ON HYPNOSIS, SIMULATION, AND FATTH THE PROBLEM OF POST-HYPNOTIC SUGGESTION IN FRANCE 1884-1896 André Robert LeBlanc A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology University of Toronto O Copyright by André Robert LeBlanc 2000 Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON KiA ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your Ne Voire réferen- Our fik, Notre réUrence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfoxm, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fk., de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fÎom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent être UnpNnés reproduced without the author' s ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisaiion. ON HYPNOSIS, SIMULATION, AND FAITH THE PROBLEM OF POST-HYPNOTIC SUGGESTION IN FRANCE 1884-1896 by André Robert LeBlanc Ph-D. 2000 Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology University of Toronto ABSTRACT The first half of this dissertation demonstrates how the concept of dissociation originated as a solution to the problem of post-hypnotic suggestion. The second half continues with investigations into hypnosis and simulation and concludes with an analogy between hypnosis and religion. Zn 1884, the philosopher Paul Janet introduced the problern of post- hypnotic suggestion, Give a hypnotic subject the post-hypnotic command to retum in 23 days. Awake, the subject remembers nothing yet he nonetheless fulfills the command to retum. The problem then is this: how does the subject count 13 days without knowing it? The philosopher and psychologist, Pierre Janet (Paul's nephew) proposed the concept of dissociation as a solsrtion in 1886 which is discussed in the second chapter, Pierre Janet argued that a second consciousness kept track of time outside the awareness of the subject's main consciousness. Chapter 3 presents an alternative solution to the problem: the physician Hyppolite Bernheim and the philosopher Joseph Delboeuf argued in 1886 that subjects occasionally drifted into a hypno tic state in which they were reminded of the suggestion. Chapter 4 describes Janet's attempts to argue against this expianation. The fifth chapter demonstrates a logical flaw in the concept of dissociation and introduces the idea that hypnosis may well be a form of pretending. The theme of pretending is carried on in chapters 6 and 7 in relation to the impossibility of empirically confimihg or refuting simulation in hypnosis. The final two chapters build on Delboeuf's work using an analogy between hypnosis and religion. Drawing upon Pascal, it is argued that, like hypnosis, religious belief may weii contain an element of pretending in the way one's faith is produced and maintained. Chapter 8 relates hypnosis to what Pascal labeled "discourse concerning the machine" (Inf ni-rien): the notion that custom and habit, by a machine-like process, shape human thought and belief. Chapter 9 discusses Pascal's analysis of the differences between superstition and religion and applies it to our understanding of hypnosis, Acknowledgments The only way that 1 shall ever be able to repay my debt to my supervisor will be to someday help my studeats as Ian Hacking helped me. This realisation is enough to dissuade me from becoming a professor as 1 doubt 1 could ever match his patience, energy and generosity. But I take courage in knowing that 1 could not have chosen a better role model. This applies doubly for my parents whose unconditional love and financial support have positively discouraged me from ever having children of my own- And yet, how else could I ever hope to repay them? 1am hardly less demanding of my fnends and thank them dl for their encouragement and support throughout the several years of my Ph-D- 1 hope they forgive me if 1do not include all their names here. 1 do wish, however, to single out every one who read and discussed my work with me during the past three years: Tara Abraham, Jean- François Auger, Jose Brumer, Steve Cohen, Csilla Dallos, Jay Foster, Valentina Fuentes, Car1 Gehriger, Danny Goldstick, Ross Inman, Yasir Kahn, Kenton Kroker, Pierre Gosselin, my parents Rosaire and Annette and my siblings Marc and Michelle, Laurent Lafontaine, Ji11 Lazenb y, Daryn Lehowc, André Levesque, Christian0 MartelIo, Francisco Morales, my "best bud" Richard Noiles, Claudia Pabon, David Pantalony, David Potiers, Gilles Poitras, Milena Pereira Ponde, Daniel and Maryse Roy, Pura Sanchez, Hervé, and Eldon Yellowhom. 1 am much indebted to OIiver Stunt for his outstanding proofreading job. 1am profoundly grateful to Bryan Boddy for his friendship and many exceptional insights and discussions. Thanks to Kenton Kroker, Leanne Davies and, especially, Anne Cumrning for their hospitality and frieadship during my visits to Toronto. 1 would also Like to thank Professors AUan Young, Yves Gingras and Laurence Kernmeyer in Montreal; the jury of my dissertation defense: Michael Hubenstorf, Michael Lambek, Pauline Mazumdar and especiafly Paul Antze for his perceptive and helpful appraisal. Very special thanks to my kstmentor, Steve Turner, for getting me off to an excellent start at the University of New Brunswick and for a full decade of kindness and wisdom. 1 wish to aknowledge the generous support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for a doctoral feliowship that enabled me to begin rny dissertation and the Canada and New Brunswick Student Loan Program that enabled me to finish it 1 am thanklùl to the staff at the foIIowing libraries for their help and assistance: the University of New Brunswick libraries in Fredericton; the librarïes of the Université de Bordeaux and the Bibliothèque Municipale de Bordeaux; the Bibliothèque Ste-Geneviève and the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris; the libraries at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), McGill University, Université de Montréal and Concordia University; and finally the University of Toronto library system. 1have benefited from the activities of the Socid Studies of Medicine Program at McGill. I thank the faculty at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto for their much appreciated help and encouragement Very special thanks to Muna Salloum and Zag. I wish to acknowledge the support of the Ontario-Québec Exchange Program which introduced me to the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en science et technologie (CIRST) at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) where, during the past two years, 1 was very generously provided with office space, resources and an excellent work environment in which to complete my dissertation. 1owe the CIRST a special debt of gratitude. Finally, 1 am forever gratefhl for the love and inspiration of Anne-Céline Auché and my grandmother Amélia LeBlanc to whom this dissertation is dedicated, André LeB lanc Toronto, December 15, 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS LNTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE Paul Janet and the Problem of Post-hypnotic Suggestion Paul Janet (1823-1899) The laws of suggestion The problem of simulation The problem of post-hypnotic suggestion CHAPTER TWO Pierre Janet and the Concept of Dissociation Janet, Lucie and Adrienne Charcot Priority CHAPTER THREE Bernheim and Delboeuf on the Problem of Post-hypnotic Suggestion 31 Bernheim on post-hypnotic suggestion Waking somnambdisrn Delboeuf on post-hypnotic suggestion and waking somnambulism Counter arguments CHAPTER FOUR The Concept of Dissociation: 1887-1889 Janet on memory and sornnarnbulism Janet on menory and awareness in waking somnambulism Negative hallucination CHAPTER FIVE Delboeuf on Dissociation and Freedom Delboeuf on negative hallucination Delboeuf on memory Unconscious simulation Dissociation and freedom Paul Janet Traumatic memories The art of hypnosis CHAPTER SIX Delboeuf on the Problem of Criminal Suggestions Liégeois 's examples Del boeuf on the (k)possibility of criminal suggestions A problem of psychology The inconclusiveness of laboratory crimes CHAPTER SEVEN On Simuration and Hypnosis Feynman The sociocognitivist perspective Montreal CHAPTER EIGHT "Discourse Concerning the Machine" The wager The machine Curious people CHAPTER NINE On Hypnosis, Religion and Superstition BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION "Even before the time of psychoanalysis," wrote Freud in 1915, "hypnotic experiments, and especially post-hypnotic suggestion, had tangibly demonstrated the existence and mode of operation of the mental un cons ci ou^."^ The first half of this dissertation examines a series of crucial experiments in post-hypnotic suggestion in France and Belgium, 1884-1 889. The second haif continues with investigations into hypnosis and simulation and concludes with an analogy between hypnosis and religion. My account begins with the problem of post-hypnotic suggestion that was fomulated in 1884 by the philosopher Paul Janet (1823-1 899).