Chapter I: Preface

I do not expect this book to stand upon its literary merits; for if it is unsound in principle, felicity of diction cannot save it, and if sound, homeliness of expression cannot destroy it. My primary object in offering it to the public is to assist in bringing Psychology within the domain of the exact sciences. That this has never been accomplished is owing to the fact that no successful attempt has been made to formulate a working hypothesis sufficiently comprehensive to embrace all psychic phenomena. It has, however, long been felt by the ablest thinkers of our time that all psychic manifestations of the human intellect, normal or abnormal, whether designated by the name of mesmerism, hypnotism, somnambulism, trance, spiritism, demonology, miracle, mental therapeutics, genius, or insanity, are in some way related; and consequently, that they are to be referred to some general principle or law, which, once understood, will simplify and correlate the whole subject-matter, and possibly remove it from the domain of the supernatural. The London Society for Psychical Research, whose ramifications extend all over the civilized world, was organized for the purpose of making a systematic search for that law. The Society numbers among its membership many of the ablest scientists now living. Its methods of investigation are purely scientific, and painstaking to the last degree, and its field embraces all psychic phenomena. It has already accumulated and verified a vast array of facts of the most transcendent interest and importance. In the mean time a large number of the ablest scientists of Europe and America have been pursuing independent investigations in the phenomena of hypnotism. They too have accumulated facts and discovered principles of vast importance, especially in the field of mental therapeutics,--principles which also throw a flood of light upon the general subject of Psychology.

This vast array of facts, thus accumulated and verified, and awaiting scientific classification and analysis, would seem to justify at least a tentative effort to apply to them the processes of induction, to the end that the fundamental law of psychic phenomena may be discovered.

In the following pages I have attempted such a classification of verified phenomena, accounts of which I find in the literature current on the subject; and I have tentatively formulated a working hypothesis for the systematic study of all classes of psychic phenomena. It will be observed that I have availed myself largely of the labors of others, instead of confining myself to experimental researches of my own. I have done this for two reasons: _first_, that I might avoid the accusation of having conducted a series of experiments for the purpose of sustaining a pet theory of my own; and _second_, because I hold that substantial progress cannot be made in science until one is ready to accord due credit to human integrity, and to give due weight to human testimony.

In conclusion, I desire to say that I claim no credit for this work, save that which is due to an honest desire to promote the truth for its own sake. Sincerely believing in the correctness of my hypothesis, I have not hesitated to follow it to its legitimate conclusion in every field which I have entered. If at the close of the book I have seemed to trespass upon the forbidden field of theological discussion, it was not for the purpose of sustaining any preconceived opinions of my own; far from it. It was because I was irresistibly led to my conclusions by the terms of my hypothesis and the inflexible logic of its application. I cannot but be aware that my conclusions sometimes oppose the preconceived opinions of others. But no one who accepts my hypothesis as the true one will be compelled more frequently than I have been to renounce his former convictions.

T.J.H.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
October 21, 1892.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

PAGE

Necessity of a Working Hypothesis.--The Newtonian Hypothesis.--The
Atomic Theory.--A Psychological Hypothesis
necessary.--Theories of Hypnotism and Mesmerism.--Spiritism.--Mental
Therapeutics.--Liébault's Law of Suggestion.--Duality
of Mind.--A Working Hypothesis for
Psychology formulated.--Its Three Terms 19

CHAPTER II.

DUALITY AND SUGGESTION.

The Doctrine of the Trinity of Man.--The Greek Philosophy.--The Early
Christian Fathers.--Hermetic Philosophy.--Swedenborg.--Duality in
Modern Philosophy.--"Objective" and "Subjective" Minds.--Their
Distinctive Differences and Modes of Operation.--The Subjective
Mind a Distinct Entity.--Illustrations from Hypnotism.--Suggestion.
--Auto-Suggestion.--Universality of the Law of Suggestion 27

CHAPTER III.

REASONING POWERS OF THE TWO MINDS DIFFERENTIATED.

The Subjective Mind incapable of Inductive Reasoning.--Its
Processes always Deductive, or Syllogistic.--Its Premises
the Result of Suggestion.--Illustrations by Hypnotism.--Hypnotic
Interview with Socrates.--Reasons from an Assumed
Major Premise.--Interview with a Philosophic Pig.--The
Pig affirms the Doctrine of Reincarnation.--Dogmatism
of Subjective Intelligence.--Incapable of Controversial
Argument.--Persistency in following a Suggested Line of
Thought 33

CHAPTER IV.

PERFECT MEMORY OF THE SUBJECTIVE MIND.

Confirmed by Hypnotic Phenomena.--Opinions of Psychologists.--Sir
William Hamilton's Views.--Observations of Dr. Rush.--Talent for
Poetry and Music developed by Abnormal Conditions.--Talent for Drawing
evolved by Madness.--Resuscitation of Knowledge in the
Insane.--Extraordinary Feats of Memory during Illness.--A Forgotten
Language recovered.--Whole Pages of Greek and Hebrew remembered by
an Illiterate Servant Girl.--Speaking in Unknown Tongues
explained.--The Result of the Operations of Natural Law 40

CHAPTER V.

SUBJECTIVE MEMORY (_continued_).

Practical Illustrations.--Reasons for Limitations of Subjective
Power.--Its Practical Significance.--Its Application to the Solution of
Problems of Insanity.--The Mental Phenomena of "Genius."--Napoleon
Bonaparte.--Shakspeare.--Poets.--Artists.--Macaulay's Estimate of Poets
and Poetry.--Dangers of Subjective Control.--Lord Byron.--Socrates'
Estimate of Poets.--His Recognition of the Subjective Element in Poetic
Composition.--Occasional Inconveniences.--Unconscious
Plagiarism.--Observations of Holmes.--Improvisation.--Solution
of the Shakspeare-Bacon Problem.--The Subjective in Art.--Madness in
Art.--Great Orators.--Webster.--Clay.--Patrick
Henry.--Incidents.--Practical Conclusions 48

CHAPTER VI.

PERCEPTION OF THE FIXED LAWS OF NATURE.

Three Sub-Classes of Mental Phenomena.--Mathematical
Prodigies.--Musical Prodigies.--Measurement of Time.--Distinction
between Results of Objective Education and
Intuitive Perception.--Zerah Colburn, the Mathematical
Prodigy.--The Lightning Calculator.--Blind Tom, the
Musical Prodigy.--The Origin and Uses of Music.--East
Indian Fakirs.--Measurement of Time.--The Power possessed
by Animals.--Illustrative Incidents.--Hypnotic
Subjects.--Jouffroy's Testimony.--Bernheim's Views.--Practical
Observations.--The Normal Functions of Objective
Intelligence.--The Limitations of Subjective Intelligence
pertains to its Earthly State only.--Its Kinship to
God demonstrated by its Limitations.--Omniscience cannot
reason inductively.--Induction is Inquiry.--Perception the
Attribute of Omniscience.--Conclusions regarding the
Power of the Soul 62

CHAPTER VII.

EFFECTS OF ADVERSE SUGGESTION.

The Subjective Mind incapable of Controversial Argument.--A
Sceptical Audience demoralizes it.--The Presence of an
Avowed Sceptic prevents Successful Exhibition of Subjective
Phenomena.--Labouchere and Bishop.--The Royal
Academy of Medicine.--Its Offer to Clairvoyants.--Failure
to earn Reward.--Harmonious Conditions required by
Spiritists.--The Seybert Commission.--Trance-speaking
Mediums.--How demoralized.--Adverse Suggestion the
Cause of Failure in all Cases.--Possible Lack of Telepathic
Conditions in Bishop's Case.--General Conclusions.--Failure
Consistent with Honesty of Mediums 75

CHAPTER VIII.

HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM.

Warfare of the Schools.--History of the Science.--Mesmer's
Career.--The Academicians.--The Successors of Mesmer.--The
Royal Academy of Medicine.--Its Idiotic Prejudices.--Dr.
Braid's Discovery.--Re-baptism of the Science.--Effects
of Braid's Discoveries.--Liébault's Theory of Suggestion.--The
Nancy School and the Paris School compared.--The
Fluidic Theory.--The Law of Suggestion the Greatest
Discovery in Psychic Science.--The Significance of
Braid's Discoveries not appreciated.--Hypnotism of Animals.--The
Charcot School.--The Sources of its Errors.--Reform
in Terminology suggested.--The Mesmeric Theory.--Braid's
Processes not productive of Higher Phenomena.--Mesmerization
of Animals.--Recapitulation of Points 81

CHAPTER IX.

HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM (_continued_).

Mesmeric Methods.--The Fluidic Theory.--Influence of the
Mind of the Operator.--The Early Mesmerists.--Their
Methods and their Effects.--Decadence of the Higher Phenomena
under Braid's Methods.--The Causes explained.--Telepathic
Powers developed by Mesmerism.--Mesmerism
as a Therapeutic Agent.--Method of Operation recommended.--How
to acquire the Power.--The Necessary
Conditions of Success.--Will-Power explained.--The
Fluidic Theory requires Revision.--Distinction between
Mesmerism and Hypnotism sharply drawn.--Mesmerization
of Animals distinguished from the Hypnotization of Animals.--Methods
employed in each.--Tamers of Horses and Wild
Beasts.--Dog-Trainers.--Primitive Man.--His Powers.--His
Immunity from Harm.--Daniel.--The Adepts.--General
Conclusions 105