Sinclair, Mary Craig, 1883-1961; Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968; Telepathy; Telepathy -- Case studies
That it is intense concentration upon one suggestion—the narrowing of
the attention to one focus—which produces the cataleptic trance is
something which my wife set out to prove, and by going close to the
border-line she feels that she did prove it. The rigidity began at the
extremities and crept rapidly over the body. In spite of my protests,
Craig insisted that she was going the whole way, and asked me to stand
by and make some tests. I was to wait three minutes, and then lift her
up by the feet. I did so, and found an extraordinary thing—the body was
perfectly rigid, like a log of wood, except at the neck! When I lifted
her by her feet, the neck bent, so that the head remained on the pillow,
while the feet were raised at least a yard in the air. Later, when Craig
had relaxed, she told me that she had known what was happening; there
had been one point of consciousness left, and she had the belief that
she could let that go in another moment, but was afraid to do so,
because she might not come out again. For an instant, she had felt that
strange terror one feels at the moment he ceases to struggle against the
fumes of gas or ether, and plunges into oblivion. The difference is
that, in the case of gas or ether, one cannot hold on to consciousness;
but in the case of the cataleptic state, he can recall his receding
consciousness. Craig, of course, had not concentrated with complete
attention to one idea; one portion of her mind was concentrated upon
achieving rigidity, while another was watching and protesting against
oblivion.
Dr. Morton Prince wrote to Craig: “You are playing with powerful and
dangerous forces.” And so she dropped this form of experiment. But more
should be known about these trances, which often occur spontaneously,
and can be caused by fear—that is to say, an intense concentration on
the idea of escape from danger, which produces a tension amounting to
paralysis. In such cases there are a number of new dangers; one being
that some doctor will try to restore you with drugs and wrong
suggestions. Every suggestion of fear on the part of the onlookers must
be avoided in case of trances, for the subconscious mind of the victim
hears every word, and believes it; also telepathy has to be remembered.
One must not only speak quietly and firmly, repeating that everything is
all right, and that the person will come out safely; one must also
_think_ this. The trance may last a long time, but keep calm and sure of
success, and keep the doctor and the undertaker away. The condition of
catalepsy is more common than is realized, and it is unpleasant to think
how many persons are embalmed while in this condition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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