mesmeric

Mesmerism, also known as mesmeric trance or animal magnetism, is a historical practice rooted in the theories of Franz Anton Mesmer, an Austrian physician who lived in the late 18th century. Mesmer believed that an invisible magnetic fluid permeated the universe and influenced human health, and that imbalances in this fluid could cause illness. His approach involved manipulating this fluid through magnetic passes—swirling movements of the hands over a patient’s body—to restore balance and promote healing.

Mesmer’s techniques gained significant attention in the 18th and early 19th centuries, particularly in Paris, where his theories were both celebrated and fiercely debated. Critics, including prominent figures like Benjamin Franklin and the French Academy of Sciences, dismissed his ideas as pseudoscientific, while others, such as the Marquis de Puységur, expanded on his methods, introducing the concept of hypnotic trance. Puységur observed that patients could enter a deep, altered state of consciousness, which he termed "mesmeric sleep," where they exhibited heightened suggestibility and vivid hallucinations.

The term "mesmerism" eventually became associated with hypnotism, though the two are not identical. While mesmerism often relied on physical gestures and the belief in a magnetic force, hypnotism later developed as a psychological phenomenon focused on suggestion and altered states of awareness. Despite its eventual decline as a mainstream medical practice, mesmerism played a crucial role in the development of psychology, psychiatry, and alternative healing modalities.

Today, mesmerism is primarily studied as a historical curiosity, illustrating the intersection of science, spirituality, and medicine in the Enlightenment era. Some modern practitioners of therapeutic hypnosis and energy healing techniques trace indirect influences from Mesmer’s original methods, though contemporary approaches are grounded in empirical research rather than metaphysical theories.