and pleasing
disposition; or if the operator has the necessary knowledge of the
locations he may bring out each faculty separately, such as Love,
Hope, Religion, Kindness, Conscientiousness, Firmness, Cheerfulness,
Imitation, etc.
At the same time, if there be any evil propensities, such as a
quarrelsome, irritable temper, a love of turbulence and cruelty,
selfishness, avarice, jealousy, etc., all of which lie at the base of
the brain, they may be for the time entirely suppressed by gentle
dispersive manipulations from the organs of such propensities either
down toward the chest or upward.
What I state thus of the moral and selfish tendencies or faculties is
equally applicable to all the faculties and their organs. We may
stimulate all forms of intelligence, observation, memory, or reason,
or check excessive intellectual activity when it disturbs sleep and
exhausts the brain. We may thus cultivate modesty, obedience,
prudence, industry, application, imagination, refinement,
truthfulness, faith, spirituality, originality, invention, literary
capacity, patience, perseverance, fortitude, hardihood, health,
temperance, and, in short, every good quality that we desire to see
developed, if we understand cerebral science; and if we understand
only its general-outlines we can at least improve the character by
giving a predominance to the superior regions of the brain.
But while this may be done more effectively in the somnolized
condition, it is not absolutely necessary to induce that condition.
Speaking of the entire fourteen hundred millions now on the globe, we
may say that a large majority are susceptible, in various degrees, of
feeling such influences without any previous somnolizing. Nearly all
the inhabitants of the torrid zone are subject to such influences in
their habitual condition, and actually require no medicine, because
their treatment by the hand of an enlightened anthropologist familiar
with therapeutic sarcognomy will control all their diseases. The
greatest triumphs of sarcognomy are yet to be realized in such
climates.
In the United States, the susceptibility increases as we go South. The
majority of the southern population are impressible, and there are
some who would even maintain that a majority are, in the North; and
certainly magnetic healers have been very successful in New England.
But whatever may be the case with adults, I believe that a majority of
the young everywhere possess a considerable degree of impressibility,
and that the mother's hand, gently applied upon the upper surface of
the head, will generally quiet the evil passions and promote good
humor.
This is more especially true of girls. It is rare to find one who does
not show in her youth, especially from ten to twenty years of age, a
degree of susceptibility which makes her a good subject for the manual
treatment of disease, and also for improving the action of the brain,
by the scientific use of the hand upon the head, by which despondent,
restless, fretful, hysterical, or other evil conditions may be quickly
overcome. The speedy relief of headache is especially remarkable.
My own experiments upon the brain have been made for the development
and cultivation of science, or the assistance of the sick. I have not
had time to undertake the systematic cultivation and change of
character by such processes in the young; but when I see how quickly
and completely the condition of a patient may be changed, and all
cloudy, depressed conditions of the brain removed,--how easily I can
produce a state of insanity, idiocy, or pugnacity, and as quickly
remove it entirely,--I cannot doubt that a little perseverance in
cultivating the nobler qualities until they become by habit a second
nature will change even the most depraved, if the process be begun in
childhood or youth and steadily maintained, unless there be a great
organic deficiency in the brain, which cannot be remedied.
The teacher of the future, duly educated in anthropology, will lay
aside the rod, and will find in the scientific application of his
hands the means of overcoming acquired or even hereditary evils; and
special asylums will be established, in which the most degenerate
youth may be restored to honor, not by cerebral treatment alone, but
by all the appliances of industry, music, religion, and love, which
have already reformed so many youthful criminals at Lancaster, Ohio,
and given them to society as good citizens.
The method of direct operation on the brain, which was introduced by
my discovery in 1841, is that with which I am more familiar, but the
mesmeric method has long been known, and the modification of this,
which might be called the imaginative method, has been made familiar
during the last fifty years under the popular name of psychology, and
sometimes under the absurd name of electro-biology.
This method is simply that of assuming control of the subject when he
is in the passive state, and making him believe anything he is told,
as, for example, that a handkerchief is a snake, that a piece of money
is burning hot, or that he is a king, a hero, an orator, an
auctioneer, or anything else suggested by the fancy of the operator,
which is at once carried into personation by the subject. This is a
familiar, popular exhibition, which never fails to attract and amuse,
but has unfortunately not been applied to its philanthropic uses in
healing disease and elevating the character. If disease can be
overcome by making the subject believe a glass of pure water a
powerful restorative medicine, or by believing himself marvellously
well and vigorous; or if his vicious or indolent habits can be
overcome by making him for a time believe himself a religious saint or
an energetic business man,--such experiments should be made a powerful
adjunct in education, and in the reformation of criminals; and this
application has recently been made in France, which has the honor of
leading in this important philanthropy.
The passive state required may be produced by fixing the gaze intently
for a few minutes upon some object near the eyes which requires them
to be turned inward, or by gazing at the eyes of the operator. The
operator tells him if his eyes are shut that he cannot open them, or
that he cannot lift his foot, or cannot step across a certain mark,
and he seems unable to do so, but does readily whatever his operator
suggests, and believes himself to be whatever his operator
says--experiments which have been made a source of infinite amusement
to public audiences.
For example, about forty-five years ago a Mr. Keeley was making such
exhibitions in Louisville, and found an old lawyer named Dozier a good
subject. He informed Mr. Dozier on the platform that he was Mr. Polk,
President of the United States, whereupon he attempted to assume a
corresponding dignity. Then, bringing up Mr. Geo. D. Prentice, the
witty editor of the _Louisville Journal_, he informed the
quasi-President Polk that this was his wife, Mrs. Polk, just arrived,
whereupon an amusingly cordial reception of the quasi-wife occurred.
The utilization of these principles by the French is shown in the
following translation from the German.