es an automaton. If he is told to do this, that, or the
other, he does it, simply because his will is asleep and "suggestion",
as it is called, from without makes him act just as he starts up
unconsciously in his ordinary sleep if tickled with a straw.

Now for the theories. There are three leading theories, known as that of
1. Animal Magnetism; 2. Neurosis; and 3. Suggestion. We will simply
state them briefly in order without discussion.

Animal Magnetism. This is the theory offered by Mesmer, and those who
hold it assume that "the hypnotizer exercises a force, independently of
suggestion, over the subject. They believe one part of the body to be
charged separately, or that the whole body may be filled with magnetism.
They recognize the power, of suggestion, but they do not believe it to
be the principal factor in the production of the hypnotic state." Those
who hold this theory today distinguish between the phenomena produced by
magnetism and those produced by physical means or simple suggestion.

The Neurosis Theory. We have already explained the word neurosis, but we
repeat here the definition given by Dr. J. R. Cocke. "A neurosis is any
affection of the nervous centers occurring without any material agent
producing it, without inflammation or any other constant structural
change which can be detected in the nervous centers. As will be seen
from the definition, any abnormal manifestation of the nervous system of
whose cause we know practically nothing, is, for convenience, termed a
neurosis. If a man has a certain habit or trick, it is termed a neurosis
or neuropathic habit. One man of my acquaintance, who is a professor in
a college, always begins his lecture by first sneezing and then pulling
at his nose. Many forms of tremor are called neurosis. Now to say that
hypnotism is the result of a. neurosis, simply means that a person's
nervous system is susceptible to this condition, which, by M. Charcot
and his followers, is regarded as abnormal." In short, M. Charcot places
hypnotism in the same category of nervous affections in which hysteria
and finally hallucination (medically considered) are to be classed, that
is to say, as a nervous weakness, not to say a disease. According to
this theory, a person whose nervous system is perfectly healthy could
not be hypnotized. So many people can be hypnotized because nearly all
the world is more or less insane, as a certain great writer has
observed.

Suggestion. This the