An historical survey of the early roots of mesmerism

Abstract

Many believe that Franz Anton Mesmer helped lay the foundations upon which modern hypnotic theory and practice evolved. However, as one views the history of healing through suggestion prior to Mesmer, it becomes apparent that neither his theories nor his practices showed much originality. In fact, there is good evidence that Mesmer plagiarized the work of others. With this in mind, it appears that Mesmer's contribution to later psychological healing and theory was related more to his personality than to his originality.

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