Buchanan's Journal of Man, June 1887: Volume 1, Number 5
Philosophy
Buchanan's Journal of Man, June 1887: Volume 1, Number 5
Medicine -- Periodicals; Phrenology -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
If we have to deal with children of lazy, unintelligent, and
indifferent character, we should confine ourselves to
practicing verbal suggestion in their waking state, and to be
effective it would be best to follow the experiments at Nancy,
especially of Dr. Liebeault, and make great effort to gain the
implicit confidence of the child. Seat it by itself on a
chair, place your hand on its forehead, and enforce the
suggestions by a mild voice and patient manner, but with firm
determination.
When, however, our treatment is to ameliorate the future
destiny of the children,--when their faculty of observation is
deficient, when they have no diligence whatever, and are full
of vicious, headstrong, evil inclinations, it is our opinion
that by all means we should apply hypnotism fully to these
degenerate creatures. The suggestions in the hypnotic sleep
are of greater efficacy, more durable and profound, and
probably in many cases it will be necessary to repeat these
procedures frequently, until the imperfect intellectual
faculties are developed, and the evil inclinations suppressed.
Thus may we guide these young souls to a better and purer
future.
In conclusion, I do not hesitate to assert the importance of
hypnotism, in spite of all objections in its application to
the mental and physical faculties of healthy persons. Its
application as an educational method will be of vast
importance to sick and depraved subjects.
The train of thought in the above essay, which Dr. Berillon has
published in the September number of his _Revue de l'Hypnotisme_,
inspired the contents of a lecture presented at the Scientific
Congress at Nancy (August, 1886), out of which arose a discussion in
which Dr. Liebault observed that the facts mentioned by Dr. Berillon
are entirely true. "My long practice," said he, "has permitted me to
gather a great number of other cases, which will sustain the doctrines
of the speaker. I have never seen a child continue entirely
unreceptive of suggestion treatment. In the persons, children, and
adults, with whom I have experimented, counting by thousands, I have
never observed the least injurious consequences whatever."
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account