HYPNOTISM IN COURTS by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Oct 4, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 40.

"HYPNOTISM IN COURTS."

By Editor

IN our issue of August 23 we printed an article with the above heading, and the following subheading: "The Devil to Be a Helper in Reform." We quoted a news despatch from Denver, dated July 28, stating that Judge Lindsey of the Juvenile Court had announced his intention of practising hypnotism so that he could better deal with the children. We stated in that article:

It is well known that a person who has been once hypnotized more readily yields to its influence the next time, and still more easily the next time. The power to resist the influence is finally destroyed, and the soul is left a derelict on the sea of irresponsible mentality. And all such will be used by the chief hypnotist in all this world,—the devil; men may subject souls to their own will by its influence with the best of motives, and by that very means they are weakening that soul's will, they are destroying its resisting power, and are rendering him a much easier prey to the master of hypnotism,—the devil. And therefore he who is using this means,—be he judge or physician or teacher or minister—is acting, tho unconscious to himself, as an agent of the devil. If that is the method of this Denver court, whatever its temporary results, it will reap a fearful harvest in the judgment.

We are glad to know that the report on which our remarks were based was false, and that Judge Lindsey did not say any such thing. He thus writes us under date of September 15:

EDITOR SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Mountain View, Cal. Dear Sir: I thank you for sending me the SIGNS OF THE TIMES of August 23, containing your editorial regarding the alleged practise of hypnotism in this court. You may rest assured that the story was nothing but a fake affair, and has been a source of much annoyance to me. . . . I wish to thank you for your encouraging words in the past, and I am glad to know that we do not differ on the subject of your recent editorial. Sincerely yours, BEN B. LINDSEY.

We are glad to correct the mistake. We take occasion to express again our wishes for the greatest success to Judge Lindsey in the work that he is doing for the erring youth.