HYPNOTIC POWER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 31, 30 October 1937, Page 12

HYPNOTIC POWER

Leadership of Dictators Anaiysed PSYCHOLOGIST'S VIEW Tho suggestion that Hitler and Mussolini had hypnotised their nations was made by Dr. Williara Brown, director of the Institute of Experimental Psychology, and Wilde Reader in Men^ tal Philosophy at Oxford, to the Psychology section of the British AsSocifttion at Nottingham. "There can be no doubt," said Dr. Brpwh, "that the methods adopted iu Germany and Italy of attaining efliciency as a nation under ilidividual leadership lin'ds a great deal of support in modern psychology, "It is a mistake to suppose that the followefs in those countries are slayes copying their leader from a motive of' fear or in cringing submission. Rather do their own self-assertive aqd aggre'ssive tendencies bccome liberated in the proi-ess, and their heightened epthusiasm and confidence in their leader and his resourees make what might hav-e been a timid, panic-strieken crowd into a powerful army, race, or nation. "Therapeutie hypnotism properly couducted does the same thing for the iudividual. Hitler is tlie greathst osy-I'ho-tlieropeulist of a nation, and he

will go down in history as such.* Discussing hypnotism generally, Dr. Brown said that almost anybody with care, deliberation, and concentratilon. can hypnotise himself. "You must concentrate your mind," he said, "on a point on the far-distant horizon. Relax your mqscles completely, and say to yourself, 'I am getting drowsy. ' "While in this state you mvjst mgke suggestions to yourself of increased powers — such as you will have a good night's rest to-ni'ght, or your memory is going to be better, or you aro going to make a speeeh to-ndght wi'thout stammering. You can do that without harm to yourself and with great benetlt, 1 have done it myself, often." Dr. Brown who, during the wai was iq charge of all the nerve and shellshock casea in the 4th Army on the Sonmie, 'and later of the 3rd and 5lh Armiqs, said that he saw 5000 casqs during that period and treated 15 per cent of them wijh thq bypuotice method A patient came to him for treatment once, but asked him not tO hypnotise him. He quite accidentally closed his eyes and then found that he could not open them, and became very angry. The expianation was that owing to the "dissociated" state of his mind he had liypuolised himself.