A Hypnotist’s Case Book

“HYPNOSIS is nothing new. It was known long before Greek civilization existed, or the foundations of the Pyramids were laid. It probably dates back to before the dawn of history. Over three thousand years ago it was cultivated and practised by the Hindoo Priesthood, who perpetuated its secrets and mysteries by divulging them only to care-fully selected youths, destined to become priests in their turn, and impressed with the same urgency of self-preservation and secrecy as themselves.”

“I do not put forward hypnosis as a quack remedy—a cure-all. It is not. It is a scientific fact. To what further end new research will lead, it is impossible to say. It is indeed improbable that the human mind will ever probe to the bottom of it; for the subconscious mind is of the essence of life itself, and to understand it fully might well be to wrest from Man the secret of Death and the power over it. But this book is not to that extent speculative. I have deliberately kept to facts within my own knowledge and practice. I have tried to show how easily this great science may be used by every man, woman and child in the world for his own benefit.”—Dr. Alex Erskine, Preface