| It could be argued that hypnosis has existed as part of | | | | physician and surgeon who coined the term |
| human culture since before civilization, in the form of | | | | "hypnotism," which has been shortened from his original |
| trance states induced through shamanic practices | | | | "neuro-hypnotism" or "nervous sleep," by which he |
| such as drumming, dance and ritual. For our purposes | | | | meant that the nervous system was put to sleep. |
| here, though, we will consider hypnosis in the modern | | | | Braid is widely thought of as the first hypnotherapist |
| civilized world to have begun with Franz Anton | | | | and the Father of Hypnotism. Braid first observed the |
| Mesmer, an Austrian who lived from 1733-1815. | | | | phenomenon when he encountered a French |
| Mesmer induced a hypnotic state in his subjects | | | | mesmerist -- one of Mesmer's students -- Charles |
| through the use of what he termed "animal | | | | Lafontaine, in 1841. By studying Lafontaine's subjects, |
| magnetism", which was his idea that when he passed | | | | Braid concluded that he had discovered the physical |
| his hands in front of the person, some kind of energy | | | | mental process underlying the hypnotic state, and was |
| was transmitted from him to the other person, resulting | | | | among the first to write about the close interaction |
| in trance and also in healing of physical ailments. Our | | | | between mind and body. |
| word "mesmerize," which means essentially the same | | | | Braid had a lot of work to do to convince people that |
| thing as "hypnotize," comes from his name. | | | | hypnosis was a real and useful tool, as opposed to a |
| Mesmer thought that there was a magnetic force or | | | | load of pseudo-occult nonsense, which was what |
| "fluid" which permeated everything, and which could | | | | many people believed in the wake of Mesmer's |
| cause physical healing. At first he used magnets on his | | | | "animal magnetism" and "magnetic fluid" claims. |
| subjects, but later concluded that he could get the | | | | Today hypnosis is an established therapeutic tool, |
| same results by simply passing his hands in front of | | | | widely used for everything from addiction and weight |
| the person's body. So, interestingly, what later evolved | | | | loss to improving self-confidence, resolving neurotic |
| into hypnosis originally started out as a kind of | | | | issues, and peak performance for pro athletes and |
| semi-occult healing technique. | | | | performers. |
| Next came Scotsman James Braid [1795-1860], a | | | | |