Who is Anton Mesmer and what is animal magnetism?
Ironically, Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) was looking for a better healing method when he accidentally discovered hypnotism in the middle of the 18th century. He called it “animal magnetism” since he used magnets and other forms of electrical gadgets to try to improve the healing process. He eventually became disenchanted with these gadgets and found out he got better results without them. Adam Crabtree states the following about Mesmer s view of magnetism in his book Multiple Man: Explorations in Possession and Multiple Personality (Praeger, 1985). He believed: ” that the universe is full of magnetism that the body itself is a magnet, and that a physician may use his own body to affect the magnetic balance of this patient.” Mesmer sat up his school in Paris espousing magnetism as a treatment. Many came from all over Europe to investigate this method and it caused a great stir among the medical community. Now James Baird, an English surgeon, renamed “animal magnetism” hypnotism in the 1820
