The Making of Religion

declared ignorance—after his so-called fit of inspiration—
of what occurred in that state, was a deception. But
nobody now doubts the similar loss of memory regarding what has
passed, which sometimes follows a similar hypnotic
sleep. Of a remarkable cure, which the school of the
Salpêtrière or Nancy would attribute, with probable justice,
to ‘suggestion,’ an example from a primitive culture original: "savage" will be given later.

Hypnotism and ‘suggestion’ among primitive peoples original: "savage", among the Sioux
and Arapahoe, have been thought worthy of a whole
volume in the Reports of the Ethnological Bureau of
the Smithsonian Institute (Washington, U.S., 1892–93).
Republican governments publish scientific material ‘re-
gardless of expense,’ and the essential points might have
been put more briefly. They illustrate the fact that only
certain persons can hypnotize others, and throw light on
some peculiarities of rapport. See especially pp. 922–926. The book is interesting in other ways, and, indeed, moving, as it describes the founding of a new Native American religion, based on Hypnotism and Christianity. In brief, primitive peoples original: "savages" antici-
pated us in the modern science of experimental psychology,
as is frankly acknowledged by the Society for Experimental
Psychology of Berlin. ‘That many of the so-called
mystical phenomena are much more common and pro-
minent among primitive peoples original: "savages" than among ourselves is familiar to
everyone acquainted with the subject. The ethnological
side of our inquiry demands penetrative study.’ Program of the Society, p. iv.

I am about to attempt to sketch that study. My objective
is to examine some ‘superstitious practices’ and beliefs of
primitive peoples original: "savages" by aid of the comparative method. I shall com-
pare, as I have already said, the ethnological evidence
for primitive original: "savage" usages and beliefs analogous to thought-
transference, coincidental hallucinations, alternating per-
sonality, and so forth, with the best-attested modern
examples, experimental or spontaneous. This raises the