Chapter 320: The Principle of Hypnosis

An hour later, Gu You arrived. She was more than willing to assist the police with their request. She said, “Although I’m not an expert in hypnosis, I do know a bit about it, and we’ve used hypnotherapy in our counseling center. Feel free to ask me anything!”

Lin Qiupu got straight to the point, “Can hypnosis be used to kill? I mean, can someone be hypnotized to commit suicide?”

“Under normal circumstances, it can’t,” she replied.

“What about under unusual circumstances?”

Gu You smiled, “I can’t explain it very well. Why don’t we try an experiment?”

“That would be more straightforward. Who would like to assist Miss Gu?” Lin Qiupu looked around.

Everyone was hesitant, not because they feared hypnosis would have negative effects, but because they felt embarrassed to be the center of attention. Gu You scanned the room and finally fixed her gaze on Xu Xiaodong. “How about you, young man?”

“I… I’d rather not,” Xu Xiaodong laughed nervously.

“Xiaodong, step up. That’s an order!” Lin Qiupu commanded.

Gu You added, “There are too many people here, which could cause interference. Could everyone please wait outside?”

Reluctantly, the group moved to the hallway but couldn’t suppress their curiosity. They jostled to peek through the door crack. Inside, they saw Xu Xiaodong lying on a table while Gu You played soothing music from a computer and began her induction.

The process took about half an hour. Just as everyone was growing impatient, Xu Xiaodong suddenly pushed the door open and walked out. The officers exclaimed, “Is it over?” “Was he really hypnotized?” “He didn’t do anything!”

Xu Xiaodong looked a bit strange. He suddenly dropped to the floor and started doing push-ups like crazy. Gu You followed him out, smiling. “He’s under hypnosis now.”

“He’s still hypnotized?” Lin Dongxue asked in disbelief.

“Yes, he can only hear my voice right now. He won’t stop unless I tell him to… Officer Xu, stop!”

Xu Xiaodong froze in place.

Gu You walked over and stepped onto his back. Everyone gasped, fearing she would break his arms, but she signaled for them to stay calm. “Continue,” she instructed.

Amazingly, Xu Xiaodong resumed doing push-ups, bearing Gu You’s weight as if it were nothing.

The onlookers knew Xu Xiaodong worked out often, but he wasn’t usually this strong. After about ten push-ups, Gu You said, “Stop! Stand up.”

Xu Xiaodong stood up.

Gu You explained, “When in a hypnotic state, people can easily surpass their normal limits and do things they normally couldn’t. But that doesn’t mean I can make him do anything. For example, if I asked him to undress, he would immediately wake up. Considering it’s troublesome to put him back under, I won’t demonstrate that.”

Lin Qiupu asked, “So, it’s impossible to command someone to kill or commit suicide?”

Gu You smiled faintly, “It’s possible, but not by direct command. For example, the undressing…”

Gu You made a shushing gesture. “Please step back and stay quiet.”

She then spoke to Xu Xiaodong, “You’re in a dark room. It’s getting hotter and hotter…”

Xu Xiaodong began to sweat, startling everyone.

Gu You continued, “Do you smell something? It’s sulfuric acid. It’s on your clothes. It’s burning through to your skin. Do something quickly!”

Xu Xiaodong panicked, shouting as he stripped off his clothes. Just as he was about to take off his pants, Gu You snapped her fingers, and Xu Xiaodong froze in place. “Uh, what am I doing?”

This scene left many amazed. Some doubted its authenticity, suspecting Gu You and Xu Xiaodong had staged it.

Gu You patted his shoulder, “Thank you for cooperating. Put your clothes back on.”

Realizing he was shirtless, Xu Xiaodong quickly grabbed his clothes and ran back to the conference room, drawing laughter from the group.

Gu You told Lin Qiupu, “Even morally questionable commands can be carried out if framed correctly. Hypnosis is similar to REM sleep, where dreams occur. The hypnotist controls the ‘dream.’ Just like strong stimuli can wake a person from a dream, the same applies to hypnosis.”

Lin Qiupu asked, “So, could the students’ suicides and the subway incident be due to hypnosis?”

“I think the focus shouldn’t be on whether hypnosis can kill but on how it’s done. Shall we move to the conference room?”

Once there, Gu You requested to see the subway surveillance footage and the students’ suicide videos again. After watching, she looked deeply troubled. Lin Qiupu had to call her name several times to get her attention.

Lin Qiupu asked, “You mentioned the method of hypnosis. What did you mean?”

“Most people think hypnosis involves lying on a chair while the hypnotist gives instructions, gradually inducing a state of hypnosis. Anyone can be hypnotized if the method is right, correct?”

Many nodded.

Gu You said, “Hypnosis is more a talent than a skill. Some people, with minimal training, can hypnotize others, but the key factor is suggestibility. The more suggestible a person, the easier they are to hypnotize, and vice versa. Not everyone can be hypnotized. Also, the subject’s psychological expectations matter. Officer Xu agreed to be hypnotized, knowing my credentials and believing I wouldn’t harm him. He felt safe, so his subconscious accepted my control. But if there’s mutual distrust or malice, hypnosis is nearly impossible. Even a skilled hypnotist can’t use it on someone who doesn’t trust them.”

Lin Qiupu felt a pang of disappointment. Gu You continued, “However, there is a legend of a method called ‘coercive hypnosis,’ which supposedly can hypnotize even enemies…”