Dr. Coste de Lagrave, surgeon-major in the French army, contributed an interesting paper to the International Congress of 1890, on auto-suggestion, and related several experiments he has made on himself during the last few years.

By practice he acquired the power of being able to sleep

at will, and of awaking at a definite time. To effect this he only had to lie down, and fix his attention on sleep, and on the idea that he would awake after a certain number of minutes. In a short time he obtained such self-control that he could get five or six distinct sleeps, and as many distinct awakenings, in the course of an hour. He also succeeded in producing dreams of the character he wished, and in evoking sensory delusions and hallucinations to such an extent that he became alarmed, lest the condition thus induced should become permanent. He was able to apply auto-suggestion in a curative direction, and thus to relieve himself of colic, gastrodynia, and the like. He did this by closing his eyes and concentrating his thoughts on the organ he wished to affect. In from a quarter to half an hour he generally succeeded in getting rid of the pain. On one occasion, when riding with troops, he suffered greatly from cold feet, and he tried the effect of autosuggestion. He closed his eyes, and induced a state of drowsiness, in which he directed his thoughts to his feet, which he wished to become warm.

In less than half an hour he was conscious of a feeling of warmth in them, and as long as he kept his attention fixed there they continued so; but very soon they became cold again when he allowed his thoughts to dwell on other things, showing, as he thinks, that the sensation of warmth depended on mental influence and mind concentration. In subsequent experiments he produced the desired result in a shorter time, and he found that the sensation of warmth was not merely subjective, for on removing his boots he felt the previously cold feet warm to the touch, thus getting the same effect as is nearly always demonstrable in ordinary hypnotic practice. He relates a curious experience of auto-suggestion in nervous prostration. He had been invalided home from Tonkin for dysentery, and for a year had been so prostrated by weakness that he was unable to walk a mile in the course of a day. One night he suggested to himself increased muscular and nervous force, and ability to walk without fatigue. The next day he walked over six miles without difficulty; but, unfortunately, he does not mention in his paper whether this effort was followed by reaction, or whether the improvement was permanent.

Dr. Co3te de Lagrave continues to practise autosuggestion, and has published an interesting series of observations on himself in the Revue de l'Hypnotisme (March, 1900, May, 1902). He fully describes his method, and seems to think anyone can practise it. The late C. G. Leland, the American author and humorist, working on independent lines, developed a similar system, which he explains in his book, 'Have You a Strong Will?' He also claims to have strengthened his memory, improved his temper, and increased his capacity for work by repeating formulas to himself before going to sleep at night. Hudson in 'Law of Psychic Phenomena' and Wood in 'Ideal Suggestion' carry out the same ideas.

De Lagrave's experiments open up an interesting field of research, and if his experience is corroborated by that of other scientific observers, it will throw light on a number of mental phenomena connected with directed self-consciousness, which are at present surrounded with a degree of mysticism. The yogis and fakirs of India assert that they can obtain remarkable control over their bodily organs and functions by contemplation, introspection, and other mental exercises; and there is little doubt that many of their achievements are the result of auto-hypnotism and auto-suggestion.