A moment later and this suggestibility has disappeared.It cannot be said, how-ever, that relapse into the trance is an absolutely necessary condition for the post-hypnotic carrying out of commands, for the subject may be neither suggestible nor amnesic, and may struggle with all the strength of his will against the absurdity of this impulse which he feels rising in him, he knows not why.In these cases, as in most cases, he forgets the circumstance of the impulse having been suggested to him in a previous trance; regards it as arising within him-self; and often improvises, as he yields to it, some more or less plausible or ingenious motive by which to justify it to the lookers-on.He acts, in short, with his usual sense of personal spontaneity and freedom; and the disbelievers in the freedom of the will have naturally made much of these cases in their attempts to show it be an illusion.
The only really mysterious feature of these deferred suggestions is the patient's absolute ignorance during the interval preceeding their execution that they have been deposited in his mind.They will often surge up at the preappointed time, even though you have vainly tried a while before to make him recall the circumstances of their production.The most important class of post-hypnotic suggestions are, of course, those relative to the patient's health -- bowels, sleep, and other bodily functions.Among the most interesting (apart from the hallucinations) are those relative to future trances.One can determine the hour and minute, or the signal, at which the patient will of his own accord lapse into trace again.One can make him susceptible in future to another operator who may have been unsuccessful with him in the past.Or more important still in certain cases, one can, by suggesting that certain person shall never be able hereafter to put him to sleep, remove him for all future time from hypnotic influences which might be dangerous.this, indeed, is the simple and natural safeguard against those 'dangers of hypnotism' of which uninstructed persons talk so vaguely.A subject who knows himself to be ultra-susceptible should never allow himself to be entranced by an operator in whose moral delicacy he lacks complete confidence; and he can use a trusted operator's suggestions to protect himself against liberties which others, knowing his weakness, might tempted to take with him.
The mechanism by which the command is retained until the moment for its execution arrives is a mystery which give rise to much discussion.
The experiments of Gurney and the observations of M.Pierre-Janet and others on certain hysterical somnabulists seem to prove that it is stored up in consciousness; not simply organically registered, but that the consciousness which thus retains it is split off, dissociated form the rest of the subject's mind.We have here, in short, an experimental production of one of those 'second' states of the personality of which we have spoken so often.
Only here the second state coexists as well as alternates with the first.Gurney had the brilliant idea of tapping this second consciousness by means of the planchette.He found that certain persons, who were both hypnotic subjects and automatic writers, would if their hands were placed on a planchette (after being wakened from a trance in which they had received the suggestion of something to be done at a later time)
write out unconsciously the order, or something connected with it.This shows that something inside of them, which could express itself through the hand alone, was continuing to think of the order, and possibly of it alone.These researchers have opened a new vista of possible experimental investigations into the so-called 'second' states of the personality.
Some subjects seem almost as obedient to suggestion in the waking state as in sleep, or even more so, according to certain observers.Not only muscular phenomena, but changes of personality and hallucinations are recorded as the result of simple affirmation on the operator's part, with-out the previous ceremony of 'magnetizing' or putting into the 'mesmeretic sleep.'
These are all trained subjects, however, so far as I know, and the affirmation must apparently be accompanied by the patient concentrating his attention and gazing, however briefly, into the eyes of the operator.It is probable therefore that an extremely rapidly induced condition of trance is a prerequisite for success in these experiments.
I have now made mention of all the more important phenomena of the hypnotic trance.Of their therapeutic or forensic bearings this is not the proper place to speak.The recent literature of the subject is quite voluminous, but much of it consists in repetition.The best compendious work on the subject is 'Der Hypnoismus,' by Dr.A.Moll (Berlin, 1889; and just translated into English, N.Y., 1890), which is extraordinarily complete and judicious.
The other writings most recommendable ape subjoined in the note.
Most of them contain a historical sketch and much bibliography.A complete bibliography has been published by M.Dessoir (Berlin, 1888).
