This story is based on recent correspondence.
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My name is Arlene. I am a third year psychology student at Duke University. I met Philip last summer when we were both camp counselors. Philip is six foot two inches tall and very fit. He is a great swimmer and he played a great game of volley ball. I am five feet six inches tall and reasonably athletic. I love swimming and volley ball. We gravitated to each other. We would play with the kids all day and sit around the camp fire late into the evening singing folk songs sitting arm in arm. I loved it when he put his arm around me. The camp had a rule that we could not get “serious” at camp and we didn’t.
Five weeks of conversation taught us both that we shared an avid interest in psychology. We agreed to try to co-ordinate our fall classes. The only class that worked was Psychology 206, Introduction to Hypnosis. In addition to taking the hypnosis class we started dating. I quickly realized that Philip was actually shy. Away from the camp and the music he was awkward. Philip certainly didn’t assert himself when it came to our relationship. We would go to coffee houses and movies or just go for walks and he never even kissed me. On my side, I was falling in love. He was so sweet and gentle. He wouldn’t hurt a spider, let alone a human being.
I was very comfortable with Philip; I was also very horny. I was afraid if I made the first move, I would scare him away. Our hypnosis class was interesting, I suppose. It had to do with statistics and illustrations how hypnosis had been used throughout the years to treat various conditions. The course discussed when it was called Magnetism and what may have been hypnosis in ancient Russia with Rasputin. We were told that Psych 207 was the course that studied the induction of hypnosis.
We agreed that we would try and take the second hypnosis course. Our social life was frustrating. I was beginning to wonder if Philip was gay. He was so good looking and fit and he worked out every day. I have known several gay men and most of them were really onto physical conditioning. One night I started a conversation about a gay and lesbian parade that was just held in San Francisco. He told me that he respected their right to be homosexual but he preferred women and he gave ne a hug! A hug. Oh, well. By this time I felt hopelessly in love and really didn’t know what to do.
We were seeing each other all the time. Class, after class and most evenings and weekends. We studied together. My grade point went up three quarters of a point. I went from 3.5 to 4.25. I was just about getting all A’s. I was getting desperate by the end of the semester. At winter break Philip went home and I went to the library. I wanted to learn more about hypnosis. Could someone be made to do something they didn’t want to do? I discovered the answer was a resounding maybe. I began to develop a plan.
With the new semester we were both in the second hypnosis class. This time the instructor made it clear that we would discuss trance induction. He asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to be the first practice subject. I immediately volunteered. The instructor was a man who looked like he was about fifty-five, tall with a very deep voice. I really felt good listening to his voice. He had me stand in front of him. He told me to make my body stiff. He then tilted my body until I was at a forty-five-degree angle. I remained stiff. He then told the class that was a sign of a good potential subject. He then clapped his hands and said “relax completely.” My body became limp and he caught me. I was feeling over whelmed. I don’t really remember what happened next. I next remember being back at my seat with Philip next to me.
“What I have just demonstrated is quick induction. You overwhelm the senses and the unconscious takes over. It does not work on everyone. It worked on Arlene because she demonstrated that she was a good subject and she was motivated to be helpful in the class environment. Who wants to try to be next?”
