(from Greek, hypnos: sleep) The origin of hypnosis is generally credited to Franz Mesmer (1734–1815). Mesmer believed in animal magnetism—that all creatures have a universal magnetic fluid, disruption in which could affect psychological state. He affected to cure this by having patients sit in tubs containing iron filings and metal rods, which would enable him to reorganize the animal magnetism in his patients.
While appearing ridiculous to modern sensibilities, there is something of interest in this: it is one of the very earliest instances of psychological disturbances being attributed (however oddly) to physical causes. Mesmer’s cures have been suggested to have induced a hypnotic state in his patients, which permitted (in some rather unspecified way) therapeutic benefit to be obtained. Indeed, hypnotism—at least stage hypnotism—is still occasionally referred to as mesmerism, and the state of being entranced is known as ‘mesmerized’. Hypnotism is still practised in the treatment of certain psychological disorders—Freud used it when he first practised PSYCHOTHERAPY but later abandoned it for other techniques—but it remains unclear what sort of state the hypnotic state is. Is there actually a changed state of CONSCIOUSNESS that can be characterized as hypnotic—a state that is not accounted for by any other SLEEP mechanisms for example? or is it the case that patients who are hypnotized are not actually in any form of altered consciousness at all but, believing that while hypnotized they are not responsible for their own actions, thoughts or speech, they are freed from inhibitions that would normally prevent them doing, thinking or saying certain things? There is no unambiguous evidence in favour of there being a special hypnotic state of entrancement.
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