Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1913 — HASN’T SLEPT IN 20 YEARS [ARTICLE]

HASN’T SLEPT IN 20 YEARS

Scientists to Study the Case of a Harvard Professor—Relaxed, But Was Conscious.

Bostdn. —A Harvard professor, who has not slept In twenty years, but has taken his rest In the “twilight state," is the subject of investigations by the psychological laboratory of the university and the state psychopathic, hospital. The “twilight state,” In which the subject retains consciousness of all all that goes on about him, Is declared to be. a scientific relaxation more satisfying than sleep and restoring the bodily vigor In about half the. time required by sleep. While the identity of the Harvard professor is kept secret, Prof. Hugo Munsterberg, director of the psychological laboratory at Harvard, who Is a close personal friend of the sleepless educator, has made a close study of his case. Professor Munsterberg said his experience showed that it Is scientifically possible to sleep without a complete unconsciousness. To assist in the experiment at the state psychopathic hospital on the “twilight state," a special easy chair has been constructed. It Is described as a device to aid subjects to relax “as completely as a gallon of molasses on a slab of cold marble.”