subject: History Of Hypnotism [print this page] Although most people think of hypnosis as something found at carnivals or on TV game shows, the origins of the practice trace their roots back hundreds of years to early scientific research and medicine.
Franz Anton Mesmer Father of Mesmerism
In 1775 Austrian doctor Franz Friedrich Anton Mesmer published his findings on animal magnetism, the belief that by controlling invisible fluids in the body through magnetism, one could alleviate pain. His theory gave rise to the practice dubbed "mesmerism." He enjoyed success for a time in treating patients with various ailments but was eventually ostracized by Austrian physicians, the French government as well as Louis XVI for his healing claims, which they believed to be fraudulent.
Early Hypnotism Advocates
In the 1880s hypnotism, as mesmerism was later called, began to once again attract scientific and medical attention. Ambroise-August Liebeault, a French physician, and Hippolyte Bernheim, a medical professor at Strasbourg, both wrote papers explaining hypnotism not as a magnetic force but a physiological state powered by suggestions given between the patient and doctor. During this time Sigmund Freud also became a proponent of hypnotism.
Hypnotism Today
Today views on hypnotism are mixed. Some scientists, scholars and doctors believe it to be pseudoscience and various countries ban the use of hypnosis. Hypnosis is also not allowed to obtain testimony in the court of law in many areas of the United States and around the world. Other medical professionals believe it to be a viable psychological practice enabling patients to deal effectively with a variety of issues. A certified hypnotherapist may be able to help those experiencing psychosomatic trauma, remember past experiences and alleviate pain associated with dental surgery, cancer, or headaches.
