Messmer, often known as Franz Anton Mesmer, was an 18th-century doctor who is taken into account one of many founders of recent hypnosis. He developed a concept of “animal magnetism,” which he believed was a fluid that flowed via the physique and could possibly be manipulated to heal sickness. His strategies concerned placing sufferers right into a trance-like state, throughout which he would make passes over their our bodies with magnets or his arms.
At present, Messmer’s theories have been largely discredited, however his work has had a big affect on the event of hypnosis and different mind-body therapies. He’s additionally credited with popularizing using the time period “mesmerism,” which remains to be used in the present day to check with the observe of hypnosis.
