Franz Mesmer was a German physician born in 1734.
He developed a theory he called "animal magnetism," in which human health is affected by the gravitational pull of various planets. He also believed that people could manipulate their health through the use of magnets to counteract the planetational pull.
He knew nothing about psychosomatic illness - physical illness that has a psychological source - and achieved enough success using magnets to become famous for his cures with them. This became know as "Mesmerizing" someone.
Enough scientists doubted his claims that eventually scientific research was done that showed the same results without the magnets. Do everything Mesmer was doing, but without the magnets.
POP QUIZ: What were the results?
ANSWER: The same as with the magnets.
It turns out that it wasn't the magnets that were producing the cures, it was the suggestions that Mesmer made while using the magnets.
The power of suggestion.
Today we call it hypnotizing someone, rather than Mesmerizing them.
February 21, 2010
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7 comments:
I dont know what kind of affects it would have but cure some one with magnets sounds kind of cool. I was actually thinking about hypnotizing someone as I was reading the blog. Looks like I was right since today we call mesmerizing someone, hypnotizing them instead. I have seen this done in high school we had this guy come in but I dont remember his name.
Mariah Norwood
Well I don't know what he was telling the people the magnets can do, but I do think that a big portion of today's illeness are results of a psychological matter. I will be the first to admit that I have fallen for that same trick. I went and bought a magnetic braclet for my arthritis. For someone in my age group to have arthritis as bad as I do and hurt as much as I do I was willing to try anything. So I bought the bracelet and wore it for about 60 days then I took it off and noticed that after 60 days of not wearing the bracelet I had the same affects with out the bracelet as I did when i had the bracelet on. Needless to say I do not wear my magnet jewelry anymore.
The idea of curing someone with magnets sounds kind of out there to me. the ony way hypnotism works on people is because they make themselves believe it. Its what gives the hypnotist the power of getting people to go with it.
people must have thought it was a scam rather than psychology and the power of suggestion. Bottom line, it can work.
To me hypnotized would be a feeling that is needed to be embraced before it can actually work.
This makes sense! I truly beleive that if you beleive you will be cured, You will be cured! Mind over matter! Trust in God, that's what most people who are sick really need! "personal opinion"
I believe that hypnosis can cure. In some ways! I skeptical of hypnosis though, but then again the only hypnosis I have seen are those silly people on stage that think they are actually doing something. After this psychology class I know now that they are false, but before I had actually no idea.
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