eight
o'clock
To merely hypnotize and tell him he is not to carry out such orders would have no effect whatever . Perhaps if we could tell him that under certain described circumstances he was not to carry out such orders we might succeed . `` But my experience has been that the directions , as given , are carried out by the subject if , at the time , the circumstance described , which is to be recognized as a signal for such and such action on the part of the hypnotized sensitive , occurs _ and is noticed _ . `` For instance , if I should hypnotize a young man , and say that at eight o'clock , when he hears the clock strike , he should at once go downstairs and get a glass of water , he would undoubtedly do it when the clock struck eight . But if the clock did not strike eight , supposing some one had removed the striker , and when near the hour some one occupied his attention so that he did not notice the time , in all probability he would not obey orders . It requires some special occurrence which has been described in connection with the act to suggest it again to his mind . `` In my opinion , the best we can do is to let Murphy ride the race , and to take all precautions possible to prevent any man waving his handkerchief to Murphy during the race .