Neurypnology Chapter II

Neurypnology Chapter II

I now proceed to detail the mode which I practise for inducing the phenomena. Take any bright object (I generally use my lancet case) between the thumb and fore and middle fingers of the left hand; hold it from about eight to fifteen inches from the eyes, at such position above the forehead is may be necessary to produce the greatest possible strain upon the eyes and eyelids, and enable the patient to maintain a steady fixed stare at the object. [Footnote: At an early period of my investigations, I caused the patients to look at a cork bound on the forehead. This was a very efficient plan with those who had the power of converging the eyes so as to keep them both steadily directed on the object. I very soon found, however, that there were many who could not keep both eyes steadily fixed on so near an object, and that the result was, that such patients did not become hypnotised. To obviate this, I caused them to look at a more distant point, which, although scarcely so rapid and intense in its effects, succeeds more generally than the other, and is therefore what I now adopt and recommend.] The patient must be made to understand that he is to keep the eyes steadily fixed on the object, and the mind riveted on the idea of that one object. It will be observed, that owing to the consensual adjustment of the eyes, the pupils will be at first contracted : they will shortly begin to dilate, and after they have done so to a considerable extent, and have assumed a wavy motion, if the fore and middle fingers of the right hand, extended and a little separated, are carried from the object towards the eyes, most probably the eyelids will close involuntarily, with a vibratory motion. If this is not the case, or the patient allows the eyeballs to move, desire him to begin anew, giving him to understand that he is to allow the eyelids to close when the fingers are again carried towards the eyes, but that the eyeballs must be kept fixed , in the same position, and the mind riveted to the one idea of the object held above the eyes. It will generally be found, that the eyelids close with a vibratory motion, or become spasmodically closed. After ten or fifteen seconds have elapsed, by gently elevating the arms and legs, it will be found that the patient has a disposition to retain them in the situation in which they have been placed, if he is intensely affected. If this is not the case, in a soft tone of voice desire him to retain the limbs in the extended position, and thus the pulse will speedily become greatly accelerated, and the limbs, in process of time, will become quite rigid and involuntarily fixed. It will also be found, that all the organs of special sense, excepting sight, including heat and cold, and muscular motion, or resistance, and certain mental faculties, are at first prodigiously exalted, such as happens with regard to the primary effects of opium, wine, and spirits. After a certain point, however, this exaltation of function is followed by a state of depression, far greater than the torpor of natural sleep. [Footnote: I wish to direct especial attention to this circumstance, as from overlooking the fact of the first stage of this artificial hypnotism being one of excitement, with the possession of consciousness and docility, many imagine they are not affected, whilst the acceleration of pulse, peculiar expression of countenance, and other characteristic symptoms, prove the existence of the condition beyond the possibility of a doubt, to all who understand the subject. I consider it very imprudent to carry it to the ulterior stage, or that of torpor, at a first trial. Moreover, there is great difference in the susceptibiIity to the neuro- hypnotic impression, some arriving at the state of rigidity and insensibility in a few minutes, whilst others may readily pass into the primary stage, but can scarcely be brought into the ulterior, or rigid and torpid state. It is also most important to note, that many instances of remarkable and permanent cures have occurred, where it has never been carried beyond the state of consciousness.]

From the state of the most profound torpor of the organs of special sense, and tonic rigidity of the muscles, their may, at this stage, instantly be restored to the opposite condition of extreme mobility and exalted sensibility, by directing a current of air against the organ or organs we wish to excite to action, or the muscles we wish to render limber, and which had been in the cataleptiform state. By mere repose the senses will speedily merge into the original condition again. The modus operandi of the current of air producing such extraordinary effects, I acknowledge myself quite unable to explain, but I have no difficulty in producing and reproducing the effects by the same means, whether performed by myself or others, and whether the current of air is from the lips, from a pair of bellows, or by the motion of the hand, or any inanimate object. The extent and abruptness of these transitions (see page 63) are so extraordinary, that they must be seen before the possibility is believed.

An abrupt blow, or pressure over the rigid muscle, will de-hypnotise a rigid part; but, I have found pressing the nose will not restore smell, unless very gentle and continued, nor will pressing a handkerchief against the ear restore hearing when the ear has become torpid, nor will gentle friction over the skin restore sensibility to the dormant skin, or mobility to the rigid muscles underneath, (unless so gentle as to be titillation, properly so called) and yet a slight puff of wind will instantly rouse the whole to abnormal sensibility and mobility : a fact which has perplexed and puzzled me exceedingly.

At first I required the patients to look at an object until the eyelids closed of themselves, involuntarily. I found, however, that in many eases this was followed by pain in the globes of the eyes, and slight inflammation of the conjunctival membrane. In order to avoid this, I now close the eyelids, when the impression on the pupil already referred to has taken place, because I find that the beneficial phenomena follow this method, provided the eyeballs are kept fixed, and thus, too, the unpleasant feelings in the globes of the eyes will be prevented. Were the object to produce astonishment in the person operated on, by finding himself unable to open his eyes, the former method is the better; as the eyes once closed it is generally impossible for him to open them; whereas they may be opened for a considerable time after being closed in the other mode I now recommend. However, for curative purposes, I prefer the plan which leaves no pain in the globes of the eyes. In fine, from a careful analysis of the whole of my experiments, which have been very numerous, I have been led to the following conclusion :- That it is a law in the animal economy, that by a continued fixation of the mental and visual eye, on any object which is not of itself of an exciting nature, with absolute repose of body, and general quietude, they become wearied; and, provided the patients rather favour than resist the feeling of stupor of which they will soon experience the tendency to creep upon them, during such experiments, a state of somnolency is induced, accompanied with that condition of the brain and nervous system generally, which renders the patient liable to be affected, according to the mode of manipulating, so as to exhibit the hypnotic phenomena. As the experiment succeeds with the blind, I consider it not so much the optic, as the sentient, motor, and sympathetic nerves, and the mind through which the impression is made. I feel so thoroughly convinced that it is a law of the animal economy that such effects should follow such condition of mind and body, that I hesitated not to give it as my deliberate opinion, that this is a fact which cannot be controverted. As to the modus operandi we may never be able to account for that in a manner so is to satisfy all objections; but neither can we tell why the law of gravitation should act as experience has taught us it does act. Still, as our ignorance of the cause of gravitation acting as it is known to do, does not prevent us profiting by an accumulation of the facts known as to its results, so ought not our ignorance of the whole laws of the hypnotic state to prevent our studying it practically, and applying it beneficially, when we have the power of doing so.

I feel confident that the phenomena are induced solely by an impression made on the nervous centres, by the physical and psychical condition of the patient, irrespective of any agency proceeding from, or excited into action by another - as any one can hypnotise himself by attending strictly to the simple rules I lay down; and the following is a striking example of the fact, which was communicated to me and two other gentlemen, by a most respectable teacher. He found that a number of his pupils had been in the habit of hypnotising themselves, and he had ordered them to discontinue the practice. However, one day he ascertained a girl had hypnotised herself by looking at the wall, and that her companions bad put a pen in her hand, with which she bad written the word 'Manchester'; and she held the pen very firmly - in fact the fingers were cataleptiformly rigid. He spoke to her in a gentle tone of voice, and called her. She arose and advanced towards him, and when awoke, was not aware he had called her, or of what had passed. I have also had the state of the patient tested before, during, and after being hypnotised, to ascertain if there was any alteration in the magnetic or electric condition, but although tested by excellent instruments, and with great care, no appreciable difference could be detected. Patients have been hypnotised whilst positively, and also whilst negatively, electrified, without any appreciable difference in the phenomena; so that they appear to be excited independently of electric or magnetic change. I have also repeatedly made two patients hypnotise each other, at the same time, by personal contact. How could this be reconciled with the theory of a special influence transmitted being the cause of the phenomena, plus and minus being equally efficient? It is also well known, that occasionally the phenomena arise spontaneously in the course of disease. It is now admitted even by the editor of the Lancet, one of the greatest opponents of mesmerism, in the leading article of 4th February, 1843, that the phenomena 'are wonderful only to those who are unacquainted with the aspects of disease'; and 'that we continually see patients labouring under hysteria, and analogous forms of nervous disease, falling suddenly into various states of stupor, trance, and convulsion, without any assignable cause'. When it is acknowledged that such effects as those named, may spring from such slight influences as to be said to arise 'without any assignable cause', can it be wondered at that important changes may be induced by acting on the nervous system in the way I have adopted, of which Mr Herbert Mayo, (whose competence to give an opinion on any physiological subject no one will question, and who himself publicly submitted to be operated on by me) observed, in the course of our correspondence, that it induces 'a feeling of stupor, which anyone may observe has a disposition to creep upon him, when he tries your experiment of looking fixedly at an object as you direct'.

I thought it desirable, therefore, to adopt the name I did, for the reasons explained in the introduction. A patient may be hypnotised by keeping the eyes fixed in any direction. It occurs most slowly and feebly when the eyes are directed straight forward, and most rapidly and intensely when they can be maintained in the position of a double internal and upward squint.[Footnote: It is not a little amusing to find any one try to distort so greatly, by garbled statements, the plain meaning of an author, as to make it appear that a writer of some articles on Animal Magnetism, in the Medical Gazette in 1833, was well acquainted with my mode of operating. He observes at page 856, 'On the majority of persons no influence whatever is exhibited'. How does this coincide with the general success of my mode as stated at page 24? 'On those least affected a number of anomalous slight symptoms are produced'. He then describes those 'feelings of heat and cold, and those of creeping and trembling', which, he adds, 'are only the usual imaginary feelings which most persons have if their attention be strongly directed to any particular part of the body, more especially if (as is generally the case with magnetic patients) something is expected to occur'. Such are the symptoms attributed by this writer to 'attention', but are these the symptoms or phenomena induced by Hypnotism, as stated in NEURYPNOLOGY CHAPTER IV? Or is there the slightest similarity in the cause? In this author's view it is the result of 'attention strongly directed to different parts of the body', whereas mine is by attention riveted to something without the body. The best mode of gathering the opinion of an author appears to me to be that of his summing up at the conclusion of his subject. Now, at page 1037, the subject is concluded by die following observations : 'This, then, is our case. Every credible effect of magnetism has occurred, and every incredible is said to have occurred in eases where no magnetic influence has been exerted, but in all which excited imagination, irritation, or some powerful mental impression, has operated : where the mind has been alone acted on, magnetic effects have been produced without magnetic manipulations : where magnetic manipulations have been employed, unknown, and therefore without the assistance of the mind, no result has ever been produced'. Now, can any thing more be required than this, to prove that this writer, as well as Bertrand, adheres to the theory of imagination ? Such was the impression left on my mind by reading these papers when they were published; and, together with Wakley's experiments, determined me to consider the whole as a system of collusion or illusion, or of excited imagination, sympathy, or imitation. I therefore abandoned the subject as unworthy of further investigation, until I attended the conversazioni of Lafontaine, where I saw one fact, the inability of a patient to open his eyelids, which arrested my attention; I felt convinced it was not to be attributed to any of the causes referred to, and I therefore instituted experiments to determine the question; and exhibited the results to the public in a few days after.

It is now pretty generally known, that during the effort to look at a very near object, there is produced, according to the direction of the object, a double internal squint, or double internal and downward or upward squint, and the pupils are thereby powerfully contracted. I am not aware, however, that it has been recorded, that by directing the eyes loosely, upwards or downwards, to the right or to the left, as if looking at a very distant object, the pupils become very much dilated, irrespective of the quantity of light passing to the retina; so that in this manner we can contract or dilate the pupil at will. To those who consider the movement of the iris as the mere effect of irritability, I may observe, in that view, the former position increases, the latter diminishes, the irritability. I may farther remark, if the eyes are much strained in ANY direction, I think the pupils will be found to contract as a consequence.

It is important to remark, that the oftener patients are hypnotised, from association of ideas and habit, the more susceptible they become; and in this way they are liable to be affected entirely through the imagination. Thus, if they consider or imagine there is something doing, although they do not see it, from which they are to be affected, they will become affected; but, on the contrary, the most expert hypnotist in the world may exert all his endeavours in vain, if the party does not expect it, and mentally and bodily comply, and thus yield to it.

It is this very circumstance, coupled with the extreme docility and mobility of the patients, and extended range and extreme quickness of action, at a certain stage, of the ordinary functions of the organs of sense, including heat and cold, and muscular motion, the tendency of the patients in this state to approach to, or recede from, impressions, according as their intensity or quality is agreeable or the contrary, which I consider has misled so many, and induced the animal magnetisers to imagine they could produce their effects on patients at a distance, through mere volition and secret passes. [FOOTNOTE: In the Medical Times of 26th March, 1842, I published a letter on this subject, from which I make the following extracts : 'The supposed power of seeing with other parts of the body than the eyes, I consider is a misnomer, so far as I have yet personally witnessed. It is quite certain, however, that some patients can tell the shape of what is held at an inch and a half from the skin, on the back of the neck, crown of the head, arm, or hand, or other parts of the body, but it is from feeling they do so; the extremely exalted sensibility of the skin enabling them to discern the shape of the object so presented, from its tendency to emit or absorb caloric. This, however, is not sight, but feeling. 'In like manner I have satisfied myself and others, that patients are drawn, or induced to obey the motions of the operator, not from any peculiar inherent magnetic power in him, but from their exalted state of feeling enabling them to discern the currents of air, which they advance to, or retire from, according to their direction. This I clearly proved to be the case today, and that a patient could feel and obey, the motion of a glass funnel passed through the air at a distance of fifteen feet. 'To remove all sources of fallacy as to the extent of influence exercised by the patient herself, independently of any, personal or mental influence on my part, whilst I was otherwise engaged, my daughter requested the patient to go into a room by herself, and, when alone, try neither she could hypnotise herself. In a short time, I was told the patient was found fast asleep in my drawing-room. I went to her, bandaged her eyes, and then, with the glass funnel, (which I used to avoid the chance of electric or magnetic influence being passed from my person to that of the patient) elevated, or drew up her arms, and then her whole body. I now retired fifteen feet from her, and found every time I drew the funnel towards me, she approached nearer, but when it was forced sharply from me, she invariably retired; and if it was moved laterally, she moved to the right or left accordingly."]

I now continued drawing the funnel so as to keep up the currents towards the door, and in this way, her arms being extended, and eyes bandaged, she followed me downstairs and up again, a flight of twenty-two steps, with the peculiar characteristic caution of the somnambulist. After arriving at the top of the stair, I allowed her to stand a little, and again began the drawing motion. She evidently felt the motion, and attempted to come, but could not. I now endeavoured to lead her by the hand, but found that the legs had become cataleptiform, so that she could not move. I now carried her into the drawing-room, and, after she was seated on a chair, awoke her. She was quite unconscious of what had happened, and could not be made to believe she had been down stairs - she said she was quite sure she could have done no such thing without falling - and to this moment believes we were only hoaxing her by saying she had had such a ramble. 'I had repeatedly performed this experiment with this patient and others before, with the same result in all respects but walking up and down stairs; and proved their readiness to be drawn by others equally as myself when in that state; so that I consider it quite evident to any unprejudiced person, that a patient can hypnotise himself independently of any personal influence of another; and that it is by extreme sensibility of the skin, and docility of the patients, that they are drawn after an operator, rather than by magnetic attraction; and that the power of discriminating objects held near the skin in different parts of the body, is the result of feeling, and not of sight. 'The moment I witnessed the attempts of a celebrated professor,to draw a patient, I formed my opinion of the cause; - that it arose from currents of air produced by his hand, together with the extreme sensibility of the skin, and docility of the patients when in that state; and my experiments have clearly proved this, some patients acknowledging the fact. 'It may be interesting to remark, that whilst passing up and down stairs the door bell rang, which produced such a tremor through the whole frame as nearly caused the patient's fall- a fact quite in accordance with the effect of any abrupt noise on NATURAL somnambulists'. It is owing to this extreme sensibility of the skin during hypnotism, that patients may walk through a room blindfolded, without running against the furniture - the difference of temperature, or rather degree of conducting power of objects, and the resistance of the air directing them. I have frequently illustrated this with very sensitive patients in the most beautiful and satisfactory manner, thus : By throwing any fragrant and agreeable scent on a bare table the patients will approach, anxious to smell it, but are repelled before they come quite close to the cold table. Place a handkerchief on the table, on which place the scent, and now the patient will approach close to it, and revel in its fragrance. Remove the handkerchief, and the attractive and repulsive movements will again ensue.

This was beautifully illustrated at a private conversazione at my house lately, in the presence of several medical and other eminently scientific gentlemen. Two patients were hypnotised, when one became so enamoured of the scent of a gentleman's snuff-box as to follow him round the room. He then laid the box about eighteen inches from the edge of an uncovered table, when she advanced, her arms being extended, anxious to reach the box, but when about ten or twelve inches from it, she started back, from perceiving the impression of the cold table at that distance. She now made another attempt to approach the box, being attracted by the fragrance of its contents, but was as speedily repelled by the cold table before she approached it, and now kept bobbing over the box, much in the same manner as I have witnessed in the attempts of a hungry dog to partake of very hot food. The other patient, in passing round the table, also caught the smell of the box, and advanced from another point, and thus both kept bobbing over it, much to the amusement of all present. I now covered the table with a handkerchief, and placed the box on it, when they instantly approached close to it, and seemed to feast on its fragrance; on removing the handkerchief they withdrew, and commenced bobbing over it as at first. The former patient had never seen such experiments, or been tested in this way before.

It would be difficult to adduce a more striking example than the following of the fact, that the phenomena are produced by the fixation of the mind and eyes, and general repose of the patient, and not from imagination, or the look or will of another. After my lecture at the Hanover Square Rooms, London, on the 1st of March, 1842, a gentleman told Mr Walker, who was along with me, that he was most anxious to see me, that I might try whether I could hypnotise him. He said both himself and friends were anxious he should be affected, but that neither Lafontaine nor others who had tried him, could succeed. Mr Walker said, if that is what you want, as Mr Braid is engaged otherwise, sit down, and I will hypnotise you myself in a minute. When I went into the room I observed what was going on, the gentleman sitting staring at Mr Walker's finger, who was standing a little to the right of the patient, with his eyes fixed steadily on those of the latter. I passed on, and attended to something else, and when I returned a little after, found Mr Walker standing in the same position fast asleep, his arm and finger in a state of cataleptiform rigidity, and the patient wide awake, and staring at the finger all the while. After I had roused Mr Walker, the gentleman observed, 'this is really very strange, that no one can mesmerise me; I must have extraordinary powers of resistance'. I requested him to stay a little, and I would try what I could do for him when all was quiet. In three minutes I had him asleep, and in a little more quite rigid. The following reasons may be assigned for my success after Mr Walker had so signally failed. He tried it whilst there were several people in the room, who were moving about and talking; I took care not to commence till all was quiet - Mr Walker had not taken the precaution to make the patient direct his eyes in the best possible manner, but I was careful that he should do so. Moreover, although Mr Walker had not succeeded in putting him into the somnolent condition, he had, no doubt partially affected him, and the influence had not entirely passed off when I began my operation. Two days after, Mr Walker accompanied me when I called on one of the most celebrated mesmerisers in Europe, Who, during our conversation, stated, that a glance of the eye was quite enough, in many cases, to produce the effects. During our conversation, I presume, he had determined to surprise both Mr Walker and myself, by keeping his large intellectual eyes fixed on Mr Walker. The latter, however, suspecting what was intended, and knowing my opinion as to the mode, of resisting the influence of such fascination, kept his eyes moving, and his mind roaming, and thus frustrated the volition of one of the most energetic minds, and the glances and fascination of one of the finest pair of eyes imaginable for such a purpose. I must remark, that Mr Walker was once magnetised by M. Lafontaine, after having been several times operated on by me, a circumstance which of course would render him more susceptible to the influence of the animal magnetisers' modes of operating, according to their own theory. Had Mr Walker believed in the power, I know he would have become affected, even supposing the gentleman referred to had no such intention - and I am not prepared to say he had. Mr Walker, however, firmly believed he was trying to mesmerise him by the fascination referred to; but, relying on my opinion, and acting accordingly, he escaped. In order to show the efficacy of my simple plan, in a short time after, in the presence of the same gentleman, I requested Mr Walker to hypnotise himself. By simply fixing his eyes and mind this was accomplished in about a minute.

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