Essay About Franz Anton Mesmer And Variety Of Methods

Hypnosis Defined by the Encarta Encyclopedia
Essay title: Hypnosis Defined by the Encarta Encyclopedia
The Encarta Encyclopedia defines hypnosis as,”altered state of consciousness and
heightened responsiveness to suggestion; it may be induced by normal persons
by a variety of methods and has been used occasionally in medical and psychiatric
treatment. Most frequently brought about through actions of an operator, or
“hypnotist”, who engages the attention of a subject and assigns certain tasks
to him or her while uttering monotonous, repetitive verbal commands; such tasks
may include muscle relaxation, eye fixation, and arm leviation. Hypnosis also
may be self-induced, by trained relaxation, concentration on ones own breathing,
or by a variety of monotonous practices and rituals that are found in many
mystical, philosophical, and religious systems.” Another generally reliable
source Websters New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines it as,”a sleep
like condition psychically induced, usually by another person, in which the
subject loses consciousness but responds, with certain limitations, to the
suggest
ions of the hypnotist.” As I stated earlier, these two sources are
very reputed and the general population believes that they are correct. Yet,
however often they may be correct, in this case they are not, or at least not
completely. Not according to the scientific community at least. My sources
for this statement are The World Book Encyclopedia, The Wizard from Vienna:
Franz Anton Mesmer, Applied Hypnosis: An Overview, American Medical Journal,
and Hypnosis: Is It For You? Although they state it in different ways they
all basically agree that nobody can give a very accurate definition or description
of hypnosis, or hypnosis. Although some may get the definition partly correct,
the chances of doing so completely are very, very low. So although I will
probably not be able to give a totally accurate account of hypnosis and its
workings, I will try.
Although evidence suggests that hypnosis has been
practiced in some form or another for several thousand years, such as in coal
walking, the earliest recorded history of hypnosis begins in 1734. It begins
with a man named Franz Anton Mesmer. Although he was eventually disavowed
by the scientific community because of his unorthodox methods that made him
seem more of a mysticist that a scientist, he is generally known as the father
of hypnotism. Mesmer called his methods Mesmerism, thus the word mesmerize,
but the name didnt stick, it later changed to hypnosis, its name being derived
from Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep. He believed that hypnosis was reached
by using a persons “animal magnetism”. He used “mesmerism” to cure illness.
1795 an English physician named James Braid, who was originally opposed to
Mesmers methods became interested. He believed that cures were not due to
animal magnetism however, but the power of suggestion. This was the generally
accepted opinion of the scientific community.
Then in 1825 Jean Marie Charcot,
a French neurologist, disagreed with “The Nancy School of Hypnotism”, which
followed the guidelines of James Braids ideas. Charcot believed that hypnosis
was simply a “manifestation of hysteria”. He revived Mesmers theory of animal
magnetism