History of Hypnosis
In the history of hypnosis its earliest reference to hypnosis dates back to ancient Egypt and Greece. Indeed, ‘hypnos’ is the Greek word for sleep, although the actual state of hypnosis is very different from that of sleep. Both cultures had religious centres where people came for help with their problems. Hypnosis was used to induce dreams, which were then analyzed to get to the root of the trouble.
There are many references to trance and hypnosis in early writings. In 2600 BC the father of Chinese medicine, Wong Tai, wrote about techniques that involved incantations and passes of the hands. The Hindu Vedas written around 1500 BC mentions hypnotic procedures. Trance-like states occur in many shamanistic, druidic, voodoo, yogic and religious practices.
History of Hypnosis Pioneers
The modern father in the history of hypnosis was an Austrian physician, Franz Mesmer (1734-1815), from whose name the word ‘mesmerism’ is derived.
Though much maligned by the medical world of his day, Mesmer was nevertheless a brilliant man.
He developed the theory of ‘animal magnetism’ - the idea that diseases are the result of blockages in the flow of magnetic forces in the body. He believed he could store his animal magnetism in baths of iron filings and transfer it to patients with rods or by ‘mesmeric passes’.
The mesmeric pass must surely go down in the history of hypnosis as one of the most interesting, and undoubtedly the most long-winded, ways of putting someone into a trance. Mesmer would stand his subjects quite still while he swept his arms across their body, sometimes for hours on end.
The British in the History of Hypnosis.
Another forward thinker was John Elliotson (1791 - 1868), a professor at London University, who is famous for introducing the stethoscope into England.
He also tried to champion the use of mesmerism, but was forced to resign. He continued to give demonstrations of mesmerism in his own home to any interested parties, and this led to a
There are many references to trance and hypnosis in early writings. In 2600 BC the father of Chinese medicine, Wong Tai, wrote about techniques that involved incantations and passes of the hands. The Hindu Vedas written around 1500 BC mentions hypnotic procedures. Trance-like states occur in many shamanistic, druidic, voodoo, yogic and religious practices.
History of Hypnosis Pioneers
The modern father in the history of hypnosis was an Austrian physician, Franz Mesmer (1734-1815), from whose name the word ‘mesmerism’ is derived.
Though much maligned by the medical world of his day, Mesmer was nevertheless a brilliant man.
He developed the theory of ‘animal magnetism’ - the idea that diseases are the result of blockages in the flow of magnetic forces in the body. He believed he could store his animal magnetism in baths of iron filings and transfer it to patients with rods or by ‘mesmeric passes’.
The mesmeric pass must surely go down in the history of hypnosis as one of the most interesting, and undoubtedly the most long-winded, ways of putting someone into a trance. Mesmer would stand his subjects quite still while he swept his arms across their body, sometimes for hours on end.
The British in the History of Hypnosis.
Another forward thinker was John Elliotson (1791 - 1868), a professor at London University, who is famous for introducing the stethoscope into England.
He also tried to champion the use of mesmerism, but was forced to resign. He continued to give demonstrations of mesmerism in his own home to any interested parties, and this led to a