Let There Be Light Page #4

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imagination sees in these cards

gives significant clues to his

personality makeup.

This looks sort of like

a drawing of two women

standing on a rock and waving

their hands.

This man suffering

from a conversion hysteria

requires immediate treatment.

Organically sound, his paralysis

is as real

as if were caused by a spinal

lesion.

But it is purely psychological.

Well, just sit up top the

middle of the bed there.

I feel pretty good,

though.

That's fine.

Now sit yourself over there.

Well, now, can you move over

just a little

so I can talk to you?

Yes, sir.

Now, what is the trouble?

You seem to be upset.

Just nervous.

Nervous?

Yes.

It makes me flinch like that.

I see.

How long has that been going on?

Since Friday.

Friday.

Friday night.

Come on suddenly or

gradually?

Suddenly, sir.

How?

Well, it started in the

afternoon with crying spells.

And felt something

funny in my shoulders here.

Back bothered me.

Just started crying, lost

control of my legs and my arms.

Was there any reason for

crying spells?

I don't know, sir.

Anything happen at home to

bother you?

Well, my mother's been

ill.

She has been ill?

That worry you a lot?

Quite a bit.

Well, now, has this got

anything to do

with your mother's illness?

Any reason why you should have

that kind of reaction?

No, sir, not that I

know of.

Unless my mother's illness might

have brought this on.

I try to hold in, but it hurts.

I see.

You've just been holding these

things in.

That's right, sir.

No way you can control this

at all?

No, sir.

Well, now, we're going to

have to help you do that,

of course.

Let's take off this jacket here.

Just slip that off.

All right, now lie down on the

bed.

Shoes?

No, we're leaving the shoes

on so you can walk in them.

I think we're going to get you

walking.

Let's come over here.

That's the boy.

That's fine.

That's good.

Now you lie steady.

Lie steady, that's a boy.

This is all going to go away as

I give you this medicine.

No bother at all.

The method employed here

is effective in certain types of

acute cases.

An intravenous injection of

sodium amytal

induces a state similar to

hypnosis.

What a torpedo that is.

You mind if I look this way?

You look that way.

Nothing for you to watch here.

But you're going to talk to me

as we go along.

Yes, sir.

That's all.

Now, you're not going to feel

much of anything else.

You're going to feel a little

bit woozy.

The use of this drug

serves a twofold purpose.

Like hypnosis, it is a shortcut

to the unconscious mind.

As a surgeon probes for a

bullet,

the psychiatrist explores the

submerged regions of the mind,

attempting to locate and bring

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