Medical Hypnotism

Before I finish this exploration of the history of hypnotism, I must mention that many doctors have used it. It was used as an anesthetic before chemical anesthesia became available.

In the 1840's Dr. Braid, a Scottish surgeon was using hypnosis as an anesthetic.

Around the same time, Dr. James Esdaille, performed "painless" surgery in India on more patients than any other physician before him. These operations influenced the British Medical Association to conclude in 1891 that hypnosis is "frequently effective in relieving pain, procuring sleep, and alleviating functional ailments."

Ah, now that that's over with I can get to the good stuff next time!!!

Non-surgical facelifts

I just read an article about non-surgical facelifts. But something is missing. I bought a book about this a few years ago. It’s about using hypnosis to reverse many of the signs of aging. Yes! Hypnosis! The power of the mind! The non-invasive method with no negative side effects!

Why don’t I read about this on MSN? Why don’t I hear about it? I guess I’ll have to write about it myself!!!!

More about this (and breast augmentation) in future blogs!!!

Unofficial Hypnosis

Between 1000 C.E. and 1500 C.E. hypnosis was not really documented. After all the word was coined sometime around 1841 By James Braid, who experimented with hypnotizing his family and servants. He thought that the hypnotic state was caused by a paralysis of the nervous system. He published a book on the subject. Later he tried to refer to this phenomena as "Braidism." The name never caught on. Curious how Mesmer called his theory "Animal Magnetism," yet people now refer to it as Mesmerism, and Braid wanted to call it "Braidism" and hypnosis was the name that stuck.

But there were doctors, healers and religious figures who used suggestions to aid in healing. Many of them unintentionally.

Hypnosis never went away, because it is a natural ability. And persuasive, charismatic people have used it over the centuries.

Fortunately, we do see evidence of it in ancient civilizations: The Ebers Papyrus, for example. More on this next time!

The Father of Modern Hypnosis

The Marquis de Puysegur was a follower of Mesmer. He differed from Mesmer, though, in that he felt that a receptive state could be reached in a gentle manner. He used "mesmeric passes," to induce a trance and then gave direct suggestions or commands.

And what about Dr. Ambrose-August Liebault? Another Frenchman. He was the first to realize that deep trance was not necessary to make beneficial changes. He and his followers formed the "Nancy School" and treated patients at the Nancy Hospital with hypnosis. They used direct suggestions to eliminate symptoms and had many successes. The medical establishment were very suspicious and tried to discredit their findings, because it wasn't profitable to cure disorders without medicines. Some of the treatments included post-hypnotic suggestions, hallucinations, and insensibility to pain. Liebault is sometimes called the "Father of Modern Hypnosis."

Fathers of Hypnosis

Who was the "father of hypnosis?"

There are several contenders for this title. I would like to discuss some of them.

The first may have been Anton Mesmer, who originated the theory of "Animal Magnetism," which basically stated that there was a magnetic fluid inside all living animals which could be influenced by iron rods and restore health to those afflicted with various conditions.

He believed that some kind of blockage of this magnetic fluid would inevitably lead to sickness. He desired to release this blockage, and devised many methods to do so, affecting many cures. Mesmer was very successful for a long period of time, but his ideas and some of his methods were so unusual, that the ruling establishment appointed a committee to investigate his claims. In 1784 Ben Franklin, Dr. Guillotine and others concluded that his cures were based on imagination, not “animal magnetism." Mesmer left France in 1791 and eventually settled in Switzerland.

Though Mesmer died in 1815, many of his followers continued to perform healings based on his methods. The discovery of the hypnotic state was stumbled upon by accident by one of Mesmer's students, the Marquis de Puysgur, one day when trying to magnetize a young shepherd boy. Rubbing the boy's head had put the boy into a hypnotic sleep. Trying to awaken the boy, the Marquis gave several commands, such as stand up, walk, and sit down, and was astounded to observe the boy obey, yet still remain in his sleeping state. When the shepherd boy finally woke up, he had no memory of these events.

The method used by the Marquis de Puysgur sounds a lot more like hypnotism as it is practiced today than Mesmer's methods.

Hyper hypnotists

I will speak to my class this weekend about the history of hypnosis. It’s full of very interesting characters, like Anton Mesmer and Father Hell. Milton Erickson may be the father of modern hynosis and he was quite colorful, too.

But I find the mothers of hypnosis to be much more fascinating. More next time.

The Advent of Hypnosis

I think moms invented hypnosis. Isn’t it the power of suggestion when a mom kisses the boo-boo and makes it all better? And I think mothers have been doing this a very long time.

We will go over the history of hypnosis in my class this weekend. I’ll also include a more scholarly exploration of the origins of hypnotism in future blogs.

Hypnotist Class

My first Professional Hypnotist Certification Class is going very well! I have several amazing students and I am enjoying the class immensely. They all are very interesting and multi-talented!

I wish all of them, and all of you a Very Happy Easter!

There will be no class this weekend, in observance of the Easter Holidays.

Don’t worry, they have homework!