Adventurings in the PsychicalBruce, H. Addington (Henry Addington)
Science
Adventurings in the Psychical
Bruce, H. Addington (Henry Addington)
Parapsychology
"Well," said Doctor Bernheim, "on that day you will pay a visit to
Doctor Liébeault; you will find in his office the president of the
republic, who will present you with a medal and a pension."
The soldier was then awakened and questioned as to what had been said to
him, but could remember nothing. However, on Wednesday, October 3,
Doctor Liébeault wrote to Doctor Bernheim:
"Your soldier has just called at my house. He walked to my bookcase,
and made a respectful salute; then I heard him utter the words: 'Your
excellency!' Soon he held out his right hand, and said: 'Thanks, your
excellency.' I asked him to whom he was speaking. 'Why, to the president
of the republic.' He turned again to the bookcase and saluted, then went
away. The witnesses to the scene naturally asked me what that madman was
doing. I answered that he was not mad, but as reasonable as they or I,
only another person was acting in him."[49]
[49] "De la Suggestion dans l'État Hypnotique," p. 29.
Compare with this an amusing little story told by Doctor Prince.
"Wishing to test the compelling influence of post-hypnotic commands," he
says,[50] "I suggested to one of my subjects, Mrs. R., after she was
hypnotized, that on the following day, when she went down to dinner,
she would put on her bonnet, and keep it on during the whole of dinner
time. The next day I received a letter from her in which she said:
[50] _Boston Medical and Surgical Journal_, vol. cxxii,
p. 463.
"'I think I am getting insane. At dinner time I would wear my hat during
the meal.'
"On further inquiry, I obtained the following story, which I give
substantially in the original language:
"'As I was going in to dinner, my girl asked me what I was going out
for. "I am not," says I. "I am going to eat my dinner." "Then what have
you got your hat on for?" says she. I put my hand to my head, and there
was my bonnet. "Lord, Mamie!" says I, "am I going crazy?" "No, mother,"
she says, "you often do foolish things." I began to get frightened, but
took off my bonnet and went into the next room to dinner.'
"Then the younger child similarly asked her where she was going, and
called attention to her having her bonnet on. A second time she raised
her hand to her head, and to her surprise found that her bonnet was
really there. She again took it off, and later, when her husband
entered, the same thing was repeated; but when she found her bonnet on
her head for the third time, she made excuse of the stormy words that
ensued to declare she would 'keep it on now till she was through.' After
dinner, being alarmed, she consulted a neighbor about it."
But the longest time on record for the carrying out of a post-hypnotic
suggestion was made by a subject of Doctor Liégeois, another of the
early French investigators. Doctor Liégeois hypnotized a young man, and
said to him:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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