Teacher hypnotizes students, 1958
In 1958, Dr. David Briggs claimed that hypnotizing his students increased their academic performance by up to 15 percent.
Reminded me of the Hypnotizing High School Principal I posted about back in October. The difference being that in the 1950s a professor hypnotizing his students was seen as a quirky but harmless experiment. But a principal who did essentially the same thing in the 21st Century got accused of contributing to the deaths of his students.
Reminded me of the Hypnotizing High School Principal I posted about back in October. The difference being that in the 1950s a professor hypnotizing his students was seen as a quirky but harmless experiment. But a principal who did essentially the same thing in the 21st Century got accused of contributing to the deaths of his students.
Newsweek - Apr 14, 1958
Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, Texas) - Apr 3, 1958
Comments
Back in the 50's one was EXPECTED to be responsible for his/her own actions as opposed to today's necessity to pass blame onto someone or anyone else.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 12/03/15 at 10:06 AM
Dunno about hypnosis, but I had several college professors who could put an entire class to sleep in mere seconds.
Posted by A Nonny Mouse on 12/03/15 at 11:35 AM
Nonny Mouse, that's the very definition of "sleep learning."
Every time I see a hypnotism act, I'm that guy in the back who yells out, "MAKE HIM BARK LIKE A CHICKEN!"
Every time I see a hypnotism act, I'm that guy in the back who yells out, "MAKE HIM BARK LIKE A CHICKEN!"
Posted by KDP on 12/03/15 at 02:28 PM
I've tried this hypnotize thing on my wife to no avail. When I tried hypnotizing Patty she just pretended and messed with me back.
Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 12/03/15 at 02:43 PM
Used to have a hypnotist routinely visit my high school ('80s) to put on an assembly and do an evening show.
Can't think that with the current threat of liability this would even be thinkable now.
Can't think that with the current threat of liability this would even be thinkable now.
Posted by crc on 12/03/15 at 04:05 PM
Well I couldn't disappoint you honey! 😊
There are some stand-up comedians who still do hypnotism in their shows but minor children are not good subjects for liability like crc said.
There are some stand-up comedians who still do hypnotism in their shows but minor children are not good subjects for liability like crc said.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 12/03/15 at 05:13 PM
When I was in college, they tried to hypnotize me (you could earn extra money on weekends by being a guinea pig for psych and social research). Even with an injection of Valium, they couldn't hypnotize me. I naturally thought it was because I'm so smart. Not quite, they said; it's because I have severe trust issues. (I later tried self-hypnosis, but apparently I don't even trust myself. Actually, that shows how smart I am -- someone would have to be stupid to trust me!)
Posted by Phideaux on 12/04/15 at 02:52 AM
What did Dr. Briggs teach in his mental hygiene class?
Posted by RobK on 12/07/15 at 12:10 PM
I remember the ads in the back of magazines / comic books to teach you how to hypnotize people. They were right next to the x-ray specs. Neither seemed to work.
Posted by GFinKS on 12/07/15 at 01:39 PM
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Category: Education | Hypnotism, Mesmerism and Mind Control | Psychology | 1950s