So, again, not merely emotional states but definite ideas are thus excitable. Thus, if the hand be raised above the head, and the fingers are flexed upon the palm, the idea of climbing, swinging, or pulling at a rope is called up ; if, on the other hand, the fingers are flexed when the arm is hanging do.,vn the side, the idea excited is that of lifting a weieht ; arid if the same be done vv hen the arm is advanced forwards in the position of striking a blow, the idea of fighting is at once aroused, and the somnambulist is very apt to put it into immediate execution. On one occasion on which we witnessed this result, a violent blow was struck, which chanced to alight upon a second somnambulist within reach ; his combativeness being thereby' ex cited, the two closed, and began to belabour. one another with such energy, that they were with difficulty separated. Although their pas sions were at the moment so strongly excited, that even when separated they continued to utter furious denunciations against each other, yet a little discreet manipulation of their muscles soon calmed them, and put them into perfect good humour. The power of the operator, in regulating the state of mind of such somnambulists, is almost unlimited ; and turpasses the credibility of those who do not discern the very simple principle on which it is exercised. The facility with which parti cular feelings or ideas may thus be excited, will of course be dependent in part on the previous character and habits of the somnam bulist.
Again, a very uncommon degree of power may be determined to particular muscles, as Mr. Braid has shown, either by a suggestion (so to speak) applied directly to themselves, or by the induction of such a mental state as shall be most fitted to call them into energetic operation. Thus the extensor muscles of a limb may be excited to contraction by gently rubbing or pressing the surface above them ; and this contraction may not merely raise the limb, but tnay keep it fixed in a cataleptiform manner for a much longer time than any voluntary effort could accomplish. This con traction may be caused to give way at any moment, by gently wafting a current of air over the same surface, which seems to call off the attention from the muscles to the skin. In order to throw an extraordinary degree of power into a group of muscles by a mental process, all that is required is to suggest the action, and to assure the somnambulist that it can be accomplished with the greatest facility if he will only determine to do it. Thus, we have seen one of Mr. Braid's hypnotised sub jects, a rnan remarkable for the poverty of his niuscular development, lift a twenty-eight pound weight upon his little finger alone, and even swing it round his head, — upon being assured that it was as light as a feather. We have every reason to believe that the personal character of this individual placed him above the suspicion of deceit ; and it is obvious that if he had practised such a feat (which very few, even of the strongest men, could accomplish without practice), the effect would have been visible in his muscular development. The same individual declared himself altogether unable to raise a handker chief from the table, after many apparently strenuous efforts ; having been assured that its weight was too great for him to move. Of course, there was not an equal proof of the absence of deception in this second case as in the first; but if the reality of the first be ad mitted, there need be no difficulty in the re ception of the second, since both are manifes tations of that mental condition which has been shown to be so characteristic of this state,— the possession of the mind by a dominant idea, which, when infused into it (as it were) by the principle of suggestion, directs the bodily movements, and is not cor rected by the teachings of ordinary experience, or even by present sensations, if the mental assurance be strong enough to cause these to be disregarded.
Of the causes of somnambulism, no very definite account can be given. In some persons this state recurs frequently, or even habitually ; in others occasionally. In the case formerly detailed, its access might gener ally be traced to some strong mental emotion. Those in whom it presents itself spontaneously are said to be natural somnambulists ; but it may be induced, not merely in them, but in others who have manifested no predisposition to it, by certain artificial procedures. In many cases this may be effected through the mind alone, the simple expectation of the result being sufficient to bring it about. Thus the Abbe Faria was aceustorned to induce somnambulism by placing his patient in an arm-chair, and then, after telling him to shut his eyes and collect himself, pronouncing in a strong voice .and imperative tone the word " dormez," which generally produced on the individual an impression sufficiently strong to give a slight shock, and occasion warmth, transpiration, and sometimes somnambulism. —The following case is another illustration of the effect of this state of expectation, acting in concurrence with a fixed position. The subject of it was a lady who had pre viously shown great susceptibility to the " mesmeric " and " hypnotic " processes. " We now requested our patient to rest quietly at the fire-place, to think of just what she liked, and look where she pleased, except at ourselves, who retreated behind her chair, saying that a new mode was about to be tried, and that her turning round would disturb the process. We very composedly took up a volume which lay on the table, and amused ourselves with it for about five minutes ; when, on raising our eyes, we could see, by the excited features of other members of a little party that were assembled, that the young lady was once more magne tised. We were informed by those who had attentively watched her during the progress of our little stratagem, that all had been, in every respect, just as before. The lady herself, before she was undeceived, expressed a distinct consciousness of having felt our unseen passes streaming down the neck."# Perhaps the most effectual of all modes of inducing somnambulism is that discovered by Mr. Braid, and practised extensively by hint under the designation of hypnotism.t The following is his description of his mode of in ducing it, and of the phenomena attending its production. " Take any bright object (I gene rally use my lancet-case) between the thumb and fbre and iniddle fingers of the left hand ; hold it from about eight to fifteen inches from the eyes, at such position above the forehead as 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. 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 con sensual 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 invo luntarily, with a vibratory motion.. .. 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 tbe limbs in the extended posi tion, and thus the pulse will speedily become greatly accelerated, and the limbs, in process oF time, will become quite rigid and involun tarily fixed. It will also be found that all the organs of special sense, excepting sight, in cluding 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 fol lowed by a state of depression, far greater than the torpor of natural sleep. From the
state of the most profound torpor of the organs of special sense, and tonic rigidity of the,. muscles, they may at this stage be in stantly 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." We have our selves frequently witnessed the induction of somnambulism after this method ; and whilst fully admitting its potency, we are bound to sav that the almost invariable success which it *has in the hands of Mr. Braid himself, appears partly due to the mental condition of the patient, who is usually predisposed to the " hypnotic " state by the expectation of its certain production, and by the assurance of a man of determined will that it cannot be resisted. When the hypnotic state, however, has been induced a few times in the manner just described, the subject can usually send himself to sleep very readily by looking at his own finger, brought sufficiently near the eyes to occasion a sensible convergence of their axes ; or even by simply standing still, and fixing the eyes on a distant point. In all cases, the fixation of the eyes is the circum stance of most importance; although the withdrawal of other stimuli has a decided influence in favouring the production of the effect. The peculiar condition of the musmilar sense, as felt through the ophthalmic branch of the fifth pair, seems to have a closer relation with the subsequent state than has the con dition of the visual sense; for the same effect may be produced at night, or in blind persons, if the eyes can be kept in a fixed position, especially' in one that produces a feeling of muscular tension. And it seems to be in facilitating this, that the sense of sight comes into play in the operation just de scribed. How far the mode in which the somnambulism is produced has an influence upon its phenomena, it may not be very easy to determine. For an account of these pe culiarities, we must refer to Mr. Braid's treatise already quoted ; but we may cite the following, as having ourselves repeatedly witnessed it and satisfied ourselves Of its reality. " The remarkable fact that the whole senses may have been in a state of profound torpor, and the body in a state of rigidity, and yet by very gentle pressure over the eye-balls the patient shall be instantly roused to the waking condition, as reaards all the senses and mobility of the head and neck, in short, to all parts supplied with nerves originating above the origin of the fifth pair, and those inosculating with them,—whilst they will not be affected by simple mecha nical appliance to other organs of sense, — is a striking proof that there exists some remarkable connection between the state of the eyes, and condition of the brain and spinal cord, during the hypnotic state. Another remarkable proof to the same effect is this; Supposing the same state of torpor of all the senses, and rigidity of the body and limbs, to exist, a puff of air or a gentle pressure ainst one eye will restore sight to that eye, and sense and mobility to one half of the body — the same side as the eye operated on ; —but will leave the other eye insensible, and the other half of the body rigid and torpid as before."* We consider that the experimental re searches of Mr. Braid throw more light than has been derived from any other source upon the phenomena of Mesmerism. That there is much of reality mixed up with much impos ture in these phenomena, is a conclusion at which most candid persons have arrived who have given their attention to them ; and we have little doubt that a searching investiga tion, carried on under the guidance of his results, would lead to something like a correct discrimination between the two. The induc tion of mesmeric somnambulism appears to us to be fully explicable by the facts we have previously stated, as to the influence of the mental condition of the patient,— namely, the state of expectation, and the additional confidence derived from the mental impres sion produced by the operator,—and as to the effect of the fixation of vision. The ordi nary phenomena of the mesmeric somnam bulism itself are in most respects identical with those of hypnotism, except in this parti cular, —that there seems to be a peculiar relation between the somnambulist and the mesmeriser, which does not exist between the somnambulist and any other individual, excepting one who is en rapport with the mesmeriser. This relationship may perhaps be not enreasonably reaarded as the result of a dominant idea, whiclipossessed the mind at the moment of' falling asleep, and which con tinued to influence it so long as the somnam bulistn lasts. We have examined into the history, of many cases, in which it was affirmed that mesmeric sleep was induced without any consciousness on the part or the subject of it that any influence was being exercised ; but we have never been able to satisfy, ourselves that such was unequivocally the case. When the patient was expecting the performance, and was waiting in quiescence for its com mencement, the expectation alone was suffi cient to induce the sleep. When the patient had no such expectation, all attempts to pro duce the sleep, that have come to our know ledge, have completely failed. Hence we are strongly inclined to the belief that the rela tion between the mesmeriser and the som nambulist is one of a purely mental character, and not the result of' any new physical power. With regard to what have been termed the " higher phenomena" of mesmerism, we be lieve that without regarding them as the result of intentional deception, most of them are capable of receiving a very simple expla nation on the principles already laid down, namely, that in the state of somnambulism the senses, or some of them, are often en dowed with a wonderful acuteness, which causes the mind to be acted on hy impressions that might be affirmed to be too faint to be perceived ; and that these impressions will suggest trains of thought, and give rise to respondent actions, which are frequently of a kind that the will could not produce. As to the reality of the so-called clairvoyance, re peated personal examination has led us to a negative conclusion. The sources of fallacy arising from the causes we have mentioned, as also from the tendency on the part of the bystanders to afford assistance by asking " suggestive" or " leading questions," and from their disposition to interpret the least shadow of a resemblance into a complete coincidence, are such as greatly to diminish the wonder that a firm belief in the reality of these phenomena should be entertained by many persons of excellent judgment and great discrimination and acuteness as to all ordinary matters.
A state in most respects corresponding with natural somnambulism is frequently in duced by the inhalation of ether, chloroform, and other anmsthetic agents. Instead of being completely comatose, the patient, though quite unconscious of pain, imay be awake to ex ternal impressions received through some of his organs of sense, so as during an operation to obey the directions given him in order to facilitate its performance ; and yet he shall be completely unaware of what has taken place when the effects of the anmsthetic agent have gone off. But even the sense of pain may not he extinguished, and the patient may scream and struggle even more violently than in the waking state ; and yet the whole is subsequently- forgotten, or is remembered only as a troubled dream. It was further to be noticed that, during the employment of ether, the state of the nervous system induced by it appeared to be much influenced by the pre vious degree of confidence entertained by the patient as to its results. The more potent action of the chloroform, however, has pre vented this influence from being so apparent.
( W. B. Carpenter.)