B1    Hypnopedia - concepts and slogans

by Tina 

Hypnopaedia nowadays:

·         it is based on behaviourism (B.F.Skinner, important exponent of behaviourism) 

Behaviourism: 

·         perfect social adjustment of the individual to the environment and society

·         this adjustment is independent of subjective and psychic factors of the individual

·         brain = black box  

information →             → results 

·         the interior procedures are disregarded

·         behaviourists want to find out which information is the best to achieve the aim of perfect adjustment 

Burrhus Frederic Skinner( *1904; +1990) - important exponent of behaviourism 

·         hypnopaedia was investigated because the idea was to utilize sleep in a more productive manner

                              → teaching during sleep 

·         an experiment with nail-biting boys proved that hypnopaedia actually works

→  during sleep the boys were taught several times that their nails were disgusting;  after the experiment the boys were observed and the investigators found out that 80% of the boys stopped their nail-biting mannerism

Hypnopaedia in BNW:

            General Aspects: 

·         a coincidence proved that children can learn during sleep  (p.21-22)

·         firstly hypnopaedia was abandoned because it was too confusing to children, (they have to know s.th .about the topic) (p.22, l.30-31)

·         long period of advancement until hypnopaedia was fully developed/resumed (A.F. 214) (p.21,. l.33-34)

·         only moral education is possible/ useful, no rational or intellectual education  (p.22, l.3; p.23, l.2-3)

·         hypnopaedia is practised  shortly after the “birth” of the babies, to manifest suggestions as early as possible

·         a soft but distinct voice is used  (p. 23, l.33)

·         forty or fifty repetitions, three times a week for thirty months→ moving on to a more advanced lesson  (p.24, l.17-21)

·         no disruption during sleep- teaching (p.23, l.4)

·         the basic subjects of the hypnopaedia- method in BNW are ELEMENTARY SEX and ELEMENTARY CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS  (p.23, l.20-22)

Slogans (which can be ascribed to hypnopaedia) and their functions: 

·         slogans are carefully worded by the world controllers who want to achieve the aims of “stability, identity and community”

·         manipulation and power over the individual

·         short, catchy slogans, easy to memorize; often rhyming endings 

1.      Elementary Class Consciousness

“ Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they are so frightfully clever. I´m really glad I´m Beta, because I don´t work so hard. And then    we are much better than Gammas or Deltas. Gammas are stupid. The all wear green and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don´t want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They are to stupid to be able to read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly colour. I´m glad I´m a Beta.”      (p.23, l. 33-p.24, l.13)

→ designed for every special group of the caste system-> identification”” with their role; “stability”.                                   

2.      Elementary Sex Consciousness:

"Put your arms around me...Hug me till you drug me, honey...Kiss me till I'm in a coma. Hug me honey, snuggly..."

“The little boys and girls who were still young to need an afternoon sleep were busy as everyone else, though they did not know it, listening unconsciously to hypnopaedic lessons in hygiene and sociability, in class- consciousness and the toddler´s love –life” (p. 132, ..25. p.133,. l2)

·         even little babies are told to practise free sex with whoever they want

·         no close relationship to members of the other sex

                                               → prevention of individual  emotion

                                               → hatred for solitude 

3.      Consumption

“ I do love flying, I do love flying”

“But  old clothes are beastly. We always throw away old clothes, ending is better than mending, the more stitches the less riches”          (p.43, l.32-34; p.44, l. 12-12; p.46, l.13.14)

→ conservation of the consuming society (in BNW the     transporting system with the helicopters has an important role), Buying new clothes instead of saving money,

     preservation of a fluent economy 

4.      Soma

“ A gram is better than a damn” (p. 49,l.1-2)

“ A gram in time saves nine”       (see soma-group)

These suggestions (of the state/ the world controllers) are the child´s mind and the adult's mind ,too (for lifetime), the mind that judges, desires and decides. (p.25, l. 8-15) 

→        Hypnopaedia actually works, because slogans are effective in every day life 

→        Everybody is happy with his role in society and does what he has to do, identification with the role, desire for unanimity and atonement (p236, ll. 4-5)

→        same consistence of slogans is visible in songs of the community and in daily language

→        “Stability, Identity, Community” (p. 1)     

 Hypnopaedia is “the greatest moralizing and socializing force of all time”

Critical comments  

• language is only used to condition people
• lack of individualism
• language is often used reproductively, no real communication
• decrease of creativity
• the only social values are: identity, stability, community, hygiene, soma, consumption, artificial reproductive technique

 Vocabulary aid:

mannerism                                         →        Angewohnheit

coincidence                                        →        Zufall

to ascribe       sth. to s.th.                 →        etw. zurückführen auf etw.

consumption                                     →        Konsum

unanimity                                           →        Einstimmigkeit/ Gleichförmigkeit

artificial reproductive technique         →        künstliche Fortpflanzungstechnik