Observations placeholder
Braid, James - Pressing the skull to change emotions
Identifier
002294
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
To understand this observation you need to know that at one time there was a belief that by pressing various points of the skull it elicited different emotions and corresponded to various organs.
There were even maps of the skull to show which areas corresponded to which emotions. Braid had the image of the map in his mind and thus he expected something to happen each time he pressed a point.
Via inter composer communication, the man obliged!
A description of the experience
Neurypnology: or the Rationale of Nervous Sleep – James Braid
The following is the mode of operating:- Put the patient into the hypnotic condition in the usual way, extend his arms for a minute or two, then replace them gently on his lap, and allow him to remain perfectly quiet for a few minutes.
Let the points of one or two fingers be now placed on the central point of any of his best developed organs, and press it very gently; if no change of countenance or bodily movement is evinced, use gentle friction, and then in a soft voice ask what he is thinking of, what he would like, or wish to do, or what he sees, as the function of the organ may indicate; and repeat the questions and the pressure, or contact, or friction, over the organ till an answer is elicited. If very stolid, gentle pressure on the eyeballs may be necessary to induce him to speak. If the skin is too sensitive, he may awake, in which case try again, waiting a little longer; if too stolid, try again beginning the manipulations sooner.
Mr Walker, twenty-two years of age, after passing into the hypnotic state, shewed no symptoms of susceptibility for some time, but at length he did so in the most perfect manner; namely, benevolence, veneration, firmness, self-esteem, combativeness, destructiveness, acquisitiveness, caution, conscientiousness, imitation in perfection, pity, benevolence with the one side, and destructiveness on the other, eventuality, smell, form, colours, number, ideality, &c.
This gentleman has seen busts and phreno-hypnotic experiments also, but, excepting two or three, would be puzzled to point out any of the organs correctly when awake. He remembered nothing of what had passed.