Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

ISSN: 0095-988X (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/nhyp19

The development of an acute limited obsessional

hysterical state in a normal hypnotic subject

Milton H. Erickson M.D.

To cite this article: Milton H. Erickson M.D. (1954) The development of an acute limited
obsessional hysterical state in a normal hypnotic subject, Journal of Clinical and Experimental
Hypnosis, 2:1, 27-41, DOI: 10.1080/00207145408409933

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207145408409933

Published online: 31 Jan 2008.

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 The Development of an Acute Limited Obsessional
Hysterical State in a Normal Hypnotic Subject:;:
I\IILTUN H. ERICKSON,
.hl.D.

I n any experimental hypnotic work, however well-planned, there are nlwiys

the questions of what results will be secured, lioiv they will become manilest,
what will constitute adequate procedures and what the experiment will mean
in the experiential lile of the subject. T h e following experinlent is reported
for the illustrations i t on'ers oE these interrelated problems.
T h e subject of this esperiment 'was generally regarded as a normaI, we1I-
adjusted, highly intelligent twenty-five-year-old girl engaged i n completing
her work for a doctorate i n psychology. During a fifteen months' period, she
had olten been used as a hypnotic subject for both experimental and demon-
stration purposes. Additionally, she Iiad freqiieritly observed critically and
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interestedly hypnotic esperimentation done with other sulijects, sometimes

contributing both suggestions and assistance.
AIiiolig the espct~iiiicntal'~)rocetlurcs she had witncssecl h;id been thc induc-
tion of 1iyI)iiotic tlent-iicss. blintltiess atid color-hlintl!icss, but thesc trance
phenoiricrt;t 1i:ttl iicvcr 1)ccii intltic:ctl i i i Itcr. Ncvcrtliclcs.;, wliilc i n tlccj) tt'aiice
:iiicI so111t t : i r n l > i t I i s tic: s t;i ti,s, slic ctis tot i i ; i ril y n i ; i t iilcb tctl :I I I ;I1 ) ~ i :t it t i t ly t o t d
L I I I ; I ~ : I ! C ~ I I C S Fo l :iuiIiliiry, visiiiil ; i t i t 1 t ; i c t i l e s i i i r i i i l i w l i i c l i ( t i c 1 Il(JL actually
belorig t o tlie Iiypitotic situ;itiiiii itsell. T l i i i s , slie I i i i t l ilc;iiionsti.aLCtl repeat-
edly tlie d~ve1~1~111iciit 01 ;it l c n s ~a niarkecl tlccrcnsc in pcrccptiid activity a t
those scmory Icvcls, a h c t of which she v ~ uiiawnrc. s
I n ~ 1 1 ~ ~ tlic ~ ~ IiyI)iii)tic.
i i i g csl)ci'iiiict I1:itioii i\.itli otlicr sul)jrcts, sI1e had
bee11 1):irtictiI;irly iritcIchtcc1 i i i tlic cli'cct ol' 1iyI)tiotic siiggcsiioii upori sensoi-y
beli:ivior. 7'liis itttctut, shc 1 i : d espl;iinctl ;it lciiglli, tlcrivcil I'roin ltcr study
in tti:it ficltl. She 1i:itl Frankly esprcssd cloutits :iI)oii t tlie jpi~ tincnessof such
phetioiiicti:t indtict.tl espcrinientnlly in tlie otlicr sitlljccts a n d had often
nskrd pei.itiissioii to i~i;iktchcr owti tmts OF tlic resiilts o1)tainctl. :l[tcr a critical
es;iniitin t.ion ; i t i d testing ol several siihjiicts sliowing wl-iously deafness, bIind-
ness, color-blindness, and annesthesix, shc becnnic unwillingly convinced of
the validity d tlic plieiiomclia. kIowcver, shc rcnctctl 1)ersoiially b y declaring
einp1i;itic;illy tlixt, regardless of tvliat coiiltl be acconiplishcd at those sensory
levels with other subjects, such altered states could not possibly be developed
in hcr.
Altcr some discussion oC this topic, she conceded t l i n t anaesthesia might be
indiicctl i n her, but she rationalized this 'conccssion by explaining that i t
woulcl derive only from a lull direction of her attention to other things so
that the perception of tactile stiniuIi would bc prccluclecl. Thus, she argued,
a state of unawarencss simi1:ir i n effect to anaesthesia could be made to exist.
but it would be abolished upon refocussing of attention. TVhen she was asked
*Read in part a t the 4th annual meeting of the Society for Clinical and Lspcrimental
Hypnosis, Ncw York Xcntlcniy of Scicnccs, Scpt. 21;. 19.73; ant1 i i i part a t thc I,<t Annual
meeting of the Soiithcrn Calif. I'sychiatric Spcicty. 1.0s Angelcs. Calif., Nov. 14, 1953.
27
 Milton H . Erickson
to permit the induction of hypnotic anaesthesia in her hand, she consented
readily. Contrary to her expectation, she found that the focussing of attelltion
played I I O role in the developmertt or the cootinuarice of eiliier a state of
ariaestIicsia or 01 arialgcsilr. ?‘his discovery d i e [inally rationdired by trying to
relate those conditioiis logically to tlie deliberate seeking of relief from a
headaclle by going to tlie cinema and also to tlie difficulty ordinarily experi.
erlcrd in sensing the odor of one’s own breath or the tactile stimuli deriving
from one’s own clothing.
Alter some h r t h e r general discussion, the topic was dropped. I t was evi-
dent that her opinions and beliets were unchanged although she was much
puzzled.
Several months later she evinced a renewal of her interest in the hypnotic
modification of sensory behavior, especially hypnotic blindness. She explained
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that the reality oE that experience for other subjects and the outcome of her
own test procedures on those subjects had continued to interest her greatly
and hncl made her desirous of undergoing the same experience as a definite
subjective experience. She explained further that she believed that hypnotic
blindnesn must be something quite other t1i:m it appeared to be and that her
puriiwe was to discover subjcctively what that other condition might be, since
objective test procedures yielded no infornia tive rcsul ts. T o this end she s i i g
gcstctl ihnt shc he Iiypnotired ; i i i d Iiypriotir I)lindiiess be induced, but, even
a s slic iliatle tliis rtqiicst. she rlcclarcil cni1di;ttiaIly that she was confident
such a condition could not he induced i t 1 her. Ncvcrtheless, she wished the
attempt to be made since the eEort itself niiglit servc to give her a better
understaiitliiig of tlie condition.
Her offer was immediately accepted but the stipulation was made that the
method oE procedure was to bc tleterniined entirely by the hypnotist. To tliis
she readily agreed.
As a preliminary measure she was hypnotized deepIy and questioned care-
fully tor her general belief$, attitudes atid iiurposes. These were found to
agree with those expressed in the waking staJe. Nevertheless, despite her scep-
ticism, it was felt that her offer w a s sincere.
Accordingly, she was told to think over the entire matter at both a con-
scious and an unconscious level for several’days. If she found that her interest
continuect and that she rcnlly felt that she w i s h 1 to espericncc hypiiotic
I ~ tlic slxcilic purpose of uiitIcipiiig tIie
bliniliic\s, shc coiilil tlicii I ’ C L L I ~for
expci inieiit. I~ollorviiigtltis, slic was aw:tketwl aiid given essentially the sanle
ins tructioris.
A few days later she returned, reaffirmed her desires, and was given a
definite appointment.
She appeared promptly at tlie set time, seemed dubions about the possi-
bilities but dcfinitcly hopcEu1 that a n adequate technique of siiggestion had
heen worked out in the mcnnwhile.
Upon being hypnoti7ccl arid questioned again, she was tound to persist in
her waking attitude5 a n d beliels.
Since otherwise the general situation seemed favorable, the experiment
was initiated.
2s
 A c u t e Limited Obsessional Hysterical State
Because of her firmly fixed attitude of disbelief and scepticism, a prolonged
and exceedingly tedious technique of suggestion had been devised. This, lor
convenience, may be divided into three scparatc but actually over-lapping
steps:
1. T h e development of a deep trance state. Approximately twenty minutes
were spent in giving her instructions to sleep deeply, soundly, continuously
and more and more profoundly. T h i s was done to insure a deep trance
rigidly established by long continuance so that it might not easily be dis-
turbed or disrupted.
2. T h e development of a sfzrporous trance stnfe. Approximately twenty
minutes were spent in suggesting a profoundly stuporous state, of stupor-
ous absorption in “just sleeping without interests, desires, Eeeliiig,” ;ind-
“thinking, sensing, fseling nothing but a stuporous lethargic sleep in a
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timeless, endless way.” T h e purpose of this wits to estnblish firiiily an

extremely passive receptive yielding mental state ancl attitude.
3. T h e development of CI somnnmbirlistic state. Approsimately fifteen
minutes xiiore were spent suggesting that the suliject, now in a profound
stuporous trance, rennin so but at tjie same time recover slowly ancl gratl-
ually her ability to think, to move, to feel and to respond as if she were
awake but only to that esact degree required by whatcver instructions she
might be given. T h u s she W I S permitted to become p;issively responsive
1x1t on I y IV i t 11i 11 t 1ic I I y p 1 io t i c si t I I:,t i o 1 1 .
111 such a s;;ite the suljjcct I)resciits very iniicli the l x l i a v i o r o f :I pcmoii
heavily drugged but iiot yet f u l l y in the n;irci)tizctl st;ite niicl Iins been s o
described by subjects who have csperienced both couclitions.
IVith the development of this passively responsive and receptive .sornnarn-
bulistic statc, new series of suggestions were given. Thcse were directed toward:
(1) T h e developnient of an increasingly intense dcsire ancl hope to exper-
ience hypnotic blindness.
(2) T h e progressive growth of a full expectation of experiencing such a
condition sooner or Inter. . .
(3) T h e progressive realization of -the actual and immediately impending
possibility of thnt condition.
(4) T h e development of an intention to resist for some time the self-
discovery OE the blindness and a concomitant ever-growing realization that
such a discovery could neither be resisted nor indefinitely postponed.
( 5 ) T h e development of a full intention of concealing Eroin the hypnotist
as long as possilile the condition of lilindness.
(6) T h e progressive development of ;in intense, impatient, overwhelming
desire to expcriciice a l l tlic subjective asilects ol the blindness.
(7) T h e sudden unexpected and groi!-ing realization that blindness had
already started to develop, probably first by blurring and uncertainty of
vision, then possibly by a concentric narrowing of the field oE vision, then
finally, by a blotting out oE a capacity to see outlines and then the occur-
rence of blankness.
29
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Milton N. EAckson
 Acute Limited Obsessional Hysterical State
asked for advice and suggestions in regard to technique, but she declared she
was conteiit to rely wholly upoii the Iiypnotist.
r\ccordirigfy slic wxs llssurecl tiirrt tile task ivoulcl be continued and that
the next few days would tic spent working out an entirely new and adequate
techriique of suggestion. She was asked earnestly, as a measure of xilaking this
reassurance impressive, for full permission to use any measure of suggestion,
hoivevcr drastic, h i t gave promise of success. Not only did she give unquali-
fied consent but she demanded that the hypnotist regard the .total problem
merely as an experimental project an d not as a matter invoIvi.ng personal
considerations.
This course oE experimental developments suggested a need for a review
of the total situation to determine the current status atid the possibilities for
future experimentation. Of primary interest in this review were various items
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of fact and the subject's inconsistencies, contradictions and unusual behavior

reactions and attitudes. These may be listed briefly i n the order of their
manifest a tion :
1. Her extensive passive and active background of hypnotic experience
and her unexpected manifestation. of distrust of certain trance
phenome-na.
2. Her unwilling acceptance of her own experimental proof of the validity
of certain trance developments i n other subjects.
3. Her acceptance of the reality of subjective sensory trance experiences
for other subjects but rejection of the possibility of a similar persona1
experience.
4. Her ready consent to the induction of hypnotic analgesia a n d anaes-
thesia and her apparent need for rationalizations of those experiences.
5. Her persistence in her quest after the.passage of several months, despite
her doubts, disbelieb, and general ambivalences.
6. Her selection of blindness from among several hypnotically altered
sensory states even though she felt that objective test procedures for
such a condition were not informative.
7. Her insistent request that she be made hypnotically blind, coupled
Tvith the immediate declaration of the futility of any such attempt.
8. Mer rationalization that she was nbt interested in blindness but rather
-in the eflort to induce such a state, and the coupling of this statement
wit11 the clecla.ratiori tllat she desired the subjective experience of blind-
ness itself.
9. Her readiness and hopefulness in submitting to hypnosis for a specific
purpose, despite her scepticism and doubt about the outcome.
10. Her subniissivencss and receptiveness to hypnotic suggestion, and her
failure to rcspond to a11 orcliriarily satisfactory Lechniclue.
11. Her reaction of intense disappointment to fnilure, her eIfort at self-
deception, and her sense of relief at the detection of that self-deception.
12. Her marked aggressive insistence upon further work, coupled with her
ready consent to submit to any drastic measure.
13. Her dcmand that the entire project be regarded as an objective proced-
ure not involving any personal.considerations.
31
 Milton H. Ericksm
Reflection on these various items in her behavior suggested that she was
not primarily interested in the experience of hypnotic blindness. Rather, i t
seemed much more probable that she had a n intense unrecognized fear of
blindness and that she was really attempting, through the guise of an intel-
lectual interest in a n experiment, to serve other and unconscious goals and
purposes of her own.
Hence, i t seemed that the experiinental task more probably was not siinply
the induction of hypnotic blindrirss but rather the XliUCh nlore dilticult aiid
extensive task of meeting unrecognized and unconscious personality needs.
Obviously the subject was seeking more than could be readily understood
in terms of the actual esperimental project, and yet she was apparently
compelled to make that search entirely in such terms. Coiwideration of these
possibilities suggestcd that the total situation presented- a uniquc oppor-
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tunity Eor aiiotlier type of espcrinientation, namely, investigative rese.mIl

through the measure of developing in her air acute reactive nierital disturb-
ance.
Hence, under thc pretciise ol continuing the original experiment, a IICW
project was forinulated.This was to be an attempt.within a limited controlled
laboratory situation, to develop in thesubject a11acute hysterical obsessional
compulsive mental state which would be accompanied by hypnotic blindness
and which would parallel or resembIe the obsessive compulsive hysterical
mental disturbances encountered in psychiatric practice.
To accomplish this, i t was reasoned that, against the background of her
tremendous interest i n the experience and the sense OE failure arid disappoint-
ment arising from the originil experiment, a deliberate systematic suggestion
of obsessive compulsive ideation, aflecis and behavior would lead to the de-
velopment af an acute laboratory neurosis which would resemble pn actual
neurotic disturbance. In brief, the project was to determine experimentally
whether or riot a carefully chosen set. OE circumstances, ideas, emotional
reactions, and psychological stimuli could be employed directly, intentionally,
and in accord with n pre-tleterminecl plan to C ~ L W a psychoneurotic state of
a recognizable psychiatric type, and which could be understandable in terms
of the actual btioiulation given to tbe patient. Thus, an experinlental pro-
cedure, parallel in kind LO t h a t employed in laboratory medicine, was planned
in relation to a psychiatiic problem.
Irr accord with this IICW project, another tccliniqr~eof procedure W;IS
devised. This was based upoii the following t h e e coniidern tions:
(1) A crude inaccurate statement of the James-Lange theory of emotions,
i.e., “first you run away Iron1 the bear and then you become afraid.”
(2) The corninonly experieiiced tendency to meet with the mishap one
strives too hard to avoid, i.e. the bicyclirt, overly intent on 3voidir1g a
stone, actually slrikcs it.
(3) T h e implying and giving o € absolute reality to something by the
measure of developing an intense resistance to that something, the
principle being that one cannot resist that which is non-existent.
T h e first step in the development oE adequate hypnotic suggestions for the
proposed new cspcrimcr\tnI project \i’itS the dcterrnination of the actual form,
.s?
 Acute Limited Obsessional Hysterical State
pattern, or structure oE the suggestions to be used. To this end, the hospital
wards were visited by the writer and extensive verbatim records were made
of the compulsive utterances, obsessive ideation and repetitious pleadings
and self-reassurancesof a number of mental patients. These records were the11
systematically paraphrased so that, while the general structure and succession
of utterances remained unchanged, their content had been transformed by
the paraphrasing into that of the hypnotic suggestions taken from the original
technique. Thus, a definite form or pattern was developed into which the
hypnotic suggestions were fitted so that they could all be given to the subject
in the form of compulsive, obsessive, repetitious ideas.
Interspersed with the actual suggestions were paraphrases of the pleading
utterances and self-reassurances of agitated obsessional patients. These were
so worded as to be applicable to the subject in her immediate situation.
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Additionally, accounts of various incidents relating to blindness, most of

them fabrications, two actually taken from her own past experiences, were
woven into the series of suggestions to give further. weight of ideational
content.
These two instances had been related to the hypnotist by the subject's room-
mate, and both were highly traumatic. T h e first centered around the develop-
ment of blindness in a pet kitten of her childhood, its subsequent sickness
and an accident that had crushed and mangled it. T h e result had been a
persistent phobia for cats unless fully grown and black in color.
T h e second traumatic instance was the relatively recent actual blindness
in a close friend as a result of an automobile accident. T h e subject had been
tremendously distressed by this occurrence.
Although she knew that the hypnotist had some general awareness of these
two unhappy events, and she had been urged by her roommate to discuss
them with the hypnotist, she had not done so.
In this way, there was prepared a long, repetitious, discursive, interwoven
monologue of morbid ideas, hypnotic suggestions, pleading utterances, refer-
ence to trauma, and self-reassuraiiics, all in the form of compulsive obsessive
ideation and utterances. This was directed to the intentional development of
an acute obsessional state in 'the'suhject which could culminate in hypnotic
blindness.
In presenting this material to the subject, every effort was to be made to
secure, in any form and order, the following types of response and behavior:
1. A compulsive need, while her eyes were dosed in the trance state, to
make groping, uncertain, uneasy movements, and now and then to walk
gropingly and unwillingly, experiencing all the while intense emotional
distress as she tried blindly to find her way, and to identify b y tactile
sensations the objects with which she came in contact.
2. A constantly increasing need to depend upon and to secure from the
hypnotist rezssurances in addition to those she found compelled to utter
to herself.
33
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biiiton H. Esickstm
 Acute Limited Obsessional Hysterical State
curiosity greatly and had made her all the more intent upon continuing
with the experiment.
Immediately the suggestion was offered that she continue to sleep more
a i d iiti>rc Jccply uritjl sltc W;IS as dccply asleep ;ISshe had been in the first
experimental situaLioii. LVIiilc sltc was thus goiiig iiito LI tlccp traitcc. siie
was told to tfiirik about thc proposed experiiricnt contiriuously. Approxi-
mately fifteen niinutcs wcrc s p i t in giviitg reiterative suggestions to sccure
a trance state similar to that originally ciiiploycd.
Wlieii a suitalile trmtce stxtc scettied to be sufficiently established, arid
since her behavior tlisclojctl iio Llnlnvorablc reaction, the pl:uined scries OE
suggestions was begun. At first this was done slowly, gently, persuasively
and then with progrcssively greater urgency aiid insistence. As this course
01 action continued, some of the planned suggestions 1i;id to be motlified
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slightly or tciiipor;trily postpoiid while others had to be given new eiiiphasis

in accord w i t h tlie sulljcct's ittttticdiate reaction LO tliciti, but thesc ch:iligcs
were all essciiti;illy niiiior ; i t i d tlirl not altcr the origiital p h i .
As this proccclure coiitinticcl, the subject bccaiiie iiicrcasingly restless.
Repeatedly she would start to rise and then slump Lack itito her cliair as if
tryitig to wtre;it or withdraw from the situation only to become agaiti niore
and inore reslmiisive to the vnrioiis stlggcstiotis ;tmI to ;ict u l ) i ~ tlicm. i Also,
a j the suSfic-stior!s ccxtiittucd. tlic sill)jcct w x v:irioiisl;; ititlttcetl to:
(I)' Pelfortll ttiiii.illitigly b i i t cuiiipiilsively v;irious gxi!)itix I I I O ~ C I I L C 'ts,
II
iticliiditig w;ilkiitg, to cslici'icttcc :I cortvictinit tlt:it slic w;is goirtg to
iii:ikc ;I twxiiti i i i t ~ ~ ~ ~ ~: i i i (iI ~ rtl i ~o itr t o l i t t i l tI1;it slie iv;is itti:\*iIIi:i$y
~.o!iIii~tiiitt;;tlic L I . I I I I I ( , I t l t : ! t c x i i t \ , i t . t ; o t t .
(2) 1:e:issui.c Iiciwll over ; I I I ( [ I J V C V 1Ii;it ilcitltirig !\.;is goittg t o I t : i l t i ~ ~ i i ,
tit:it she 1i';ts ~.c;iIIyt t o t :tIr:ii(l. that Slic \\':ii c.oillitlcrit tIi;tt sIic coiiItI
resist 311 suggestioris, iltat i t die coiiltl liot, :it least slit couI3 resist
tliscovcring i l l a t slic U Y I ~ liypiiotic:illy h l i i l d .
(3) t o c;ist lutilcly : i l ) o ( i t i i i Iicr n i i l i t l I(ir ;III! l)i)>~il)lc
.\ii(.l 1 1 i ~ ' n t ii)y
s 1rliid1
to resist a i i d to posti)txie tlic.tlisrovcry IJL [lie hlitiilttcss, ;iiicI :11so, to
try helplessly to tliiiik excltisively ;tbout otlicr tltiitgs.

As the subject became more rind inoreseriously distressed, agitated, com-

pulsive arid obscssional i t t her behavior, a' IICIY iiic'asiii'e w x eniplopl. This
coiisistctl of suggcstirig i n ;iit altiiost triiiiiiphilt iii:iiitier t h a t slic could de-
feat atid actually overthrow tlie wliolc project of compclling licr to ex-
perience hypnotic hlintliicss by dcliberatcly aticl tlelensivcly resorting to her
old fainiliar childhood trick of rolling back her eyeballs so that only the
whites of her eyes \\*oitId lie visible. Thus she COLllrl lionestly believe and
denioiistriite that slic coultl iiot see for orily physical rc;isotis.
T1ic stil)jcc; seizcd L I ~ O Itltis I suggestion at once, rollctl I);lck her eyeballs,
raiser1 her lids a n d Iwgnii gro1)iiig her ~ ; i yabout. 1niliictli;itcly the sugzes-
tioii wis omcrcci t h t shc w n t I r 1 I I O W lose cotitrol of licr oculnr itiiisc:Ies, that
they woiild Ixmmic cat;tIcl)tic a r i t l she ~ v I ) t ~ l tiot d I)c nhlc to roil hcr eyes
tlowti :tg:titi iior u . o i i l t l slic cvcr I E :IIJIC to (I(J SO u i i r i l sltc \!*:is rc:itfy ; t r i d
\tTilling to fncc tlie f:ict ol' Iici. i)lititlricss. l ' I i u 9 , :i (lilctit!ii:t w:is cre:itf:(!. c.itI:cr
35 .
 Milton H. Enckson
alternative of which signified an inability to see, and hence, blindness.
T h e ocular catalepsy developed a t once. She was encouraged-to t'y to
overcome it, to rub her eyes and to strain to regain muscular control. Along
with these suggestions she was reminded of her interests in the subjective
aspects of her hypnotic blindness and she was urged to t'y to discount and
dkparage and to deny that interest, to insist that she was more interested
in moving her eyes, that it was not a question any longer of seeing, but
simply a question of moving her eyeballs.
As the subject became increasingly distressed by this new problem. she
was told that no matter how distressed she now felt, everything would even-
tually turn out satisfactorily and, that soon, very soon, she would discover
suddenly and unexpectedly, without any warning at all. that she was blind.
This discovery, i t was explained, would be made at a moment in which she
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would have no opportunity to resist, to reassure herself, even to think,

that within a moment's time she would be plunged directly and deliberately
into the middle of the subjective experience of hypnotic blindness. Until
that moment, however, she was to rest quietly. to sleep deeply. As she obeyed,
and before she had time to puzzle ouc the nicaiiing of these remarks she
was told abruptly, emphatically, to awaken.
She reacted w i t h a s t x t nnd a friglitericd cry, tried to plead that she be
allowed to sleep longer but riipitl insistent coiiiiiiaritls to awaken conipelled
her to obey. I n this w y , ;I waking state with aliercd visual behavior M a
post-trance phenomcnon could lie secured.
As she began awakening, she cried. proccsted that she ditI.not want to open
her eyes, thnt shc 'CV:IS :ilrnitl she w:is goiiig to opcri her eyes. She gave evidence
of iiitciise conflict, :iml u l tlccp ~rii~tioii:il Ixiiiic, with milch compulsive
activity ccnteriiig about her eyes. She held thcni shut very tightly, yet seemed
to be straining to open tliern, arid her eyeballs could bc seen rolling rapidly
back and forth :ind irp and down underneath lter lids. Frequently she would
press her h:incls t o Iicr eyes and tllcii ti~ntIi1i:igIy witliclrcw thein. Fina!Iy,
she stilfeiiccl i l l Iicr chair, tlirtist her arms stillly outward, and a rigid. strained,
fearful espressioii appcarcd 011 her face Her eycs slow\.tyopened, but with it
blank, unseeing expression. There Collowed a rapid succession of closing and
op-ning tlieni, of riil)bing them, of strained, pcering behavior, of crying and
of inn:.ticitl;itc vor:iliiatiotts ofiriterisc fe:ir 3tid panic, witli iiicoherciit dcriials
a~itlst.ll-rcrissur:t nces.
At first it w s not possible to attract her attention. She seemed to bc entirely
absorbed in distressing eiiiotion:il reactions. After trying vainly because of
her frantic disorgnnizerl beliavior, for about twenty minutes to get into coil-
tact with hcr, it w s noted tli:i t she was becoming greatly exhausted. Accord-
ingly, as a measure oE keeping control over'the situ:ition, a posthypnotic cue
which had often bcen used in the past to induce a hypnotic trance was given.
She responded by falling immediately into a dcep trance with her eyes shut.
She was proiriptly told to rest qnietly for some time, a n d then, when she felt
herself ready and willing to. do SO, she was agnin to awaken and to re-
experience the same subjective state.
After some minutes she was again awakened in an urgent commanding
36
 Acute Limited Obsessional Hysterical State
fashion. There occurred a repetition of the previous disturbed emotional
behavior, siniilar to that of an acute hysterical panic state. Again it was not
possible to establish conversational contact with her, but after some fifteen
minutes the severity of her panic lessened somewhat and she began to make
piteous repetitious appeals for restoration of vision and for reassurances. At
first she seemed unable to grasp the meaning of replies given her. Slowly.
however, she came to be able to listen attentively to what was said and to
seem to understand fully. With considerable difficulty the explanation was
given her that her blindness was under control, that it would be continued
only so long as it served a legitimate purpose. With even more difficulty her
own experimental objective was explained to her. She seemed to have for-
gotten entirely her personal interests arid to be unable to understand what
was being s3id. As progress was finally made in this direction, her general
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fright and distress dccrensctl antl her original interest in the sulij~ctiveaspects
of hypnotic blindness revived slowly. However, ilicre ~voulrlI‘CCIIT lrom t i i w
to time sudden outbursts of panic and intense fright with excited tlisorgin-
ized activity which would slowly yield to careful re;issuraiicc.
Approximately half a n hour was spent in letting hcr investigate her state
of blindness which she did in a ratii2r futile spstno(1ic f:ishioii by groping
and peering behavior. She hiially declared, whcn tlic suggestioii w;ts dkeretl
that she test her vision, t h a t the niakirig ol \.isu:il tcst.s ~ i x s:ilmtrtl since,
“blind people don’t test themselves to see if tlicy arc t,liiitl. Sou just kiiow
you are blind and that is a l l the farther you can go on that proposition.” A s
she uttered this declaration she developed another severe panic arid requircd
estensive reassurance.
IVlien it W;IS propr)scd tlint the hypnotist test licr visior. she c!ecl:iretl such
a ineasure to be ;is alauril as her own cKorts h u t csixesscrl eiitirc willingness.
Accordirigly she was asked to face the hypnotist arid a rapid coriversatioii on
topics oE interest to her was.begun. She made no motor response to :I sudden
interruption o l the conversation by the hypiiotist’s sitdtIcn turning to stare
in 211 intent puzzled kishion across the rooiii. Nor did she inake any of thc
invoIuntnry reflex Iimvcments sb natural as, for esainple. \v.heii an oliject
within the visual range is accic1~nt;cllyknocked ovcr, antl a variety of othcr
indirect test procedures which would result in involuntary reflex motor
response. However, slie did show violent startle reactions and fright to any
noise occasioned.
When it was proposed to test her eyes with a flashlight, she was much
interested -in her nornial pupillary response and she experienced the flash of
light as a “hardening sensation” of her eyeballs. When subjects deceive them-
selves about visual alteration, the response is one of ignoring the situation
completely. No satisfactory explanation of this “hardening” could be secured.
I.ater she was engaged in, conversation from across the room and a pocket
mirror was used siirreptitiously to flash a beam of sunlight in her eyes. There
w:ts no witlidrarval re;iction but shc immcdiatcly announced that she felt
thc liard den in^ sctis:ition” in her eycs and was much tlistresscd since slie kncw
tint the IliishI ight coiilil iiot have hccn used froin wlicrt: the hypnotist W:IS
si,c;tking. Tlicre follo~vctlthen a scycrc hysterical p a n i c since she lclt ccrtaiti
t h t soiiietliirig must be Iialq~eningto hcr eyes.
37
 Milton H. Erickson
A chance incidcnt of note occurred when. unthinkingly, while she was
speakilig, tile hypiiotist quietly crossed the room to r\ position bcliirld her and
in pickillg 1111 a11olljcct riiarlc a11 audible noise. l'o this shc rczctcd with a
violent startle reaction, dernancled ot' the hypnotist, as if he had not moved,
to tell what had Iiappened, who lud eiitered.the room, and she heen to c'y.
When a full explariation was given her she deniaiidctl that the hypnotist be
nlore cdrcful, that her ncrvcs were all on edge, that she could scarcely main-
tain Iler composure, and that. while slie w a s willing to continue in the present
state as long as was necessary, she was becoming increasingly frightened and
wonied. She begged that t h i n g be done speedily, and then broke down into
piteous sobbing.
\Vhen finally she was quieted, the question was raised that she might be
interested in recalling how she had reacted to the suggestions given to her in
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the trance state, and i t was suggested that she recollect her trance experience
ancl give an account of it. T o this she agreed with some entliusiasm, but,
immccliately as she made the cffort, she became extremely distressed emotion-
ally. It soon became apparent that she could not perform this task. She did.
however, succeed in explaining that, as the series of suggestioris hail bccn
givcn her, she hat1 Celt herscll c a t i ~ l up ~ t in a welter oE confusing arid incoin-
plct(: ic!eas ; i r i r ~ ciiiotioiis tIi:i t hatl srvepc her IieIpIcssIy itlotlg.
Finally the questiori of rcstoriiig her vision was raised. She w3s asked for
her opinions and wishes ill this inittcr. Alter some thinking she replied that
the suddenness and uncxpectedness of the blindness liar1 been so ~inplcasant
that she felt that i t would probably be better to rcstore hcr vision by slow
degrees. This could he clone, she thought, by letting her becoriie aware
visually ot' first one object niid tlieli anotlier. rllier tlii,iiking this Iiiatter over,
her permission was asked to proceed with the task in a nutiller that n!ight
be interesting. To this the subject agreed reidily.
Professing a need to think niattm over, the hypnotist stepped out of the
range of her vision, merely as a precaution. and secretly removed his black
right shoe, replacing it with a brown left onc. He tlien returned to a position
n l m i i t six fect i n f i n l i t of her, arid had her lean EorwarcI and direct her eyes,
as closely as possilJle, to a certain spot 011 the floor. l\t tllis point pl;lced
his lclt foot on which he was wearing tlk black shoe while the otIler foot
reinaincd concealed 1)eliintl ;I piece ot' furniture. Slowly and systelilaticrrlly,
suggcstious were given Ifer to the eflect that sooner or Iatcr she ~t*oulciIjegiri
to see a 1)Iurretl ohjcct which ~ ~ u l Iiecoiiie c l progressively clcarcr ill oil dine
until she would finally begin to see his shoe. This slie IY:IS to itlentify alld
describe. After much suggestion, she began to see a shoe, a t first very dimly
and then increasingly plainly, until she was able to identify it as a black Ieft
shoe. When this iiiuch h:id been achieved. the riglit foot was placed along
side of the left, aiitl she was instructed to see the other shoe. Similar sugges-
tions were given, but without effect. After extensive suggestion far beyond
the degree that had 1)een necessary to induce a sceing ol the Ieft Foot, the
subject became greatly alarmed and expressed fears that the hypnotist was
failing in his efforts to restorc her vision cornpletcly and another vioIent
panic reaction ensucd. h'fuch reassurance had to lie given her liefore i t sllb-
sided. After continued empliatic ant1 urgent instruction to see another shoe
18
 Acute Limited Obsessional Hysterical State
alongside of the first, she finally began to respond to this suggestion. How-
ever, when that shoe began to be sufficiently clear in outline for her to recog-
nize it as a second left shoe and of a brown color, she became much alarmed
and distressed. She was convinced that she was not really seeing either of
those shoes, that she was merely hallucinating them, and there was no reali-
zation that she might be undergoing an unexpected test. Instead, another
serious hysterical state developed.
Much effort was required to regain contact with her and to reassure her
emotionally without betraying the actual test situation. This was finally
achieved by impressing upon her the desirability of determining, purely as
an intellectual task, whether or not the shoes as seen were both hallucinatory
or it only one were hallucinatory, arid which one that might be. When she
became engaged in this task, tlie subject found lierself unable to make any
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differentiation in the reality values of the two shoes, and finally requested
the hypnotist to walk about it' tie were wearing tlie shoes or to move them,
explaining that the movement of the shoes, if tlie hypnotist were rcally wear-
ing them, might be of value. Before the room had been crossed in response
to her request, the 5ubject broke into a relieved smile and grasped the cir-
cumstances fully, sirice the hypnotis~sfamiliar right-sided limp betrayed tlie
situation to her. With this discovery, her feeling of terror about the inismated
shoes disappeared, and she dismissed tlie possi bility of hallucinations. ;\I iicli
relieved and morc confident, the subject contiiiucd with die task of recover-
ing her vision, asking that she be permitted to p r s i i c tlint task witliout any
further aid by suggestion or friglitening maniliulations on tlie part of the
hypnotist. Approximately fifteen niinutes was spent IJY her in enlarging her
visual field to include socks, trousers, 'chair and finally everything within her
normal visual range.
Upon restoration of her vision, she demonstrated a tremendous visual
hunger, eyeing intently first one object and then another as she verbalized a
feeling of immense relief. Finally she was rehypnotized, told to review the
entire experience, from beginning to end, and to remembcr fully all the
details of the entire experience, subjective and objective, especially the emo-
tional components. Following this review, she was to prepare herself to dis-
cuss freely any of the items that niight be of a troublesonie or distressing
character. After she had been allowed to remain in the trance state for what
seemed to be a sufficient period of tiine to permit an adequate mental review
of the experience, she was awakened with instructions to talk freely and
readily with the hypnotist about tlie entire procedure.
Upon awakening, the subjeci sat quietly and thoughtfully for some time
and then remarked that the en tire experience had been decidedly painful,
frightening and rcrnarkably fatiguing, but that her general reaction was one
of satisfaction such as is experienced after successfully completing a hard,
difficult task. However, details of tlie experience, she declared, were vague
and unclear. As for the validity of hypnotic blindness, she had no doubts.
and she expressed amazement that other subjects had been able to accept it
with so little distress as they had shown.
When she w;is questioned about the possibility of relating or writing out
in detail a full recollection of the entire thing, she expressed doubts, explain-
39
 Milton H. Encksm
ing that she was very much of the opinion that any such effort on her part
would lead to a revivification of the intense emotional rcactions she had
experienced. This, she declared, would preclude her from giving a d e s a i p
tion in adequate detail. Furthermore, most of the eqerience had been largely
a matter oE emotions, distressiug fears, and a feeling of utter helplessness. An
effort co persuade her to make the attempt caused immediate emotional dis-
tress that threatened to bxome a panic state even in her present waking state.
However, she did declare again that she now had no doubt about the
reality of hypnotic blindness, that the only problem confronting her in that
regard was how such a phenomenon could occur. Additionally, she declared
that she felt herself to be in a position to understand better the intensity of
the reactions of psychotic patients to hallucinations. Her uncertainty about
the reality of the mismated shoes had been most terriiying to her, and even
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more so had been the sight of those two shoes walking by themselves until
she had grasped the situation.
Some weeks later this subject requested a repetition of the experiment,
declaring-that she wished to learn if she “could take it comfortably.” Imme-
diately upon going into a deep trance, she readily and easily developed hyp-
notic blindness without any more emotional distress than that signified by
her prompt and spontaneous declaration of confidence that the hypnotist
could control it tlioroughly. Nor was any elaborate technique of suggestion
necessary.
Subsequently, both upon her spontaneous offer and the hypnotist’s request,
she volunteered for experimental and demonstration hypnotic work, includ-
ing hypnotic blindness.
Several years later she was met by chance and, after some reminisang.
inquiry was made about her recollections of the experiment. She recalled the
experimental aspects vividly and without distress. She stated that to date shr.
had no understanding of how there could be hypnotic blindriess but that
there was no doubt in her m i n d of its validity.
After further desultory conversation she was asked about her a t phobia.
Somewhat amazed by the inquiry, she r.ecalled it and described i r a?r beIong-
ing only to her childhood, and something she had forgotten about “long
ago.”.
Inquiry about her blinded friend puzzled her also. but she related the
s t o i in a matter-of-fact manner and added that she had once thought of dis-
cussing it with the hypnotist but that for some unknown reason it had lost
the distressing emotional significance i t once held for her.
General Comment
It seems obvious that the experimental subject had two objective in
mind. One was the experiential satisfaction of definitely intellectual desires
related to her educational background. The other, unrecognized and uncon-
scious, concerned the seeking of a subjective understanding of at least tlvo
traumatic experiences which had made a deep impression upon her.
Her willingness to submit to “drastic” measures and to endure the painfuI
developments of the experimental procedure signified the intensity of her
unconscious needs.
40
 Acute Limited Obsessional Hysterical State
Th e description of the experimental results as the induction oE an experi-
mental neurosis in a normal person is both right and wrong. It is right be-
cause an acute neurotic disturbance of a definite pattern was secured in
accord with a preestablished plan OE procedure.
It is wrong onIy in that underIying circumscribed neurotic affects became
a part of and were added to the experimental results. However, these
neurotic components in no way vitiated the experiment as such.’Rather they
were dispersed as a result of the experimental neurosis. This is a finding
previously reported (1,2,3).
Finally, this experiment has been reported in detail to present an account
of hypnotic experimental technique and to portray the meaningfulness of
language in eliciting hypnotic phenomena and the possibility of conse-
quently satisfying personality needs of the hypnotized subjecr
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References
1. Erickson. M. H. “A study oE an experimental neurosis hypnoticalIy induced in a case of
ejaculatio praecox,” The Brit. J . Mcd. Psychol. 1933, Vol. XV,Pan 1. pp. 34-50.
2. Erickron, M. H. “Hypnotic investigation oE psychosomatic phenomena: psychosomatic
interrelationships studied by expenmental hypnosis,” Psychosomatic Med. January.
1943. Vol. V. NO.'^, pp. 51-58.
3. Erickson, M.H. “Hypnosis in medicine.” Medical Clinics of North Americu.” May, 1944.
Vol. 28.639-652.

41