Hypnotism: Its History, Practice and Theory |
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that he must continue to hear. De Jong also thinks that the state of the sense-perceptions
depends on the depth of the hypnosis, and that one is justified in saying that
as a rule these perceptions are diminished in the somnambulic stage. . This branch of the question has been rigorously investigated by Dc llken, who has published his results in a valuable work. He was unable to detect any quite definite and regular sequence of the phenomena as far as the individual organs of sense are concerned. The individuality of the subject, and the method of hypnosis employed, each plays a part in this respect. The perceptive faculty of the visual organ is usually the first function diminished, a result which is cettainly brought about by hypnotic suggestion. Suggestion of this nature can only very rarely be avoided. Dollken found that by excluding any possible action of verbal suggestion on the other senses that of touch remained longest intact, though in some cases the same held good for the sense of hearing. Dollken did not SYMPTOMS OF HYPNOSIS. 93 fall. to perceive a diminution of the perceptive faculty in any of his cases, not even in his own personal experience of being hypnotized for the first time, when he only fell into a somnolent state. "First of all the various articles in the room became less distinct, their outlines less clearly defined; then I became indifferent to the `passes,' which I had found very unpleasant at the commencement of the experiment. At about the same time I became no longer able to detect the smell of a medicament which permeated the room. Finally the noise in the street appeared less loud." Dollken also investigated the phenomena of deep hypnosis ; but he was unable to discover any law connecting the depth of the hypnosis with any particular phenomenon produced. The only thing he could establish was that the deeper the' hypnosis in one and the same case, the greater also the diminution in the perceptive faculty. This condition, however, often improved if the experiments were continued for some time. Dollken believes that he excluded all disturbing influences of the nature of suggestion. With regard to the eye, all degrees of amblyopia were met with, even to deep amaurosis. In one case he found the vision 3T on one occasion, but r$ on another, whereas it was normally S. In another case he found that in several experiments vision was first of Ty and then g. With regard to the sense of hearing, as the hypnosis proceeds the noises in the street appear more distant and at last inaudible, then the sounds in the room die away—for example, the ticking of the clock. Finally, the experimenter's voice becomes less audible to the subject, even if he raises his voice. More detailed investigation showed that whispering which could be heard at a distance of 6 metres in the non-hypnotic state, was inaudible at 3 metres or less. The ticking of a watch, which can normally be heard at |
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