Complete Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Mind-Reading and Spritualism | Page 9

Cocke:
"The hypnotic state can be produced in one of the following ways: First,
command the subject to close his eyes. Tell him his mind is a blank.
Command him to think of nothing. Leave him a few minutes; return
and tell him he cannot open his eyes. If he fails to do so, then begin to
make any suggestion which may be desired. This is the so-called
mental method of hypnotization.
"Secondly, give the subject a coin or other bright object. Tell him to
look steadfastly at it and not take his eyes away from it. Suggest that
his eyelids are growing heavy, that he cannot keep them open. Now
close the lids. They cannot be opened. This is the usual method
employed by public exhibitors. A similar method is by looking into a
mirror, or into a glass of water, or by rapidly revolving polished disks,

which should be looked at steadfastly in the same way as is the coin,
and I think tires the eyes less.
"Another method is by simply commanding the subject to close his
eyes, while the operator makes passes over his head and hands without
coming in contact with them. Suggestions may be made during these
passes.
"Fascination, as it is called, is one of the hypnotic states. The operator
fixes his eyes on those of the subject. Holding his attention for a few
minutes, the operator begins to walk backward; the subject follows.
The operator raises the arm; the subject does likewise. Briefly, the
subject will imitate any movement of the hypnotist, or will obey any
suggestion made by word, look or gesture, suggested by the one with
whom he is en rapport.
"A very effective method of hypnotizing a person is by commanding
him to sleep, and having some very soft music played upon the piano,
or other stringed instrument. Firm pressure over the orbits, or over the
finger-ends and root of the nail for some minutes may also induce the
condition of hypnosis in very sensitive persons.
"Also hypnosis can frequently be induced by giving the subject a glass
of water, and telling him at the same time that it has been magnetized.
The wearing of belts around the body, and rings round the fingers, will
also, sometimes, induce a degree of hypnosis, if the subject has been
told that they have previously been magnetized or are electric. The
latter descriptions are the so-called physical methods described by Dr.
Moll."
Dr. Herbert L. Flint, a stage hypnotizer, describes his methods as
follows:
"To induce hypnotism, I begin by friendly conversation to place my
patient in a condition of absolute calmness and quiescence. I also try to
win his confidence by appealing to his own volitional effort to aid me
in obtaining the desired clad. I impress upon him that hypnosis in his
condition is a benign agency, and far from subjugating his mentality, it

becomes intensified to so great an extent as to act as a remedial agent.
"Having assured myself that he is in a passive condition, I suggest to
him, either with or without passes, that after looking intently at an
object for a few moments, he will experience a feeling of lassitude. I
steadily gaze at his eyes, and in a monotonous tone I continue to
suggest the various stages of sleep. As for instance, I say, 'Your
breathing is heavy. Your whole body is relaxed.' I raise his arm,
holding it in a horizontal position for a second or two, and suggest to
him that it is getting heavier and heavier. I let my hand go and his arm
falls to his side.
"'Your eyes,' I continue, 'feel tired and sleepy. They are fast closing'
repeating in a soothing tone the words 'sleepy, sleepy, sleep.' Then in a
self-assertive tone, I emphasize the suggestion by saying in an
unhesitating and positive tone, 'sleep.'
"I do not, however, use this method with all patients. It is an error to
state, as some specialists do, that from their formula there can be no
deviation; because, as no two minds are constituted alike, so they
cannot be affected alike. While one will yield by intense will exerted
through my eyes, another may, by the same means, become fretful,
timid, nervous, and more wakeful than he was before. The same rule
applies to gesture, tones of the voice, and mesmeric passes. That which
has a soothing and lulling effect on one, may have an opposite effect on
another. There can be no unvarying rule applicable to all patients. The
means must be left to the judgment of the operator, who by a long
course of psychological training should be able to judge what measures
are necessary to obtain control of his subject. Just as in drugs, one
person may take a dose