such treatment had removed only the symptom. The over-suggestible
constitution had not been and could not be changed. Thus it was not
surprising that in the meantime, while her full literary strength
had come back, she had developed some entirely different symptoms
of bodily character which I had to remove by hypnotism.

As soon as the obsessing idea of the influence of another person takes
still a stronger hold and develops systems, the suspicion of insanity
always lies near; especially when hallucinations are superadded, the
probability is great that we then have to do with the delusions of a
paranoiac, and thus no case for psychotherapeutic treatment. Yet it is
always wise to keep a psychasthenic interpretation in view as long as
the insanity is not evident. I may mention such an extreme case.

The patient, a man of middle age, highly educated, for years had
heard voices calling his name. A man with whom he had some personal
quarrel, had, as he believed, hypnotized him from a distance and
made him act queerly or do things which he really did not want to
do, by telepathic influence. It is a development which is found
quite frequently. Abnormal organic sensations or abnormal impulses
and inhibitions which the patient cannot account for by his own
motives become connected with some vague ideas which are in the
air, like wireless telegraphy or telepathy or hypnotism from a
distance or electrical influence, or magnetism or telephoning,
these then attached to an acquaintance who stands in a certain
emotional relation. Here, too, some organic sensations evidently
had been the starting point and the idea of the man with whom he
quarreled had been secondarily attached. From this starting point
more and more detail was reached. Every action was brought into
connection with the powerful enemy who controlled more and more
even the normal and reasonable doings of the patient. My first
impression was decidedly that of a paranoiac. Yet in some ways the
case suggested another view. There had remained an insight into the
unreality of the obsession. The patient did not really believe the
theory of the telepathic hypnotic influence. He felt it more as an
idea which he could not get rid of and he did not know clearly
himself whether he requested hypnotic treatment on my part for the
purpose of