The Philosophical Review/Volume 1/Summary: Liégeois - Hypnotisme et criminalité
The present article treats only of the relations between hypnotism and criminality. This is a serious question, as some hypnotic subjects are quite capable of committing the gravest crimes under the influence of suggestion. It is to be remembered, however, that irresistible criminal suggestion is possible only in a very few cases — about four per cent of those experimented upon. But in a city like Paris even this means 100,000 persons. The state of the hypnotic subject is often very singular, not at all like sleep. He appears to be in a perfectly normal condition, except as to the one point on which the command or the prohibition of the experimenter rests. Observation of an hypnotic subject to whom a criminal act has been suggested is instructive. At first there may be hesitation, perplexity, etc., but at length the idea suggested holds the field alone, and the suggested act is performed fatally, without regret or remorse, for as soon as accomplished it is forgotten. Cases of "double personality" are well authenticated. Here the patient, when in the "condition seconde" commonly remembers both ordinary experiences and what has happened during previous attacks; but in the normal condition he remembers only normal experiences. By analogy with this state (which arises spontaneously) L. gives the name of "condition seconde provoquée" to the psychological state into which particularly good subjects fall, at the moment when they realize, by suggestion, acts which border upon the criminal. The two states are almost completely identical, notably in what concerns the physiological condition. The latter, however, is obviously the more dangerous, as the subject may become a ready instrument for the criminal designs of another. This is not, as some maintain, the ordinary hypnotic state. In the latter, the subject is plunged into a wholly passive condition; he has all the appearance of one who sleeps. In the "condition seconde provoquée" the subject, when acting out suggestions which may have been given months before, has all the appearance of one who is awake. This is of great importance from the medico-legal point of view. After thus establishing the possibility of causing crimes by hypnotic suggestion, L. presents judicial facts in which one has to recognize hypnotic phenomena, and in particular the incontestable production of the "condition seconde" He also describes a very significant experiment by Dr. Auguste Voisin. In the presence of three magistrates of the Court of Appeals of Paris, M. Voisin ordered a subject to go, after he woke up, arid stab a sick person lying in his bed. The subject did as directed. Of course the victim turned out to be a manikin. Now, with trained subjects, fifteen seconds is sufficient to put subject asleep, make suggestion, and wake him up again, with an irresistible tendency to perform some act. All this shows that hypnotism might become a dreadfully effective instrument of crime. The principal characteristic of the facts of suggestion is the loss of memory. The hypnotic knows neither from whom, nor when, nor how, he has received the suggestion. This amnesia may be spontaneous, or produced by suggestion. When hypnotized again, however, the subject remembers all, unless it has been suggested that he forget certain facts. Susceptibility to suggestion is a source of danger in the army. A case is cited in which a young man was made to perform almost incredible antics before his colonel without even being hypnotized in any regular way. Other examples are also given. It is thus shown that there are, in army and navy, soldiers and marines suggestible even in the waking state, or capable — even without suggestion — of falling into the "condition seconde" and of forgetting who they are and what duties devolve upon them. Admitting that there are only four such persons in a hundred, it is still a fact of great importance, which might become the cause of great perils for the national defence. Meantime no one seems to be seriously disquieted. In the same way the peace of families is menaced. To say nothing of wills and testaments, not only might young women be violated, and that even without their preserving any remembrance of the fact, when returned to their normal condition, but they might be inspired with the lowest sentiments and the most shameful inclinations. No family is free from this danger. Is there a remedy? L. thinks that one exists, and that it is found in what he calls "suggestion atténuée" If, having hypnotized a very suggestible person, one suggests to him that hereafter nobody will be able to hypnotize him, the announced result takes place. It holds true of all but the experimenter himself. Every one should ascertain to what degree he is suggestible. If the result is negative, he may be perfectly at ease. Otherwise it is absolutely essential that a competent and honorable person should suggest to him that in the future nobody, by any means whatever, shall be able to hypnotize him or make suggestions to him. This "suggestion atténuée" is a sort of moral vaccination.