Hypnotism: Its History, Practice and Theory

 

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when it does meet them accidentally it will still like A. and dislike B. The child, who is now several years older, will not know its own reasons; it will not remember the former conduct of A. and B.; no questions will bring this back to its memory, yet the effect of the old impressions remains. It is certain that this is a common occurrence in childhood. Shrewd observers think it likely that a man may owe his preference for some profession—painting, for example—to some childish impression, such as dabbling with colours; in this case also the early impression is forgotten by the adult.

So far from this occurrence being confined to childhood we frequently observe it in adults. We are often influenced by unimportant expressions we have heard, though later on we cannot trace the effect to its cause. Our conduct with regard to experiences and theories is often the effect of early unconscious impressions. It is by no means an uncommon occurrence that a remark which has apparently passed unheeded has really produced a profound effect.

Finally, we find something similar in the association of heterogeneous ideas. Recent studies in sexual perversion have drawn attention to the fact that the concurrence of sexual desire and some chance experience—witnessing a flogging for example—may lead to lasting sexual perversion. It may happen that the original experience is forgotten, and yet the link between flogging and sexual excitement remains fast, so that witnessing the former invariably induces the latter. Even when the association is of the simplest kind, depending on the law of the association of experiences, there is no necessity whatever for ,the original experience to be remembered; the effect corresponding to it invariably occurs. When two mental processes have once occurred together, recurrence of the one calls up the other. Here also, without any recollection of the concrete case in which the original linking together took place being necessary, a corresponding and similar linking invariably takes place. In short, these cases are analogous to post-hypnotic suggestions, which, as we have seen, are carried out although the command has apparently been forgotten.

Moreover, we find that something similar happens in the


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case of animals. Indeed, it is mainly on this that the training of animals is based. Smugglers train their dogs to avoid frontier-guards by having them constantly beaten and other-wise maltreated by men wearing the uniform of such officials.

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