Psychological Automatism

Preface to the third edition........................................................................................................9
Preface to the second edition ....................................................................................................10
Introduction....................................................................................................................................20
Part One. Total Automatism The state where actions or thoughts occur without the subject's conscious will or awareness...............................................................................................26
Chapter I. Isolated psychological phenomena....................................................................26
I. Description of phenomena induced during the cataleptic state A trance-like state marked by rigid muscles and a lack of response to external stimuli...............................27
II. Mechanical or physical interpretation of these phenomena............................................33
III. Psychological interpretation. – Catalepsy likened to somnambulism Commonly known as sleepwalking, but here referring to a deep hypnotic state...............39
IV. A rudimentary form of consciousness. – The isolated sensation and image.............43
V. The nature of consciousness during catalepsy...........................................................48
VI. Nature of consciousness during states analogous to catalepsy...........................52
VII. Interpretation of the specific phenomena of catalepsy........................................56
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................63
Chapter II. Forgetfulness and various successive psychological existences ...............................65
I. The different characteristics proposed for recognizing somnambulism....65
II. Essential characteristics of somnambulism: Forgetfulness upon waking and alternating
memory The phenomenon where a patient remembers events from previous hypnotic states only when re-hypnotized................................................................................................69
III. Varieties and complications of alternating memory .....................................................77
IV. Study on a specific condition of memory and the forgetting of images ............82
V. A condition of memory and forgetfulness for complex phenomena .............89
VI. Interpretation of forgetfulness upon waking after somnambulism.........................................94
VII. The various successive psychological existences: spontaneous modifications of
personality.......................................................................................................................99
VIII. The various successive psychological existences. – Changes of
personality in artificial somnambulism Hypnotically induced trance states.. .........................................................105
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................113
Chapter III. Suggestion and the narrowing of the field of consciousness ...........................115
I. Historical summary of the theory of suggestions.........................................................116
II. Description of some psychological phenomena produced by suggestion ........118
III. Various psychological theories on suggestion ..................................................134
IV. Amnesia and distraction In this context, "distraction" refers to a pathological lack of attention or "absent-mindedness" linked to psychological dissociation...........................................................................................147
V. The narrowing of the field of consciousness Narrowing of the field of consciousness: A psychological theory where the mind can only process a very limited number of ideas or sensations at once, leading to subconscious actions. ............................................................150