Евгений Шубралов – Suggestion at a distance: theory, practice and philosophy (страница 2)

There is hardly any possibility to doubt that suggestion refers precisely to the order of those effects on the mental sphere that occur in addition to our "I" and penetrate directly into the sphere of general consciousness. If it is necessary to define suggestion in a few words, then I must repeat here what I said already in the first edition of my pamphlet – "The role of suggestion in public life" (St. Petersburg, 1898):

"Suggestion boils down to the direct inoculation of certain mental states from one person to another— inoculation that occurs without the participation of the will (and attention) of the perceiving person and often even without clear consciousness on his part."

It is clear that this definition contains a significant difference between suggestion as a method of direct mental influence of one person on another from persuasion, which is always carried out only through attention and logical thinking and with the participation of personal consciousness.

Everything that enters the sphere of personal consciousness comes into relation with our "I", and since everything in personal consciousness is in strict accordance and combination with the "I" of the subject, a combination that serves as an expression of the unity of personality, it is obvious that everything entering the sphere of personal consciousness must be subjected to appropriate criticism and processing by the "I".

But it is also obvious that in addition to this method of influence acting on another person through personal consciousness, there is another method of influence in the form of suggestion acting on the mental sphere by directly instilling mental states, that is, ideas, feelings and sensations and without requiring the participation of personal consciousness and logic.

It is obvious that suggestion, unlike persuasion, penetrates into the psychic sphere in addition to personal consciousness, entering directly into the sphere of general consciousness without special processing and strengthening here, like any object of passive perception in general.

When, by suggestion, a person develops a cramp in the arm or, conversely, the arm is completely paralyzed, the question is, what determines the implementation of this suggestion? Obviously, nothing else but the direct penetration of the suggested idea into the sphere of general consciousness, which is not coordinated with the "I" of the subject, as a result of which the latter has no power over this suggestion and cannot counteract it.

But what prevents the "I" with its volitional attention from allowing suggestion to penetrate into the general consciousness? Why does it not introduce him, under the specified conditions, into the sphere of personal consciousness?

Because the will is either paralyzed by faith in the power of suggestion, or the subject cannot focus volitional attention on suggestion; therefore, it enters the sphere of general, not personal consciousness, thereby giving full scope to automatism.

Thus, if by suggestion we understood any direct influence on a person in general besides his "I" or personal consciousness, then we could identify this form of influence on us by environmental conditions with a form of passive perception that occurs without any participation of the "I" of the subject.

But by suggestion it is usually accepted to understand the effect of not all environmental conditions in general, but the effect of one person on another, which occurs through passive perception, that is, in addition to the participation of personal consciousness or the "I" of the subject, in contrast to another kind of influence, which always occurs through active attention with the participation of personal consciousness and consists in a logical a belief that leads to the development of certain views.

Lowenfeld, among other things, insists on the difference in the definitions of the process of suggestion itself (suggeriren) from its result, known as suggestion proper. It goes without saying that these are two different processes that should not be confused with each other. But, in our opinion, only such a definition can be recognized as the most appropriate and more correct, which embraces both the very method of influence characteristic of the process of suggestion and the result of this influence.

The fact is that suggestion is characterized not only by the process itself or the method of influencing the mental sphere, but also by the result of this influence. Therefore, in the word "suggest" we mean not only a special way of influencing this or that person, but also the possible result of this influence, and, on the other hand, in the word "suggestion" we mean not only the known result achieved in the mental sphere of this person, but also to a certain extent the way in which which led to this result.

As it was previously clarified, the concept of suggestion primarily contains an element of immediacy of influence. Whether the suggestion will be made by an outsider through a word or influence, or it will be made through some kind of impression or action, that is, whether we have a verbal or concrete suggestion, everywhere it does not affect by logical persuasion, but directly affects the mental sphere, in addition to the sphere of personal consciousness, or at least, without processing on the part of the "I" of the subject, due to which there is a real instillation of an idea, feeling, emotion, or one or another psychophysical state.

Similarly, those states that are known as autosuggestion and which do not require extraneous influences usually arise directly in the psychic sphere, when, for example, one or another idea has penetrated into consciousness as something ready, in the form of a thought that suddenly appeared and struck consciousness, in the form of a dream, in the form of a seen example etc .

In all these cases, mental influences that arise in addition to outside interference are also grafted onto the mental sphere directly bypassing the critical and self-aware "I" or what we call personal consciousness.

Thus, to inspire means to more or less directly inculcate ideas, feelings, emotions and other psychophysical states to the mental sphere of another person, in other words, to influence in such a way that, if possible, there is no place for criticism and judgment; by suggestion, one should understand the direct inculcation of ideas, feelings, emotions and others to the mental sphere of this person psychophysical states, in addition to his "I", that is, bypassing his self-aware and critical personality.

SUGGESTION AND PERSUASION

From the above it is obvious that suggestion and persuasion are the two main forms of influence of one person on another. Although among the methods of psychic influence of some persons on others, in addition to persuasion and suggestion, we can also distinguish between command and example, as well as advice, wishes, etc., but there is no doubt that to a certain extent both command and example act exactly like suggestion and cannot even be distinguished from it; otherwise, as an order, as well as an example, acting on a person's mind, can be quite likened to a logical conviction. So the order acts primarily by the power of fear for the possible consequences of disobedience through the consciousness of the need to comply, by virtue of the reasonableness of obedience in this case, etc. In this regard, the order acts like a conviction.

But regardless of that, the command acts at least in certain cases and directly on the psychic sphere, as a suggestion. The best example of the influence of an order as a suggestion is the command. The latter is undoubtedly a form of command, and who does not know that the command acts not only by force of fear for disobedience, but also by suggestion or instilling a certain idea. On the other hand, an example, in addition to its influence on the mind through persuasion of the usefulness of one or the other, can also act like a mental infection, in other words, by suggestion, as a completely involuntary and unaccountable imitation.

Who does not know the contagious effect of public executions? Who does not know the contagious effect of suicide?

Everyone knows, finally, the transmission of convulsive painful forms by direct imitation.

Thus, both command and example act in some cases by persuasion, in other cases by suggestion; most often they act simultaneously as both persuasion and suggestion. Because of this, they cannot be considered as independent ways of influencing some people on others, like persuasion and suggestion.

Similarly, advice, wishes, as well as other forms of mental influence of some persons on others can also act on the psyche either in the form of suggestion or in the form of persuasion, depending on the attitude of the person to whom they are expressed.

So, it is obvious that while verbal persuasion usually acts on another person by the power of its logic and immutable evidence, suggestion acts by directly instilling mental states, that is, ideas, feelings and sensations, without requiring any evidence at all and without needing logic. It acts directly and directly on the mental sphere of another person through an order or persuasion, through fascinating and excited speech, through gestures and facial expressions.