Impressible subjects may be selected by the development of the organs of Impressibility, and the general predominance of the frontal and coronal regions of the brain over the occipital. The qualities already mentioned as favoring impressibility may be studied in the character, or observed in the development, as they occupy the entire anterior half of the head, giving breadth to the temples, with height and projection to the forehead. An enlarged pupil of the eye will be one of the best symptoms, and, in connection with a calm, spiritual, gentle expression of countenance rarely fails to indicate impressibility.
To test impressibility apply the fingers upon the organ of Somnolence, an inch horizontally behind the brow, with a very gentle contact; your subject, after a few minutes, will manifest a sensitiveness of the eye, and will wink oftener than usual—his winking will be repeated and prolonged, until his eyelids droop or remain closed—he is now somnolent and dreamy; and this condition may be prolonged until it becomes the Mesmeric Somnolence, or may be promptly removed by brushing the excitement off with the fingers.
A very simple test of impressibility consists in passing the ends of the fingers over the palm of the hand of the subject, within one or more inches, and ascertaining whether he can recognize its passage by any impression. If impressible he will perceive a cooling sensation as the fingers pass. A more perfect demonstration is to let your subject stand erect before you, and apply both hands gently over the forehead and moral organs, or upon the temples; then very slowly withdraw them, and continue this process until you perceive that as your hand is withdrawn, the head seems inclined to follow it as if attracted; some will move thus but an inch or two, others will be drawn forward and compelled to follow you wherever you go, or may be drawn down and prostrated upon the floor. You may accomplish the same upon the back of the head or body—the hand or any other part which is free to move; but the forehead is the best region, because the front lobe is the seat of Impressibility, and the operation cultivates that quality, by drawing excitement into the brain, and especially the front lobe, thus debilitating the muscular system and power of resistance.
Apply the fingers upon the organ of Relaxation, below the cheek bone, and your subject, if standing, will become enfeebled, unsteady in attitude, and incapable of supporting as great weight as before in his extended hand. This will be counteracted by touching the region of Energy.
The most painful experiments may be made by placing the hands upon the temples and face, so as to cover the regions of Sensibility, Disease, Relaxation, and Irritability—the effect of which would be to produce bodily weakness, sickness, pain, distress and general prostration; a condition, which if not relieved, might result in severe disease, but which may be counteracted by dispersing the excitement upward and backward, and by stimulating Health, Energy and Hardihood.
By grasping a metallic rod firmly in the hand while the other end of it rests in the relaxed hand of an impressible person, you may transmit a current of nervaura, which he will recognize gradually entering his arm at the hand, passing slowly up to the shoulder, and then diffusing itself over the body.
One may test his own impressibility by placing the palm of the hand in contact with any portion of the head or body of a vigorous constitution for about twenty minutes, and observing the different impressions imparted by different localities. If the hand be held in contact with an individual suffering from some active form of disease, resting upon the forehead or the pit of the stomach, the morbid symptoms will be very perceptibly transferred to any one of an impressible constitution; but I would not recommend the experiment to any but those who are embarrassed by a constitutional scepticism, which hinders their believing anything which is not impressed upon their own senses.
An easy method of testing our susceptibility is by holding some active medicinal substance between the hands while sitting at ease (without knowing what the properties of the substance are), and holding other active substances at different times, to compare the effects which they produce upon the constitution. After such experiment, if the effects should in any case be greater than we desire, the influence should be removed by dispersive passes on the hands and down the arms.