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HYPNOTISM
61 scribed by words dictated by him. If we go according, to our reason, that does not count for anything. That idea, in the Hindu view, is a limited idea. It makes God cruel to some persons, and kind to others. If all of us are his children, why should some be happy, and others miserable ? There is no explanation. Some may say that is his plan, that he is going to do us some good some way or other. That is begging the question. If we can only take if for granted that all this is given by him for a purpose, we can come to this conclusion. Those who have studied logic will understand the fallacious reasoning employed here.
In hypnotism and mesmerism there are two schools as I said. One is that which says that sleep can be induced by suggestion ; the other says that it can be induced by nervous or physiological conditions in the body. In both ways, and also by imparting the magnetic fluid, it can be induced. The suggestion is made and acted upon by the patient, and he falls into sleep. The person must be very weak indeed to obey the suggestion. There may be certain occasions v here the suggestion is necessary ; I have nothing to say with regard to that, with regard to the weakness or strength of the person,—but under ordinary circumsiances, for the sake of experiment and other purposes, if the suggestion is obeyed by the patient, it follows that he must be very weak, and from the very face of the patient you can see whether he will be hypnotized easily or not. The persons who can actually be hypnotized are generally of a weak nature, of a weak mentality. We
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