After placing the subject on a chair in a comfortable position, request him to clasp his hands together with the arms straight and the fingers interlocked. Stand in front of him and request him to stare into your eyes. While he is staring at you, slowly stroke his arms downwards and say to him, "You will find your arms are getting stiff. The muscles are becoming more and more rigid. Your elbow joint is getting so you cannot bend it and your fingers are getting stuck fast together. Your arms are stiff, you cannot bend them. Your hands are sticking tighter and tighter together." Be very careful that the subject continues to look directly into your eyes. If his attention wanders for a moment, say to him sharply, "Look at me! Look at me I" and then, continue with the formula already given.

If you succeed in convincing the subject of your earnestness and ability, in a very short time you will notice a faraway look in his eyes, and at this time his hands will probably be stuck together. When you think he has reached this stage (and it is quite possible to talk to him so long that he will reach and pass it) say to him, "Now your hands are stuck fast, fast, fast; it is impossible for you to take them apart; they are stuck fast together. Try to get them apart. You can't do it. Try again. You can't succeed, but try."

In many cases it will be utterly impossible for the subject to unclasp his hands. In some instances they will stick a little, but with the exertion he will be able to open them. In a few cases there will be no feeling whatever. Do not permit the subject to remain under this strain of endeavoring to pull his hands apart for too long a period, but when you are convinced that he cannot succeed in getting them apart, clap your hands together, or snap your fingers and say to him, "All right!" and you will find he can take his hands apart without any difficulty.

Let me guard you especially against losing control of yourself. Don't forget that the subject will in a measure act as you suggest. If the subject should not be able to take his hands apart at once when you tell him to, do not allow yourself to become hysterical. If you do, there is danger that he may become excited or hysterical in imitation. Tell him decidedly that he is all right, that he can now take his hands apart; and you will find no difficulty.

It is possible to produce many muscular effects similar to the above, without putting the subject to sleep. Among those which are frequently tried may be mentioned that of causing the subject to forget his name. In this you stare at him as before, move your fingers around the muscles of his mouth and suggest to him that he cannot open his mouth. It is also possible, by the same method, to make one leg stiff at the knee joint so the subject cannot bend it. Another interesting experiment is that of causing the subject to rotate his hands around each other, imitating your motion. Suggest to him that his hands are going faster and faster, and finally tell him he cannot stop them. In many cases the subject will not be able to discontinue the motion.

It is possible to cause these muscular contractions without sleep, and some writers would say they could not properly be included under hypnosis. That is a matter upon which opinions may differ, but they are certainly conditions in which the subject is more susceptible to suggestion than in his normal life.

Before we consider how to put a subject to sleep, let me warn you once more to be very careful to convince your subject before you begin, that you know just what you are talking about. Try to explain to him that it is not the weak-minded who are the best hypnotic subjects, and that the question of being hypnotized does not depend at all upon the strength of will.

Never for a moment lose control of yourself or your subject. If he does not arouse the first time you tell him to, do not become frightened. The subject will very quickly observe any excitement on your part and is apt to be influenced by it. If he sees you are nervous, he grows nervous, and the result may be a severe case of hysteria, which although it is not likely to do any especial harm, is not pleasant, and will probably influence people, and justly so, against permitting you to experiment with them. If you cannot control your own feelings, do not try to hypnotize.