Relative Position of Subject and Hypnotist.— The subject is invited to take his seat on an easy chair or asked to lie on a sofa (with his back to the light, which should shine on your face). He is further invited to make himself comfortable, think of nothing in particular, not to be over-anxious, and simply—as far as lies in his power—follow the directions given. If the subject be on a chair, you can stand conveniently in front of or at the right side of your subject. Should he be lying on a couch, you may draw in a chair; and in all cases your position should be that which will make the subject slightly raise his eyes to see you. His muscles should be relaxed, all limbs flexed, hands and arms comfortably bestowed; but you are just the opposite; your muscles are braced and you are correspondingly positive, alert and self-confident, as the subject is, or ought to be, negative and receptive.

Next for 3 minutes or so, take hold of his left hand in an easy, comfortable manner by your right hand. The best position is to put the ball of your thumb on his, while your thumb itself crossing his wrist applies a gentle pressure on the nerves just above the wrist. Place your left hand on his head for a couple of minutes, covering his forehead at the right temple with the hollow of your hand, with fingers resting on head and your thumb converging towards "Individuality." Your eyes are, of course, directed to his organ of individuality throughout. Exercise your will calmly and steadfastly towards the desired end—sleep. This is taking the contact.

The next step is to quietly arouse the subject's attention and keep it. Suppose the subject is in a chair, you will take your stand erect within easy distance at one side or in front of him, and speak in a quiet, kind, but firm and decisive voice, suggesting both assurance and comfort. You may either ask your subject to direct his eyes to yours or you may hold the fore-finger of your right hand from with 5" or 6" of the subject's eyes and slightly above them and ask him to look steadily at the tip of your finger; or you may substitute a button or the tip of your wand for the same purpose; in a short time he will experience the hypnotic influence. Inform him, if he feels any strange or peculiar feelings —a sinking sensation, darkness of vision, nervous tremulousness, drowsiness, or an inclination to sleep, not to resist, but give way. It will be alright and you will see him through.

While this talk is quietly and amiably going on, the subject continues looking at these non-excitable objects. In a quieter tone commence your "sleep talk," and as you go along, your tone will become more and more muffled and monotonous. "You are getting restful and easy, drowsy, very sleepy, drowsy and inclined to sleep. You are restful and drowsy, sleepy, restful and easy," slowly several times.

"You are very drowsy and your eyes are becoming heavier and heavier. They will close of their own accord very soon. Your sight is getting dim; the eyelids are very heavy. You are feeling sleepy, s-1-e-e-p-y. You cannot keep your eyes open long; you are sleepy, sleepy, sleepy; you are feeling sleepy, sleepy, sleepy, s-1-e-e-p-y," several times with slight alterations.

"You are sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, soundly sleeping; nothing can disturb your sleep; you are soundly sleeping, nothing can disturb you. Sleep on. Sleep soundly. That is it. You are sleeping, sleeping sleeping soundly; soundly sleeping; nothing can disturb you. No noise in the world can disturb your sleep. Sleep on. Sleep soundly. You are sleeping, sound asleep; fast asleep you are. No earthly voice can wake you from this excellent sleep other than mine; fast asleep, asleep, sound asleep; you are sleeping soundly, fast asleep, sound asleep," several times, the latter more decisively but not louder.

All the while, you maintain your fixed position and steady gaze; but throughout there should be neither vulgar staring nor thumb-pressure.

Meantime, the eyelids have dropped, trembled and closed. A slight alteration in the breathing has taken place or other sleep symptoms have shown themselves.

You may withdraw your hands now, but not your eyes and commence your passes along with your suggestions. The tone of your voice is now to be slightly raised and the last sentence slightly altered and repeated, and the subject passes into a slight doze or into a deeper stage. [The former is quite sufficient in the majority of cases for curative purposes.] By means of the passes you further charge the brain with your influence, always downward over the head and face—forehead, top-head, side head and back-head—all coming under your direction, so far as such passes can be made with direct intent and with ease and comfort; at the same time raise your voice and repeat the sleep suggestions, while making the passes gently and soothingly over the face and form of the subject, and assuring him "you are fast asleep, sleeping, soundly sleeping, fast asleep, sound asleep, fast asleep. Sleep on, sleep soundly and well, sleep, sleep soundly."

You now proceed with both local and by general passes at distance to abstract your influence (but not to awaken your now-sensitive) by moving your hands with fingers extended, slowly from his head to his fingers, both inside and outside the arms, also from the forehead down in front of the body to the pit of the stomach and then towards the knees. At the termination of each pass raise the hands (as described in practising the passes) and commence again. Continue these passes for some time after he has apparently fallen asleep.

The next step is to see what state the patient is in. The repose, the heavier breathing, are helpful indications; but should there be any doubt, gently raise one of the eyelids, when one of two things will happen— the subject will wake up, or will remain quiescent, showing only the white of the eye. He is in the hypnotic state. He is now in a position to receive suggestion; they are received by the subliminal self, fully appreciated and acted on.

A state of hypnosis being induced, one or other of the following signs will be noticed in the subject: "A dulness comes over the eyes and the eyelids gradually sink or close as the hypnotic influence takes effect. There is a rotatory upward motion of the eye-balls, as in natural sleep or approximation thereto. There is sometimes a tremour in the closing eyelids, which may or may not wholly cover the eyes. Should the eyes be open, their expression is—expressionless. The features are about as mobile as a mask. There is more or less torpor, arms and legs sluggish. The respirations will be quiet and heavy, and the pulse, as a rule, low and even. Consciousness varies with the depth of the state. The subject may remember all that has been said to him or may not, just as he is semi-somnolent, somnolent, somnambulistic or in a deeper state."

If youdo not succeed at first, proceed at subsequent sittings as if you had no previous failure. The practical hypnotist knows the most difficult cases are overcome in the course of a few sittings. That the effects of his suggestions are accumulative. As soon as the obstructions of nervous restlessness, fear, anxiety, doubt in the subject are overcome, success is assured. When once you succeed in putting a person asleep, your power to do so will be enhanced; and your future percentages will increase in due proportion. These remarks apply to waking stage experiments, as well as any other in the direction of "New Thought Research."

That the subject is slow to respond, or be affected, should cause no uneasiness. Such cases turn out the very best and not only do they enter the state with surprising suddenness, but in case of patients, are rapidly cured. Tact, perseverance and patience on your part are bound to tell.

A subject may be refractory without meaning it Temperament, fear, too much anxiety, state of health, inability to concentrate attention, etc.,—one or all combined may delay induction of hypnosis.

When you have obtained satisfactory evidence of sleep, it is advisable to try no experiments for the first 2 or 3 sittings beyond the following: Let him sleep on for some time, and then quietly wake him up. You may, however, facilitate matters by giving a post-hypnotic suggestion just before the termination of the experiment, assuring him that he will enter more fully into the state at the next seance.

Awakening the Subject.—Do not do this suddenly. You might spoil forever a good subject by so doing. Inform your subject that you are about to wake him up and say, "When you hear the word three you will be wide awake." Stand behind or before him and make slowly and then briskly upward passes (palms of the hands up) in front of the face and blow steadily on the forehead and say, "Now, one, two, three. Awake," and your subject will awake much surprised and benefiitted by the sleep.