Hypnotism : its history, practice and theory / by J. Milne Bramwell.

  • John Milne Bramwell
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Hypnotism : its history, practice and theory / by J. Milne Bramwell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    71/502 page 51
    to look steadily at liim and make suggestions. These are twofold; the patient’s attention is directed to the sensations he probably is experiencing, and others, which I wish him to feel, are suggested. Thus: “ Your eyes are heavy, the lids are beginning to quiver, the eyes are filling with water. You begin to feel drowsy, your limbs are becoming heavy, you are finding it more and more difficult to keep your eyes open, etc.” Sometimes this produces the desired result; the eyes close and the first stage of hypnosis is induced. If this does not take place, I direct the patient to close his eyes, and make passes over the head and face, either with or without contact, repeating meanwhile appropriate verbal suggestions. This is continued for half an hour. No stereotyped method is employed, however, the process being varied with different patients, or with the same patient at different times, to suit the particular needs of special cases. To ensure success, it is necessary to understand the mental condition of the patient, to gain his intelligent co-operation, and to create a clear picture of hypnosis together with the expectation of its appearance. In a few instances I have attempted to change natural sleep into hypnosis, but so far without success. I have occasionally employed galvanism, and have also given chloroform, chloral, bromide and various other drugs, but generally with negative results. I have hypnotised several patients who were completely deaf: some of these were unacquainted with the deaf and dumb alphabet, and writing was the only means of communication. The neces- sary explanations and instructions were given beforehand in this way, as also the suggestions which were to be fulfilled during and after hypnosis. For the first few years of my hypnotic practice, I never made curative suggestions until hypnosis had been induced. I changed my methods, however, after having observed in Continental cliniques that suggestions were frequently responded to in cases of slight, or even doubtful, hypnosis. Now, in addition to attempting to induce hypnosis in the manner just described, I combine this with curative suggestions. Thus, from the very first treatment the patient is subjected to two distinct processes, the object of the one being to induce hypnosis, that of the other to cure or relieve disease; and frequently the latter is successful before the patient can be described as genuinely hypnotised.
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