THE HARMONY OF VIRTUE

Yoga and HypnotismWHEN the mind is entirely passive, thenthe force of Nature which works in the whole of animate andinanimate creation, has free play; for it is in reality this forcewhich works in man as well as in the sun and star. There is nodoubt of this truth whether in Hinduism or in Science. This isthe thing called Nature, the sum of cosmic force and energy,which alone Science recognises as the source of all work andactivity. This also is the Prakriti of the Hindus to which underdifferent names Sankhya and Vedanta agree in assigning a similarposition and function in the Universe. But the immediatequestion is whether this force can act in man independently ofman's individual will and initiative. Must it always act throughhis volition or has it a power of independent operation? The firstreal proof which Science has had of the power of action independentof volition is the phenomena of hypnotism. Unfortunately,the nature of hypnotism has not been properly understood.It is supposed that by putting the subject to sleep the hypnotistis able in some mysterious and unexplained way to substitutehis will for the subject's. In a certain sense all the subject'sactivities in the hypnotic state are the results of his own volition,but that volition is not spontaneous, it is used as a slave by theoperator working through the medium of suggestion. Whatever thehypnotist suggests that the subject shall think, act or feel, he thinks,acts or feels, and whatever the hypnotist suggests that the subjectshall become, he becomes. What is it that gives the operator thisstupendous power? Why should the mere fact of a man passinginto this sleep-condition suspend the ordinary reactions of mindand body and substitute others at the mere word of the manwho has said to him “sleep”? It is sometimes supposed that it isthe superior will of the hypnotist which overcomes the will ofthe other and makes it a slave. There are two strong objectionsto this view. It does not appear to be true that it is the weak anddistracted will that is most easily hypnotised; on the contrary,