Max Freedom Long - The Teachings of Huna

The Case:

Fourteen months before the famous Confederate soldier, General Robert E. Lee, was born, his mother seemingly died. The doctors found that her heart had stopped beating and that she had turned stiff and cold. Thinking she was dead, funeral services were held and her body placed in the family vault. Fortunately in those parts at that time, bodies were not embalmed.

A week later the keeper of the cemetery went into the vault to remove withered floral offerings, and was startled to hear a moan from inside the casket. Hurriedly he opened the coffin. Inside it he found Mrs. Lee—again back in her body, alive. Apparently she had but then returned, for she had not smothered. She recovered and lived to give birth to the son who was later to become so famous.

Comment:

In this and many similar cases we have proof of the cessation of all activities of the conscious mind in the body. Those of the subconscious all but ceased. To account for absence of decay in the body we are forced to conclude that there was a slight connection—perhaps by an ectoplasmic thread—between the body and the subconscious which must have been partly removed because of the death-like state of the body.

In this connection it is well to remember the yogis of India. These "holy men" use some form of autosuggestion to throw their bodies into a death-like state while the conscious mind goes away for long periods of time and the subconscious becomes dormant.

In the two cases we have just examined there are data which will later be of value, but in the next two we will come upon the data which finally showed me the significance of all data—pointed me to the secret of secrets of the kahunas.

Preliminary Notes:

One of the early members of the Society for Psychic Research, and one who has taken part in many investigations, was a resident of Honolulu when I was there. He was Dr. Leapsley, a brilliantly educated man who was as trustworthy as he was wise. He made frequent journeys away from Honolulu, on this quest and that. Often he lectured to a group of friends to give them the findings of his latest investigation. I give this case from notes taken at one of the lectures.

The Case:

Dr. Leapsley (Ph.D. and a biologist), in company with two medical doctors, was called in as a ranking expert in matters of multiple personality—the case to be investigated and treated being that of a young lady twenty-eight years old, the daughter of a prominent California attorney.

From the age of four, this young lady had alternated personalities regularly every four years. Only two personalities were involved and there was complete reciprocal amnesia.

The change of personalities which came with such regularity would be made in a moment of deep sleep. The secondary personality had been a "baby" when it first arrived, but had learned very rapidly and soon equalled the mental growth of the primary personality.

Through the years, each of the two personalities had continued its growth and education in its times of dominance, and each was able to learn with amazing rapidity anything the other had learned before it. Neither had the slightest memory of the experiences of the other. Upon returning to the body, neither personality could remember what it had done or where it had been while away. There was always surprise and momentary bewilderment at the time of returning to a body grown four years older and unfamiliarly dressed.

The primary personality was quiet and studious. It loved to sew and was shy and retiring. The secondary personality was an aggressive and unabashed tomboy. Their tastes and recreations were different.

One of the changes took place one afternoon while the mother was reading to her twelve-year-old daughter. They were in the sitting-room and the primary personality, whom we may call Miss First, was then dominant. The child was listening quietly and happily to the reading when she suddenly fell asleep. It was little Miss Second who awakened in the body a moment later.

Four years passed. Miss Second, now sixteen, was in the same room with the mother. The mother was reading another book, but this time not aloud, as Miss Second did not care for books. The body fell asleep, as it happened, in the same big chair in which it had sat four years before and on much the same kind of sunny afternoon.

Suddenly the eyes opened and Miss First looked wonderingly out. "Why did you stop reading, Mother?" she asked. She was unaware that four years had passed. She thought she had dropped off to sleep and that the reading of four years before had suddenly stopped. When told what had happened, she knew by remembering similar experiences what must have occurred. Also she could see that her body was larger and that it wore a dress much too colorful to suit her quiet taste.

So, every four years the girls changed places in the body. At the age of twenty-eight, or nearing it, each girl had lived fourteen years in the body. With each change, the wardrobe had to be made over to suit the personality which took over the body. Amusements were instantly changed, as well as diet, habits and occupational hobbies.

At last the parents decided to call in experts to see if there was not some way in which the secondary personality could be forced to leave the body to the primary. In this the parents were much perturbed as they had come to love both personalities as they would two different daughters, as indeed the girl seemed to have become to them.

The investigators took the young lady and explained to her that they were going to hypnotize her and endeavor either to cause both personalities to blend into one, or to get Miss Second to leave the body entirely to Miss First who now had possession, but feared the approach of the usual time for the change. Most eagerly she submitted to the treatment.

Under hypnosis the usual thing occurred. Both personalities appeared in turn and could be questioned. Each personality showed a complete memory of its own periods of life in the body, and each said that it knew all about the activities of the other—not by sharing those experiences but by "reading" what was in the memory of the other. They were not sure whether they stayed in the body or not, when latent, and they showed the usual lack of reasoning power. When the subconscious of Miss Second was told that she must go away and leave the body, the reply was vague and unsatisfactory. The order seemed to be accepted, but the doctors were convinced that nothing would come of such a command. So convinced were they that they also gave the usual hypnotic suggestion aimed at forcing a blending of the two personalities. (Note: As the subconscious alone can be hypnotized and made to act upon given suggestions, the blending must be between two subconscious entities. Such a blend would give the dominant conscious entity a double set of memories and so imitate a completely blended pair of personalities. It would seem quite impossible—if the kahunas are right in their postulations—that two conscious entities could blend without becoming instantly aware of their duality.)

After the first treatment it was found that no blending of personalities had resulted. The treatments were continued daily until the usual time of the change drew near.

It was hoped that with Miss First well aware of the fact that they desired her to stay in the body and blend consciously and subconsciously with Miss Second, something would be accomplished. However, when the change occurred, Miss First was not blended with Miss Second.

Hypnosis was applied again, after the new arrival had heard what was being done. Again the subconscious minds were questioned. Miss First remembered the instructions given her to try to blend with Miss Second, but said she seemed unable to do anything about it. When asked where she was, she answered only, "Here."