Suggestion und Hypnotismus in der Völkerpsychologie

Suggestion und Hypnotismus in der Völkerpsychologie (translatable as Suggestion and Hypnotism in Folk Psychology or Suggestion and Hypnotism in the Psychology of the Nations, etc.) is a work by the Swiss linguist and ethnologist Otto Stoll (1849–1922) which is regarded as an early contribution to comparative cultural psychopathology and social psychology.

The trained medicine Stoll (Dr. med.) was professor of geography and ethnology at the University of Zurich. The book was published in a second revised and expanded edition (Veit, Leipzig 1904).[1] It deals with suggestion and hypnosis as cross-cultural psychological phenomena. Stoll combines experimental psychology with ethnological case studies from non-European cultures. The book analyzes trance, magic, religious ecstasy, and collective influence.[2]

In his preface he writes, that the sole purpose he pursued with his work was to draw the attention of ethnologists to a category of psychological phenomena that, until now, have practically received no attention in the field of ethnology.[3]

The book was of influence on the main work of Elias Canetti (1905–1994).[4]

Already, Auguste Forel (1848–1931) had referred to its first edition (of 1894) as an 'excellent work'.[5] Regarding the historical and ethnological importance of suggestion, in a later English edition Forel says (using the second edition):[6]

I must refer my readers to the estimable work of Professor Otto Stoll, "Suggestion and Hypnotism in the Psychology of the Nations." Its action shows itself in all races, in all grades of culture, and plays an important part especially in religion and mysticism. Stoll has shown that this is so, very strikingly. One can trace it phylogenetically from the lowest developed races down to the various species of the animal kingdom.

Editions

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ The first edition was published in 1894 (K. F. Koehler, Leipzig).
  2. ^ For his broad perspective, see the bibliography (Verzeichnis der zitierten Literatur, p. 724 ff.).
  3. ^ "der ausschliessliche Zweck, den ich mit meiner Arbeit verfolgte, war der, die Aufmerksamkeit der Ethnologen auf eine Kategorie von psychologischen Erscheinungen zu lenken, die bis jetzt auf ethnologischem Gebiete sozusagen keine Beachtung gefunden haben" (Otto Stoll, Vorwort (preface), 1894, III)
  4. ^ See E. Canetti, Crowds and Power (bibliography).
  5. ^ Auguste Forel: Der Hypnotismus seine psycho-physiologische, medicinische, strafrechtliche Bedeutung und seine Handhabung. 1895, p. 110 ("das vortreffliche Werk").
  6. ^ Auguste Forel: Hypnotism; or, Suggestion and psychotherapy; a study of the psychological, psycho-physiological and therapeutic aspects of hypnotism. 1907, p. 139 f. (using a racist formulation)

Further reading

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