La Suggestibilité

The book opens by asking a simple yet profound question: how can we gauge a person’s suggestibility without resorting to hypnosis or any coercive technique? Its author, a respected physiologist, argues that separating the study of suggestion from hypnotic trance not only avoids the ethical pitfalls of the latter but also reveals everyday ways our minds yield to subtle cues. By treating suggestion as a natural, observable faculty, the work promises a clearer, more humane approach to understanding human responsiveness.

Drawing on classroom experiments and careful observation, the author outlines practical exercises that can be used with children and adults alike. These methods resemble ordinary dictation or calculation tasks, yet they expose the moments when a mind slips into automatic compliance, emotional sway, or deliberate resistance. Along the way, a tentative typology of personalities emerges—ranging from the unquestioning to the contrarian—offering listeners a useful framework for recognizing and strengthening their own critical faculties.