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The Power of the Sub-conscious Mind – Professor Alexander Erskine

As far as my knowledge goes, I find that when I place a subject asleep in the deep stages, if I place my hand over any part of his body, without impact and without touching it or giving any suggestion, that part will become violently agitated, and I find that the subject will be drawn on the tips of his toes, and sideways, backwards, or follow me about as my hand directs.

No suggestion is required here; it is the magnetic influence of attraction (the subject's eyes being closed in sleep). …Although it has been found that in some cases the mixing it, as it were, with the operator's own (viz., the patient holding one receiver and the operator the other and making the connection with the right hand on the affected part) has attained good results, and its value is in enabling one to regulate the shock appropriate to what one considers sufficient for the treatment of the patient's complaint.

Suggestion in the hypnotic sleep, and the determination of the operator to cause the vital energy of the nerve centres, forcing the will of the patient to act in obedience and at the direction of the operator, when the patient is in the sub-conscious state of " sleep " is that which governs these functions.

The operator by his magnetic force and voice-sensed by the patient-causes the latter to make a great effort by his mind to stimulate his nerve centres again, and to communicate through them and other channels so that he is compelled by the operator to walk, and use again the legs that were so long paralysed or the arm that hung, a lifeless mass.

Every medical man must allow that it is most difficult to define or diagnose the difference between functional or organic paralysis. Many complaints which were considered purely functional have been proved the reverse, the cell structure being often seriously altered from unknown causes.

One of my great cases at Hackney, October 8th, 1905, when I completely cured a man, well known to many of the London hospitals-Alfred Thomas by name, aged 27- five years paralysed in the left arm, and nine months affected in his legs, and discharged from the Charing Cross Hospital as incurable (which doubtless gave the doctors much pleasure in seeing him restored to health when he presented himself next morning).

This cure was brought about, not from a high stimulus of electricity, which, unfortunately, does not always last, but by the absolute direction of the patient's mind through suggestion alone in the deep sleep of hypnosis, and necessarily the lasting effect is continuous and perfectly normal. The reason this case is stated is that it can easily be enquired into should anyone desire to do so. I have made many such cures of years' standing.

EXTRACT FROM The Daily Express :-EARL'S COUSIN AS HYPNOTIST.DOCTORS AMAZED AT HIS WONDERFUL CURES.

The cousin of a peer is now attracting serious attention of many members of the medical profession by his wonderful hypnotic and curative powers.   The Professor's most wonderful cure was effected only a few weeks ago, when a young man named Alfred Thomas was suffering from functional paralysis, due to a fall from a ladder, and came to him for treatment.

Thomas had been treated in no fewer than seven London Hospitals, said the Professor to an Express representative.  His case had been carefully recorded in each of them.

'By exercising my control he was cured in less than ten minutes, and danced about the room afterwards, walking away like a baby who first feels the use of its legs.'

Professor Alex. Erskine said :-' I am not opposed in any way to the medical profession. I want to be of use to them.  I believe that hypnotism will be recognized before very long as a great science and a curative agency !'

' My power is the art of speaking to the sub-conscious mind while the patient is awake in his normal state, etc.'