The Search for Bridey Murphy Read Online Free PDF

what is taking place throughout the trance, and they can exercise a degree of judgment and censorship at all times.
    Now to the big bugaboo: Is hypnotism dangerous? More nonsense has probably been written on this matter than any other. The truth is, and I believe all authorities will agree, that hypnosis in itself is entirely harmless. No bad effects, mental or physical, have ever been incurred by anyone as a result of his merely being hypnotized.
    Like any good tool, it might conceivably be detrimental in the wrong hands; every effective instrument may be misused. Electricity is our most dynamic servant; uncontrolled, it results in death and destruction. Water keeps us alive, but we can also drown in it. As Shakespeare put it, nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so. 3
    It is also important to note that the trance state in no way weakens the mind or the body; the subject, furthermore, will not remain under the influence of, or dependent upon, the hypnotist. In no sense is the possibility of addiction involved. In this connection another personal experience is in order.
    I had just finished my second session with a case which I had undertaken at a doctor’s request. The subject’s husband, who had been a witness at all times, drew me aside. I presumed that he wanted to thank me because his wife was showing very marked improvement.
    His first words, therefore, threw me completely off balance: “The hypnotism must stop!”
    As soon as I caught my breath I asked, bewildered, “But why? Your wife is making remarkable progress!”
    “Yes, so I see. But what good is it when she will have to go right on seeing you for the rest of her life?”
    I slumped into a chair. When I recovered from the surprise blow I asked him where he had picked up that idea. He admitted that his authority was an elderly woman who, having read stories on the subject, warned him that his wife would now be subject to a lifelong addiction!
    So I started from scratch, outlining for him the history of hypnosis, debunking the nonsense, and reviewing modern accomplishments. Then I gave him some books and medical journals to look over.
    While this fellow had been a victim of misinformation, he was far from a fool. He diligently read all the literature I had given him and then visited the library to dig out more. And he didn’t stop there. He personally interviewed two persons who had considerable experience as hypnotic subjects, quizzing them in detail particularly about the matter of addiction, will power, and general aftereffects.
    When he was fully satisfied he returned to me, apologized profusely, and urged that I continue the work with his wife. He is now one of hypnotherapy’s most enthusiastic advocates. 4
    When I encountered the question as to whether just anyone can be hypnotized I ran smack into a major drawback of hypnosis. The answer as of today is an emphatic “No.” Having just admittedthat the hypnotist possesses no supernatural abilities, let me now go a step farther and acknowledge that it is the subject, and his reaction to the operator, that is the most important single factor in the business of hypnosis.
    At this point then let us consider the subject himself. What qualities or personality characteristics combine to make a good hypnotic subject? First it must be admitted that this is a question which has never been adequately answered, for it is, after all, necessarily related to the fundamental problem: “What is a trance?” Even so, experience has contributed a certain amount of pertinent data, and at least some facts have emerged. It seems clear, for instance, that ordinary normal, healthy people are the best subjects. Intelligence and concentration, moreover, are decidedly favorable factors. The higher the intelligence and the steadier the concentration, the better a subject is likely to be.
    But there is something more than this. And defining that “certain something” is a job calling for intensive scientific research.