So passed the originator, or rather the organizer, of this blasphemous cult, the disciples of which maintain that Christian Science resulted from the communion of Mrs. Eddy with God, just as Jesus was the offspring of the communion between the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Ghost.
Saying ‘the outcome of this second immaculate conception is a book and not a man because our century is more spiritual than that of Christ’, they refute verses from the Gospels at their ceremonies by reading verses from Science and Health. It is difficult to find words strong enough to condemn this extraordinary creed which has the impertinence to claim for itself a religious and scientific status.

Of true religion there is none, no sign of love or adoration for a super - human Power, no trace of humility and no word of charity. Christian Science has no time for the poor, as, according to its theories, there is no such thing as poverty.
Unlike Christ, who said, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God’ (Matthew xix, 24), Christian Science promises its followers wealth as well as health. Indeed, it places emphasis on material prosperity; and although there is said to be ‘no such thing as matter’, the form of matter commonly known as money is apparently exempted from this rule.

Personal health, vanity and material success are claimed as the highest possible virtues, while charitable practices have no place whatsoever in this so-called religion. In view of these facts, it is not difficult to account for the enormous material success of this organization, for it virtually attracts those of ambitious natures who are more concerned with worldly wealth than spiritual values.
Of true science there is not the slightest evidence. One of their main beliefs is that ‘There is no death and illnesses are non-existent; the body and its organs have nothing to do with life!’ In these circumstances, it is easy to see how unnecessary it is for the socalled healers or practitioners to have any real knowledge of human anatomy or physiology in order to ‘treat’ disease. Diagnosis is unnecessary, according to their theories, as all diseases are the same, or rather do not exist at all!

Nevertheless, they like the patient to diagnose a really serious complaint, preferably cancer or tuberculosis or some other equally serious illness, so that the ‘healer’ or ‘practitioner’ can have the satisfaction of curing a ‘disease which defied all doctors’. How, of course, they can cure a disease, when according to them there is no such thing as disease at all, is difficult for an ordinary intelligent person to understand.
Marvellous ‘cures’ are constantly described; but as the patient usually diagnoses his own complaint, scorning methods of scientific investigation, such as X-rays and blood tests, little credence can be attached to them.
The sort of thing which happens is this. Following a bout of over-eating, the patient develops some abdominal discomfort. These people, who do not believe in sickness, sin or death, nevertheless have very vivid and fertile imaginations when it comes to choosing a disease for themselves.
It is never a simple diagnosis such as ‘Stomach ache from over-eating’, but always something serious such as ‘Cancer of the stomach’, ‘Gastric Ulcer’, or ‘Appendicitis’. The ‘healer’ or ‘practitioner’ then appears and mumbles platitudes about God, mind, matter, sin, disease, health and harmony, neither the patient nor the healer really understanding a word of the mumbo-jumbo ritual. 
The ‘healer’ then departs with a not inconsiderable fee, the stomach ache gradually passes off, as it would do in any case, and lo and behold, there is another marvellous case to be written up as a Cancer Cure.

This would not matter very much if they confined their ignorant and blasphemous practices to the hysterical and neurotic members with which the cult abounds. When, however, they are prepared to stand by and watch an innocent little child choke to death with diphtheria to satisfy their own stupid pride and vanity, then it is time the law put a stop to their malpractices.

The founder of the cult, Mrs. Eddy, of course, set an example of maternal love by handing over her only child to the care of others and taking no further interest in him at all.
The hypocrisy of this creed is nauseating. Experience of many Christian Scientists has shown that, while they are prepared to watch others suffer or have their own trivial illnesses treated by ‘healers’, once afflicted by real disease themselves, they are the very first to clamour for hospital treatment.
Gratitude is unknown; and having recovered, as the result of medical or surgical skill, they hasten to explain that they would have been cured in any case. Usually, they excuse themselves for going to hospital by saying that they did so only to allay the anxiety of relatives or friends.

Of all forms of medical treatment ‘mesmerism’, ‘hypnotism’ or ‘animal magnetism’ as they call it, is their pet abomination. The hatred and fear of this form of mental healing has been handed down by the founder of the cult who, incidentally, was cured of hysterical paralysis herself by this very means.
Yet such ‘cures’ as they occasionally obtain, usually in hysterical or other neurotic cases, are brought about solely by a crude and unscientific form of hypnotic suggestion. Lacking all knowledge of medicine and the laws of scientific suggestion, their ‘cures’ are seldom, if ever, permanent, as they lack the technical ability to make them so. Knowing the true nature of this blasphemous creed, the reader will see that little weight should be given to their opinion that hypnotism is the work of the Devil.

(ii)... Other people who use hypnotism without knowing it are so-called ‘Faith Healers’. These people, at least the honest ones, are free from the blasphemous stigma attached to Christian Science, as they always have strong religious faith. They would indignantly deny that they used hypnotism at all, but a study of their methods reveals that hypnosis plays a big part in the bringing about of their ‘miracle cures’.
First of all, the prestige of the ‘healer’ is built up often in a manner which resembles that of the stage hypnotist. Newspaper articles describe sensational ‘cures’; and indeed some ‘healers’ even run their own journals and papers. It is not unusual for high dignitaries of the Church to proclaim their belief in the wonderful ‘healing power’ of these practitioners.
At their meetings there is always a considerable emotional atmosphere, resembling that of the theatre, which is strengthened by the singing of religious hymns and various rituals. Belief in the certainty of cure is established when converts and people who state they have been helped, speak to the audience and testify as to the efficacy of faith cures.

When we remember how common hysteria is and that the symptoms can mimic any real disease, it is not astonishing that ‘cures’ are frequent and spectacular. It is worthy of note that the only ‘cures’ ever obtained are of those complaints which are commonly the result of hysteria. Hysterical paralysis, deafness and even blindness often respond, but nobody ever heard of an amputated leg growing again as the result of a miracle cure, a thing which would not be impossible were these cures due to real miracles.

Sometimes the cure involves a visit to some famous shrine. In this case the patient has to make a long pilgrimage. Even on arrival the miracle is not performed at once. There is a period of waiting during which the patient’s expectancy of cure is raised to fever pitch by listening to tales of famous cures of other sufferers before him. As the cures are by no means 100 % it is obvious that the result, as in hypnosis, depends upon the patient’s suggestibility, and also as to whether the illness is one which can be cured by suggestion.
These ‘faith healers’ are usually sincere in their belief that they have been given some power to do good and heal the sick. Christ Himself said: ‘Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.’ (Mark ix, 39.)

Nevertheless, owing to their lack of medical knowledge, they are unable to select those cases which are suitable for this treatment. By attempting to cure anything and everything, irrespective of its suitability or not, they inevitably have many failures. Failure often reacts badly on the patient who believes, and indeed is often told, that he has insufficient faith. In many cases the patient feels that even God has forsaken him and that his condition is entirely hopeless. As a result he becomes extremely depressed and, losing faith, often turns away from religion altogether.

That hypnosis is involved in bringing about the cure rather than faith, is revealed by the fact that many cases are known where frank unbelievers and sceptics have been cured after visiting some famous shrine.
On the other hand, even the most devout believers have often failed to obtain any relief. This is analogous to the position in hypnosis where, as we have seen, the sceptic is often easily hypnotized, whereas the believer may have considerable difficulty in achieving the trance. From every point of view, it would be better if these religious healers refrained from dabbling in medicine particularly as, without medical training, they are unable to distinguish between symptoms due to hysteria and those of real organic disease.

It is scarcely likely that anyone would be presumptuous enough to suggest that Christ healed people without any medical training. The Founder of Christianity had Divine Intuition and knowledge which no mere mortal man could hope to possess.
Religious leaders would do better to confine their activities to ministering to the patient’s spiritual needs, enabling him to recognize the truth of those inspiring words, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ (Luke xvii, 21.)
When this great truth is universally recognized and accepted, then will it be all the easier for those who are technically qualified to treat diseases of the mind and body, to direct this wonderful power, which everyone possesses, by means of hypnosis, for the benefit of mankind.

There are, of course, many humbugs and charlatans who call themselves ‘faith healers’. These people are completely unscrupulous and prey on the credulous sections of the community, often in the most heartless fashion.
Christ knew this when He said: ‘Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’ (Matthew vii, 22, 23.)

Such hypocrites bank on the fact which enables the professional stage hypnotist to give an impressive demonstration of his ‘amazing power’. As we have seen, approximately one person in four is a potential somnambulist. That is, they are extremely suggestible, and can be induced to enter a deep trance very quickly and easily. This state may be induced by a professional hypnotist in the glare of the stage or by a religious or faith healer in the emotional atmosphere of a church, sanctuary or famous shrine.
Indeed, such people can often be cured at a distance from the actual healer, for the simple reason that they cure themselves. They are so susceptible that belief in any form of magic or religious power is sufficient to hypnotize them in a sense, and so remove their symptoms.
Needless to say, this is very convenient for the healer, who has merely to sit at home in comfort, send out curative thoughts and collect the fees from people who ‘cure’ themselves by auto or self-hypnosis.

It goes without saying that only hysterical symptoms and neurotic complaints respond to this haphazard, hit or miss type of disguised hypnosis. Permanent cures are likewise unlikely to occur, as the hypnosis has been used in such an unscientific manner. Nevertheless, even when used in such an amateurish way, spectacular cures do occasionally occur.

This is not an argument for the efficacy or desirability of Absent Treatment. It merely serves to illustrate the point that, if such an unscientific method of using hypnosis can produce cures, we can confidently expect much better results when this valuable method of healing is used skilfully by a trained operator.

(iii)... Another group of people with whom hypnosis is not very popular are the Spiritualists. These misguided people have much to be said for them. They are usually kind to people and animals and believe sincerely in a future life. Unfortunately, their faith is not sufficient, and they demand proof of life after death. This they seek by various means from spirit messages to ghostly manifestations.
Any true Christian believes in life after death and needs no so-called proof to confirm his faith. Those with insufficient faith would do well to heed the words of Christ who said: ‘This is an evil generation; they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it . - .‘ (Luke xi, 29.)

Since the Fox sisters in America first started the vogue for spiritualism by hearing ‘Spirit messages’ rapped out on walls, innumerable alleged means of communication with the other world have been developed.
Most important among the members of this cult are the mediums. These people go into a trance, either self-induced or induced by others, and while in this condition it is alleged that they are in communication with the spirits of those who have passed over. This communication is seldom direct and a ‘spirit guide’ is usually called in to help. These guides are always some romantic and extraordinary figure such as a Red Indian who, it is alleged, lived many thousands of years ago.
Sometimes these mediums speak with voices which are supposed to be those of the departed. Often they speak directly, at other times the voices come from a trumpet, usually luminous, which floats through the air, apparently unsupported.
As the seance room is in darkness, however, there is considerable scope for deception; and the late Houdini claimed that he could duplicate the feats of any (so-called physical) medium by trickery.
Modern science, with its ability to see in the dark by infra-red rays and other methods of investigation, has made it very difficult for the physical mediums. They, of course, have a plausible excuse, and claim that such methods of investigation combined with scepticism upset the ‘vibrations’.
These they claim so disturb conditions generally that contact with the spirits is impossible in such circumstances.

The so-called mental mediums are different, and will often give a performance in crowded halls. Indeed, here we begin to see a resemblance to the stage hypnotist. There is the same highly emotional atmosphere with the attention of the entire audience focused on the medium. Practically every member of the audience is in a highly emotional state and pathetically eager to obtain evidence of the continued existence of loved ones who have departed.
The mediumistic trance is identical with the hypnotic trance, and therefore the same phenomena are obtainable. 
As we have seen, in the somnambulistic stage of hypnosis, it is easily possible to produce visual hallucinations. A hypnotized person in this deep state will readily see the figures of departed loved ones if told to do so by the hypnotist. In the case of the medium, the hypnosis, or trance state, is self-induced. If the medium is genuinely convinced that, while in this state she will see and hear her ‘spirit guide’ and talk with other spirits, then she will do so with great conviction.

What of messages which are received - are they genuine messages from the Spirit World? Obviously, this is a question which is very difficult to prove one way or the other. Excluding the numerous humbugs, charlatans and quacks who adopt this means of battening on bereaved people and exploiting their sorrow, we must consider the possibility that even the most genuine mediums are self-deceived. The trance state is so akin to the hypnotic state, that such deception could easily come about. As we have seen before, in a good hypnotic subject, the senses are exalted to an extraordinary degree. The sense of smell, for instance, which has become considerably blunted in ordinary humans, approaches that of a dog, in which animal the sense is highly developed.

It has often been demonstrated that good hypnotic subjects can distinguish objects belonging to people merely by smell. We know that the sense of vision becomes extraordinarily acute, so that apparently invisible marks on blank cards enable the subject to pick out one particular card among dozens of other apparently similar ones. The sense of hearing is greatly exalted in a similar fashion.
Now it is also known that when a person thinks strongly about anything, they often ‘say’ it over as they think it in their mind. Actually, the vocal cords are put in motion and the words spoken, but so softly that the ordinary person cannot possibly hear them.
An exaggeration of this produces the condition where a person mumbles to himself and is said to be thinking aloud.
A good hypnotic subject has been known to ‘read the mind’ of a person in this fashion, afterwards admitting that he ‘heard’ the person speaking, although nobody else, including the person himself, was aware that he had said anything.
Similarly, small facial movements take place which often indicate a person’s feelings. Everybody is aware of how a person can more often than not tell roughly what another is thinking or feeling by ‘reading their faces’. Often they would find it difficult to say just how they formed this impression; but when the almost uncanny ability of lip readers is remembered, it becomes easier to understand how small muscle movements can convey impressions and thoughts.
To a good hypnotic subject, such things are magnified many times, so that other people’s emotions and feelings become like an open book. It is small wonder that some very convincing demon-strations can be given in these circumstances.

Again the good hypnotic subject (and remember, for this purpose the medium is nothing but a self-hypnotized person) is extraordinarily acute and sensitive to outside impressions. Even the faintest suggestion, spoken or implied, will provide the subject with his cue, and he will carry out the course of actions expected of him.
For instance: with a good subject, the hypnotist can simply raise the arm and, without a word being said, the subject will keep his arm in this position. The subject’s mind concludes from the fact that the hypnotist has raised his arm, that he wishes him to leave it there, and therefore it remains raised without any definite instructions.

In the light of all this, let us now consider the situation in a typical seance. The medium is in a deep state of trance or hypnosis. All senses are greatly exalted and can pick up information from a mere sigh or expression or a slight muscular twitch. The person seeking information is in a highly emotional state which we know sensitizes the brain.
When emotion comes into the picture, then reason is pushed into the background. Even clever men are not exempt from this law; and, as we have seen, they can be hypnotized as easily as anybody else. Thus, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle persisted in believing that the Fox sisters were genuine, although they themselves confessed that they had faked the rappings. This is typical of the self-hypnosis induced in fanatical believers.
In a similar fashion, most people who go to a seance are pathetically eager to obtain evidence, and their subconscious mind will put forth every effort to satisfy and comfort them. If a man expects to see a ghost, he will most likely see one; and the force of the imagination is well known. 
Shakespeare knew this when he wrote, ‘How easy is a bush supposed a bear.’ (Midsummer Night’s Dream.)

At many of these seances it is obvious to the impartial observer that the medium is often groping and seeking information which is supplied by the very persons who seek her aid.
Often such action is genuinely unconscious on the part of both medium and audience. A typical performance may go something like this, ‘I have a message here from a boy in uniform - he says hisfirst name is John - is there anybody here who recognizes him?’ Now in any large audience there are bound to be several people who have lost friends or relatives called ‘John’.
Further, after a big war, there are certain to be many men missing who wore uniform. In any case, uniform is vague and may cover the Navy, Army, Air Force and even the Police, Civil Defence or the Fire Service.
From then on the medium is prompted subconsciously by the audience. Several members will be bound to claim ‘John’ as their relative. Some, in their eagerness, supply the surname, which the medium never does, exclaiming, ‘Is it John X?’ and supplying further details in the form of questions, such as, ‘Is he in Air Force uniform?’ These people are so ‘worked up’ emotionally that they are often in a state of self-hypnosis and do not realize that they are volunteering information.

As a result, it is usually easy to build up a fairly convincing picture which is close enough to satisfy the person whose reason has been blunted by emotion. And what of the messages? Very seldom indeed do they mention anything except general platitudes concerning the spirit world, such as, ‘It is nice over here,’ ‘Tell Dad and Mum I’m happy,’ etc.
Such a performance is typical of what may be called a genuine spiritualistic demonstration. Unfortunately, there are charlatans and humbugs who see in the bereavement and sorrows of others an easy way to make money. It may be thought, ‘Well, if they make people happy and give them comfort - what does it matter?’ If they confined their activities to comforting the bereaved, apart from objections of the Christian Church, there would be little with which to find fault.

However, many of these people endeavour to dabble in medicine and perform ‘miracles’ by means of so-called ‘spirit healers’. The ‘healer’ goes into a trance and, with the aid of a ‘spirit guide’ who calls up the spirits of departed doctors, proceeds to perform the most extraordinary ‘cures’.
Even operations are said to be carried out by the spirit doctors, who have the alleged advantage of being able to operate, remove and replace parts of the body and effect the most marvellous ‘cures’ without the patient feeling a thing or even undressing!
The ‘healer’ needs no medical or surgical knowledge, as the ‘spirit doctors’ do all the work. The ‘healer’ merely collects the money and reports ‘another marvellous cure’ in the spiritualistic papers.
Needless to say, this is the grossest humbug. Conditions are seldom accurately diagnosed by scientific means such as X-rays or blood tests. Sometimes a ‘cure’ of ‘duodenal ulcer’ will be reported. Usually, this is really nothing more than a stomach ache due to over-eating, or some such simple condition. Very occasionally there may have been a genuine ulcer which has been previously diagnosed by X-ray in hospital.

It is very rare, however, for the ‘cure’ to be checked afterwards. ‘Healers’ seem curiously shy about having their cures investigated, and will speak indignantly of lack of faith.
Duodenal ulcer is a disease, one of the chief characteristics of which is that it waxes and wanes. As we have seen before, it gets better when the patient’s mind is calm and peaceful and free from worry and anxiety. Thus it responds well to hypnosis and, if the patient is sufficiently impressed by the spiritualistic mumbo-jumbo, an actual cure or rather alleviation of the condition may occasion-ally result.
The improvement is due, however, not to ‘spirit doctors’ but to a crude and unscientific form of hypnosis induced in the patient. It would be much better to use hypnosis scientifically and produce a permanent cure.
Investigation reveals that practically all the ‘cures’ resulting from ‘spirit healing’ are those of conditions where the symptoms point strongly to hysteria. Hysteria, as we have seen, is a strange complaint, the symptom of which can closely mimic real organic disease. It is not, as is popularly imagined, merely a disease of women who shout and scream and generally behave in an ‘hysterical’ fashion.
As it can so closely mimic real disease, it is not surprising that what might be called honest or genuine ‘spirit healers’ delude themselves into believing they can cure all illness. It is not difficult to see how dangerous this misguided belief may be. The dishonest ones, of course, have no conscience and are content to dupe all and sundry, secure in their knowledge that they cannot fail to achieve an occasional cure of an hysterical complaint. Such ‘cures’ are seldom permanent, because the 'healing power’ or ‘unconscious hypnosis’ has not been used scientifically.
Consideration of the phenomena experienced in spiritualism shows quite clearly that many, if not all, of them are due to hypnosis. In training people for mediumship, it is a common practice to ask them to sit in a circle and gaze steadily at some object. The first to indicate that he sees ‘blue smoke’, resembling the so-called ‘mesmeric haze’, is obviously the most susceptible and will probably develop into a good medium. He or she would also make a good hypnotic subject, having sufficient imaginative power to see non-existent smoke.
Automatic writing is another phenomenon to which the credulous and the superstitious attach great importance. This can easily be developed in a good hypnotic subject. Many people can do this without being hypnotized by anybody else. In this case they have induced a degree of self - hypnosis, usually by sitting quietly for a long time, pencil in hand, and expecting to receive a spirit message.
Analysis of the writings reveals that the messages appear to come from the patient’s own mind and reveal things often for-gotten, unsuspected or ardently desired.
Cases have been known where people could write in a foreign language of which they had knowledge when young but which they had long since apparently forgotten. Allied to this is automatic speaking. The hypnotized subject always speaks in a different way; and if a different personality is suggested, the voice will change to suit this personality.

Exactly the same thing happens with the medium in trance. Here we get voices which match the personality the medium believes to be controlling her. If it is supposed to be a young girl, the voice will resemble that of a young girl, while if that of an old man is needed a remarkable, and often genuinely unconscious, imitation will be given.
It is not to be wondered at that relatives are deceived into believing they are hearing the real voices of their departed loved ones. When genuine, the medium is quite unconscious of deception but is really acting a part, a speaking part, with remarkable realism. Any slight differences or variations in the voice which may be apparent to critical investigators are explained as due to the difficulties experienced by the spirit in using a human throat for purposes of communication.

Certain charlatans and humbugs are not above using trickery, and ventriloquism is not unknown. It is a significant thing that the trumpet which apparently floats about in the dark is always luminous, being usually covered with a special paint. Ventriloquism is impossible in the dark as the deception is aided by seeing the dummy, or trumpet, from which the voice is supposed to come.
Such mediums are usually very averse to having throat microphones fitted for the purpose of test: as these would quickly show whether the voice came from the medium or the trumpet.

Another spiritualistic phenomenon which can be brought about by means of the hypnotic trance is that of ‘crystal gazing’ in which visions are seen.
Under deep hypnosis, the patient is told to gaze into the crystal and report what he sees. 
Usually, visions of events in the past, now entirely forgotten, are clearly seen; and the method is sometimes used to discover buried material in the mind. Highly susceptible people such as mediums can induce a state of self-hypnosis by gazing into the crystal and naturally see things which they ascribe to the supernatural. Thus it will be seen that hypnosis can explain a great deal, if not all, of the phenomena obtained in spiritualism from the actual trance to automatic writing and speaking, hallucinations or visions and crystal gazing. This being so, it is not unnatural that the subject is not specially popular with spiritualists.

Apart from the harm done by spiritualists who dabble in medicine, this unhealthy cult often has a bad effect on the minds of its followers. As we have seen, a great deal of self-hypnosis is involved in spiritualism. Self-hypnosis can be dangerous. It is safe enough with a perfectly balanced mind, but people who dabble with the occult and the supernatural will probably tip the balance in the wrong direction. In addition to the danger to themselves, they are only too likely to cause anxiety, worry and illness to their relatives, many of whom are secretly frightened of occult practices.

One such case will illustrate the harm which can result from spiritualism. The patient reported that her husband was a medium, and for many years she had assisted him. Gradually, she had become increasingly afraid and worried as her husband developed the habit of going into a trance more and more and talking to his ‘spirits’.
As the result of worry and emotional tension, she turned to religion; but her belief was not strong enough to remove her fear. The nervous tension under which she suffered caused spasm of various muscles, and she was in such pain that severe operations were advised. Following these, the patient could barely walk with two sticks and a special support.
Although worn out with physical pain, her main worry was fear of her husband’s strange trances and behaviour. Under hypnosis it was explained that there was nothing ‘supernatural’ about his trances and that the voices and messages he received merely came from his own subconscious mind. As the result of this explanation, the patient ceased to worry; and after a few sessions was able to walk without sticks, and reported that the surgeon had said she could remove the support.

This case illustrates several points. First, that unhealthy dabbling in spiritualism can cause worry and anxiety. Secondly, that this state of mind can cause physical illness of a severity to deceive even a clever surgeon. Thirdly, that by hypnosis and simple explanation it was possible to relieve the patient’s mind of all anxiety, and so produce an improvement in her condition. Incidentally, the patient was not a particularly good hypnotic subject, as she naturally feared going into a trance.

(iv)... So far we have considered the attitude of the lay public and special groups to hypnosis. Now we must consider the attitude of those who should find it most useful but who, alas, from lack of proper understanding of the subject, are often antagonistic to it.
Doctors unfortunately take their cue from the lay public in their attitude to hypnosis. One can hardly blame them in a way; because, knowing that the lay public distrusts it, although quite wrongly and through ignorance of its real nature, they feel that it is running the risk of professional suicide to use hypnotism or advise its use in their practice.

Again, hypnosis is not taught as a special subject in medical schools, so that doctors as a rule gain their impressions of the subject in much the same way as the lay public. The public, however, which has no scientific training, is too easily impressed by the spectacular stage performances and sensational newspaper claims of so-called ‘Wonder Hypnotists’, ‘Faith Healers’ and ‘Spirit Doctors’, together with various humbugs and charlatans of all descriptions.
Doctors, on the other hand, being scientific men accustomed to weighing the evidence for and against the claims for various methods of treatment which are constantly being put forward, tend to be ultra-conservative. They instinctively and rightly distrust the spectacular and exaggerated claims of various quacks, so that the real value and importance of hypnotism in medicine has not been appreciated in the past. The subject has never been presented to them scientifically in a readily accessible form.
In spite of the fact that there is a vast literature on hypnosis, it is not easy for the average medical practitioner to obtain a thorough appreciation of this subject. Doctors have always, perhaps, been the most overworked and underpaid section of the community, so that they have little time for the study of special subjects.

In the past, for reasons we have seen, hypnotism as a form of medical treatment fell out of favour and received scant mention in the medical journals. Lately, however, there has been a revival of interest in this subject among medical men, and the British Society of Medical Hypnotists has been formed to promote the study and use of hypnotism in medicine. Members of the Society are all fully qualified doctors and members of the British Medical Association, while honorary membership has been granted to some of the world’s leading authorities on this subject abroad.
The Society also publishes The British Journal of Medical Hypnotism, which presents the facts about hypnotism as a serious and scientific branch of medicine. The Journal has been so well received that it has been included in the Library of the Royal Society of Medicine, while the British Medical Association has requested it for its abstracting service.
Articles and reports on the value of hypnosis in medicine by members of the Society have appeared in well-known medical journals.

A measure of the interest now displayed in this subject is indicated by the fact that, in response to request, a lecture was recently delivered to University College, London, by the President of the Society. Medical men are realizing more and more the value of hypnotism as a scientific branch of medicine, especially in the treatment of nervous and allied complaints.
In the past they have been content to refer nervous patients to psychiatrists. However, lately they have become disillusioned at the results of this form of treatment and not a little alarmed at the increasing use of dangerous procedures such as electro-shock therapy.
As a result, more and more medical men are welcoming hypnosis as a safe, sure and quick method of helping their patients. One doctor, whose wife derived great benefit from hypnosis after electro-convulsant treatment (E.C.T.) had failed, wrote:

‘I am taking advantage of this respite to compose a letter in reply to the current correspondence in the B.MJ. (British Medical Journal) on the subject of this new form of torture -  E.C.T. (electro-convulsant-therapy) in its various forms to those least likely to withstand its horrors - my wife’s expression.’

(v)... Naturally, the bitterest opposition to hypnosis has come from those who have most to lose. Psychoanalysts accustomed to spending several years (Freud recommended six) in the leisurely investigation of a few wealthy patients, can hardly be expected to approve the introduction of a method which can achieve more in a few sessions than years of psycho - analysis.
Recently, however, viewing the increasing popularity of hypnotism with alarm, they have endeavoured ‘to damn it with faint praise’. Thus we hear that it ‘may be occasionally useful’ or ‘might be used to assist in psycho - analysis’ in some cases.

It is interesting to note that Parliament has endorsed the author’s theory that stage hypnotism can be dangerous, and the bringing into force of the Hypnotism Act in 1953, which prohibits exhibitions of stage hypnotism on young people under twenty-one, and imposes other restrictive conditions, has constituted an important step in the emancipation of hypnotism for medical purposes.

A further step in the right direction, and an indication of the awakening interest in the medical profession, was the setting up in 1954 of a Sub-Committee of the Psychological Medicine Group of the British Medical Association, to formulate an up-to-date state-ment on hypnotism, and the British Medical Association officially recognized hypnotism in 1955.
In 1953 the Archbishops of Canterbury and York appointed a Commission on Divine Healing to consider the theological, medical, psychological, and pastoral aspects of this subject.
It is hoped that the findings of this august body will put an end to the humbugs, quacks and charlatans masquerading as ‘Faith Healers’, ‘Spirit Healers’ and ‘Miracle Mongers’ of all descriptions, who have not only battened on a credulous public in the past, but in so doing have delayed the progress and general acceptance of scientific hypnotherapy. No ‘miracle worker’ has ever been able to duplicate the greater miracles of Christ, such as raising the dead. Any ‘cures’ (which are usually only temporary alleviations) produced by these unorthodox ‘healers’ occur solely as the result of suggestion, and the whole process is obviously only disguised and unscientific hypnotism.