The diseases of the will / by Th. Ribot.

  • Ribot, Th. (Théodule), 1839-1916.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The diseases of the will / by Th. Ribot. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the observer to divine what power of reaction persists in the person who resists, the latter is a still worse judge of it. “An attentive analysis of the phenomena, such as can be made by educated and intelligent men, who have consented to undergo the action of the magne- tism, show how difficult it is even for the hypnotised subject to make himself understand that he is not sim- ulating. To make these observations the sleep need not be very profound. ... At the period of lethargy, the consciousness is preserved, and yet a commence- ment of automatism is very manifest. “A physician of Breslau had affirmed to Mr. Hei- denhain that the magnetism made no impression upon him ; but after he had been thrown into the lethargic state he could not pronounce a single word. When awakened, he declared that he could have spoken easily enough and that, if he had said nothing, it was because he had not wished to say anything. Being lethargised anew by a few passes, he was again unable to speak. He was awakened once more and had to recognise that, if he had not spoken, it was because he could not speak. “One of my friends, having been merely lethargised and not altogether put to sleep, studied closely this phenomenon of impotence coinciding with the illusion of power. When I indicate to him a movement he always executes it, even when before being magnetised he had fully determined to resist me. This he has the utmost difficulty in understanding on awakening. ‘ Certainly/ he said to me, 11 could resist, but I have not the will to do so.’ So he is sometimes tempted to believe that he is simulating. ‘ When I am lethargised, ’ he said to me, ‘ I feign automatism, although I could,