MODIFIED BEHAVIOR
By: BZ2
Prominent Psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Dilworth settled comfortably into his favorite overstuffed club chair. His article “Behavior Modification and Training, case study 11.03.04, Subject number 25” had just been published in the Journal of Psychology and he planned to scrutinize it for accuracy, being somewhat of a perfectionist he was slightly paranoid about misprints and unauthorized editing.
The pungent aroma of Rattray’s Black Mallory permeated the room as he characteristically puffed away on his favorite old Charatan Canadian; which he firmly clenched in the corner of his mouth. On the table beside him rested a large snifter of Martell Cordon Bleu. His devoted pet Missy nestled comfortably at his feet.
He reached down and scratched Missy behind the ear. Then he reached for his snifter, he breathed deeply from the bulbous glass before taking a quaff of the cognac. As the warmth of the liquor swept through him he glanced down at Missy and his mind drifted back to the details of case study 11.03.04, Subject number 25.
He remembered it clearly, it had begun as an accident actually; he was working on another study of similar scope and substance when unexpected circumstances set him on a new course of research. Both studies focused essentially on the use of Hypnosis as a tool for modifying human behavior. At that moment he had just placed Mr. Jones into a trance.
Mr. Jones was a test subject number 12 in the case study. He had been trying unsuccessfully to break his nicotine habit for years before becoming one of Dr. Dilworth’s patients.
Dr. Dilworth had set up his equipment as usual. He routinely used a metronome with a strobe light synchronized to flash with each of its beats to induce his hypnotic trances.
Since this was not Mr. Jones’ first session the entrancing stage went rather quickly. But before probing a patient’s subconscious he would typically turn off the metronome and the flashing strobe. But, as he moved across the room to do so he noticed something unusual. His office door stood open, and standing in the doorway was his secretary Melissa Sampson.
Melissa was an intelligent and attractive young woman of twenty-three years, with auburn hair and hazel eyes and a firm athletic body. A body she liked to keep hidden beneath her loosely fitting clothing. But for some unfathomable reason there she stood, in the open doorway, transfixed upon the rhythmic metronome and flashing light.
Why she was there Dr. Dilworth could not guess, but at the moment he didn’t care, he was infuriated by the fact that she was. “Damn it” she knew better than to interrupt a session with a patient. He approached the girl expecting her to quickly retreat back to her desk; instead she remained, standing motionless in the doorway. Her eyes fixed upon the flashing light and apparently senseless of her surroundings.
With a sense of wonder he realized that she was in a trance. He momentarily pondered what to do; obviously he couldn’t just leave her there. So he approached his mesmerized secretary with the intent of simply waking her from the trance and sending her back to her duties at her desk.
Inspiration suddenly struck the impish side of his personality, “Perhaps I should teach my little snooper a lesson.” It seemed obvious to him that she had poked her nose where it hadn’t belonged. But prudence prevailed and he simply woke her; “Melissa when I snap my fingers you will awaken.” Then with the snap of his fingers she awoke. Then with false dignity the red faced young lady anxiously returned to her desk.
Dr. Dilworth returned to Mr. Jones and his session with no further thought for his intrusive secretary.
However, some things are just meant to be. A week later after he had seen his last patient, Dr. Dilworth was in his office adjusting and calibrating the synchronization of the metronome and strobe. Just as he finished and was about to turn the equipment off a glitter of light intruded from the doorway. He turned towards the door and was surprised to see Melissa standing there.
Before he could ask her what she needed; he realized she was once again transfixed by the flashing strobe.
Dr. Dilworth had spent a good deal of the past week considering the direction his Case Study was going. He had focused on using Hypnosis to modify small behaviors, like quitting smoking, losing weight, ECT, and ECT. But what if he could effect a more encompassing modification, what if he could change a whole personality?
So when he saw the entranced Melissa motionless in the doorway a seed of inspiration began to germinate in his mind. He studied the girl like a spider contemplating the prey caught in its web, and thought; “She has to be one of the most susceptive persons on earth. Providence has provided me with the ideal subject.”
Stealthily he approached her. “Melissa can you hear me?”
“Yes”, came the monotone response.
“Good girl Melissa.” He took her by the elbow and guided her toward the couch.
“Lie down on the couch Melissa.”
“That’s a good girl Melissa.”
Having deposited Melissa onto the couch. Dr. Dilworth sat down behind his desk and stared at the reposed girl. He carefully weighed the consequences of what he was contemplating. He anguished over the possibilities until he noticed indications that Melissa was stirring from her trance.
“I need more time.” He retrieved the metronome and placed it on the table by the Melissa’s head.
“Melissa can you hear the ticking?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl Melissa. Now try to imagine yourself on an elevator at the top of a very tall building.”
“Can you see it Melissa?”
“Yes.”
“Okay Melissa, the elevator is going to start down. You are on the one hundredth floor. Each tick that you hear means that you have descended one floor.”
“As you descend you will count off each floor. You will begin to feel more secure and relaxed with each descending number and you fall deeper and deeper asleep.”
“Where are you Melissa?”
“In the elevator,”
“Good girl Melissa. Now press the button for the ground floor start down.”
Tick “99”, tick ”98” tick “97”, tick “96”.
“Good girl Melissa. You are falling deeper and deeper asleep. As you sleep deeper and deeper you will feel more and more secure and more and more relaxed. Good girl. As you sleep deeper you will become oblivious to everything but the sound of my voice. You will hear only my voice, you will obey only my voice, and you will feel safe and secure only with the sound of my voice. Deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper.” He allowed his voice to gradually trail off.
Tick “80, tick “79”, tick “78”.
Having bought himself some time he went back to his battle of conscience. He tried desperately to argue both sides.
The ringing of the phone interrupted his deliberation. While the spellbound Melissa continued her countdown she remained motionless and insensible to everything apart from the sound of the ticking metronome, he casually answered the phone.
The call had been from the head of the Psych. Department at the University inquiring into his progress on the study he was conducting for them.
Moments later, with the Dept. head pacified Samuel returned his attention to Melissa. He stared fixedly at the mesmerized subject of his thoughts; he had neither encountered in practice nor in testament, a subject that had succumbed so quickly and easily to hypnosis as Melissa had, and he doubted that he could find a subject as pliant as Melissa seemed to be. He continued to rationalize with himself; but finally he concluded that it would take a subject at least as susceptible as Melissa to really be able to stretch the envelope of behavior modification.
Samuel wrestled with his conscience as he stared at the unsuspecting subject of his thoughts. Finally, after much deliberation he weakened, and declaring himself to be an opportunistic bastard he decided to go for it.
It was true that she would not be a true voluntary subject, but how often is one presented not only with an idyllic subject but to already have that subject in a deep trance. In the retrospect, his conscience had probably made only a token resistance, as he too effortlessly decided upon a course of action that if successful would change Melissa’s life forever. The easing of his conscience was simple; he would merely see to it that Melissa was, at least legally, a true volunteer.
Tick “5”, tick “4”, tick “3”, tick “2”, tick “1”. Melissa then fell silent.
“Good girl Melissa. You have done very well. You are in a very deepened state of sleep, a deeper state than you have ever experience before. All of your worries, all of your troubles have been left behind. You don’t need to think about anything but the sound of my voice; because the sound of voice makes you feel safe and secure. I am going to allow you to remain in this safe state for a little while I take care of few matters.” He began to pat her head. “Good girl, good girl, sleep, sleep, sleep.”
He removed his jacket and placed in his closet, then went to the small cabinet that served as his wet bar and poured himself a dram of Glenlivets (neat); then he sat down behind his desk and put his feet up. He withdrew a legal pad. At the top of the pad he wrote “Plan of action for modification of test subject # 25.”
1. Probe subjects subconscious, she what makes her tick.