exists is interesting in itself, and may have an
influence upon our judgment of our fellow beings. There is, to be sure,
a tendency on the part of scientific writers to find lunatics instead of
criminals; but knowledge of the well demonstrated fact that many
criminals are insane helps to make us charitable.

CHAPTER VII.

Criminal Suggestion.--Laboratory Crimes.--Dr. Cocke's Experiments Showing
Criminal Suggestion Is not Possible.--Dr. William James' Theory.--A Bad
Man Cannot Be Made Good, Why Expect to Make a Good Man Bad?

One of the most interesting phases of hypnotism is that of post-hypnotic
suggestion, to which reference has already been made. It is true that a
suggestion made during the hypnotic condition as to what a person will
do after coming out of the hypnotic sleep may be carried out. A certain
professional hypnotizer claims that once he has hypnotized a person he
can keep that person forever after under his influence by means of
post-hypnotic suggestion. He says to him while in the hypnotic sleep:
"Whenever I look at you, or point at you, you will fall asleep. No one
can hypnotize you but me. Whenever I try to hypnotize you, you will fall
asleep." He says further: "Suggest to a subject while he is sound asleep
that in eight weeks he will mail you a letter with a blank piece of note
paper inside, and during the intervening period you may yourself forget
the occurrence, but in exactly eight weeks he will carry out the
suggestion. Suggestions of this nature are always carried out,
especially when the suggestion is to take effect on some certain day or
date named. Suggest to a subject that in ninety days from a given date
he will come to your house with his coat on inside out, and he will most
certainly do so."

The same writer also definitely claims that he can hypnotize people
against their wills. If this were true, what a terrible power would a
shrewd, evil-minded criminal have to compel the execution of any of his
plans! We hope to show that it is not true; but we must admit that many
scientific men have tried experiments which they believe demonstrate
beyond a doubt that criminal use can be and is made of hypnotic
influence. If it were possible to make a person follow out any line of
conduct while actually under hypnotic influence it would be bad enough;
but the use of posthypnotic suggestion opens a yet more far-reaching and
dangerous avenue.

Among the most definite claims of the evil deeds th