Hypnosis may help kids study (mind becomes receptive to messages). NewsNet5.com, May 20, 2002

In reading the above story in the news today describing "hypnosis" as a new teaching method for parents who want their kids to open their books and do their homework, I was reminded of Brave New World. In the following excerpt Huxley describes a similar type teaching method that was tried but proven ineffective.

Chapter Two

..."Once upon a time," the Director began, "while our Ford was still on earth, there was a little boy called Reuben Rabinovitch. Reuben was the child of Polish-speaking parents."

...One evening in Little Reuben's room, by an oversight, his father and mother happened to leave the radio turned on.

("...In those days of gross viviparous reproduction, children were always brought up by their parents and not in State Conditioning Centres.")

While the child was asleep, a broadcast programme from London suddenly started to come through; and the next morning, to the astonishment of his parents, Little Reuben woke up repeating word for word a long lecture by that curious old writer... George Bernard Shaw. ...To Little Reuben this lecture was, of course, perfectly incomprehensible and, imagining that their child had suddenly gone mad, they sent for a doctor. He, fortunately, understood English, recognized the discourse as that which Shaw had broadcasted the previous evening, realized the significance of what had happened, and sent a letter to the medical press about it.

The principle of sleep-teaching, or hypnopædia, had been discovered." The D.H.C. made an impressive pause.

The principle had been discovered; but many, many years were to elapse before that principle was usefully applied.

"The case of Little Reuben occurred only twenty-three years after Our Ford's first T-Model was put on the market." (Here the Director made a sign of the T on his stomach and all the students reverently followed suit.) "And yet …"

Furiously the students scribbled. "Hypnopædia, first used officially in A.F. 214. Why not before? Two reasons. (a) …"

"These early experimenters," the D.H.C. was saying, "were on the wrong track. They thought that hypnopædia could be made an instrument of intellectual education …"

(A small boy asleep on his right side, the right arm stuck out, the right hand hanging limp over the edge of the bed. Through a round grating in the side of a box a voice speaks softly.

"The Nile is the longest river in Africa and the second in length of all the rivers of the globe. Although falling short of the length of the Mississippi-Missouri, the Nile is at the head of all rivers as regards the length of its basin, which extends through 35 degrees of latitude …"

At breakfast the next morning, "Tommy," some one says, "do you know which is the longest river in Africa?" A shaking of the head. "But don't you remember something that begins: The Nile is the …"

"The - Nile - is - the - longest - river - in - Africa - and - the - second - in - length - of - all - the - rivers - of - the - globe …" The words come rushing out. "Although - falling - short - of …"

"Well now, which is the longest river in Africa?"

The eyes are blank. "I don't know."

"But the Nile, Tommy."

"The - Nile - is - the - longest - river - in - Africa - and - second …"

"Then which river is the longest, Tommy?"

Tommy burst into tears. "I don't know," he howls.)

That howl, the Director made it plain, discouraged the earliest investigators. The experiments were abandoned. No further attempt was made to teach children the length of the Nile in their sleep. Quite rightly. You can't learn a science unless you know what it's all about.

"Whereas, if they'd only started on moral education," said the Director, leading the way towards the door. The students followed him, desperately scribbling as they walked and all the way up in the lift. "Moral education, which ought never, in any circumstances, to be rational."[end quoting]

To read about Brave New World's preferred method of teaching:

go to ELECTRIC SHOCK TEACHING IN BRAVE NEW WORLD

Hypnotized by sober second thoughts (visualize horror of car accident & imagine you are dead etc). Globe & Mail, Jun 14, 2004. Go to 40.Brainwashing & 14.Experimentation & HYPNOTIZING STUDENTS TO DEATH

Teens sent to torture schools (parents & students brainwashed into believing they deserve it). National Post, Jun 6, 2003. Go to 34.Ministry of Love (Torture) & SCHOOLS LIKE PRISON

HUXLEY'S UNBRAVE NEW WORLD