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As is often the case in other branches of science, the terminology of hypnotism
is very defective. Preyer pointed this out long ago. Many terms, such as post-hypnotic,
are hybrids, and have been justly condemned. The second Congress of Hypnotists,
held in Paris in rgoo, appointed a committee to devise a sound terminology.
Oskar Vogt was a member. The work of the committee does not appear to have been
over-fruitful, for Dr. Vogt tells me that although five years have elapsed since
its constitution he has failed to hear anything of it.
There are several methods of inducing hypnosis, as can be gathered from the
above examples. In order to make a systematic survey, we divide these methods
into two groups—the mental and the physical.
The mental methods induce hypnosis by giving a particular direction to the subject's
imagination; this is done either by concentrating the attention on an arbitrary
point (Braid), or by raising an image of the hypnotic state in a patient's mind.
The latter is most easily done by speech, as we have seen in the fourth of the
examples given above. This process deserves particular attention, as by the
use of it unpleasant accompanying phenomena are more surely avoided. As a matter
of course, the methods are slightly modified to suit special cases, because
individual character plays an incomparably larger part in mental states than
in ordinary physiological investigations. It is, of course, quite possible to
call up the image of the hypnotic state, and thereby induce hypnosis by other
means than speech ; upon this fact depends the influence of imitation. The hypnotic
state is occasionally induced by the mere sight of others in that condition,
as well as by speech. The recollection of earlier hypnosis has the same effect;
upon this fact depends the induction of hypnosis by means of letters or by the
telephone (Liegeois).
In many instances the best results are obtained by taking the patient by surprise
(Sperling, Forel, Eeden, Renterghem).
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 39
Vogt prefers a method which he terms fractional hypnosis. This consists in
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