Hypnotic therapeutics : illustrated by cases : with an appendix on table-moving and spirit-rapping / by James Braid.

  • James Braid
Date:
[1853]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hypnotic therapeutics : illustrated by cases : with an appendix on table-moving and spirit-rapping / by James Braid. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    tlierefore,: aocording to mesmeric notions, to be no insuperable diffictilty''ft| parties, standing or sitting round a table, being able to project theii' mes- meric force to the centre of the table, so as to lift a single 02<mce weight, and suspend it in the air as I have proposed; but, I will dare to predict that, whenever they venture on such an experiment, the full force of the will of a score of the most obstinate and energetic of them will be proved inade- quate to lift a single farthing. Or they may try to lift a penny or a soveTeign at the end of a stick, or of a wheel made of a light hoop, with cross bars, and a central shaft, at right angles, placed upright, the lower end of the shaft rest- ing on the object to be lifted at the lower end of the shaft by the force of their ■will, exerted to lift it instead of to turn the wheel. Or let two people, inst'eiia of turning a hat, lay hold of a wooden pencil or pen-holder, and lift a shilling jit the lower end of either of them whilst they are held perpendicularly, which will be equally satisfactory, if they succeed, in supporting their theory of a special'<)(r occult influence or force, and opposed to my unconscious muscular force theoi'y: But, if they still wish to cling to the horizontal motion, then they may try th'^ following plan :—Let them sit or stand round a table, but a few inches distant from it, and let them be provided with a number of leathern straps or cord^, ^h^ one end of which shall extend from the opposite hands of each couple of exIpeirU menters, and be allowed to lie loosely on the top of the table. In such'tiasfe' there would be the same facility of conducting the alleged mesmeric niedntm 'io the table from the persons operating, as when the hands are in contatt with'it'- but all chance of fallacy, from unconscious muscular action, wouM'be elfiFe^^ tually removed, so that, if the table really moves, it cannot b6 by musc'iiW¥ force, when the bond of communication between the muscles of the expel'?^ menter and the table is merely lying loose upon the table. My experimeiit at the AthentDum Conversazione with the circle of brass wire, held by five ladies at a short distance from the table, with a prolongation of the wire extendirlg from each hand of the ladies to the table, where a coil was made so that it might rest loosely on the table, fulfilled tliis indication, as well as proved tri others what was evident to myself before I proposed it,—the fallacy of sup- posing the movement dependant on an accumulation of electricity in the table, whilst it was in direct communication with the earth. The ladies coii- tinued at their task for half-an-hour without any movement of the tablfej although I observed the right hand of one of them advanced two or thi'^^ times to the extent of six inches in the direction the table was willed to move! When the wire was removed, and the hands applied, so that unconscioii^ muscular force could again come into play,. the tablfe; Very Soon • moved'fii briskly as at first trials. ■ i i, 'jii ;'•';•!-■-i:- These experiments, with a repetition of Faraday's most unexceptionable and conclusive physical tests, ought to he quite adequate to determine suclv i, question as this, and I feel very confident that the result will be in 8uppoi-t\jt my theory of the nature and cause of such phenomena, viz., the extr^ittl'- dmary influence of dominant expectant ideas in the minds of some individuals; in producing muscular action in accordance with tliose ideas, without any cOiU scious eflbrt of volition on the i)ai t of said subjects. It therefore becomes'i complete illusion as regards the parties so experimenting, as is seen in Mologim subjects; and others witnessing the experiments, become so engrossed by watching and anticipating the movements, as to overlook their real exciting cause. I beg leave, therefore, to remark, that inasmuch as my own experi^ euce, as well as that of others, has proved that such movements of inaniinat« matter may take place from the unconscious muscular action of parties laying their hands in contact with the objects moved, witlioiit their alleged new force, tlie onus necessarily lies with our opponents to prove that they can veritable produce such phy.sical movements of inanimate matter by the force of their iviU alone, when all possibility of such unconscious muscular action, as we allege is the cause ot the movements, has been entirely excluded. Let these gentlemen, theretore, prove the sincerity of their belief in the principles which they avo'N*, by trying the crucial e.xperiments whicii 1 have suggested, and let them ])nMii^'
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