Mesmerism: Animal Magnetism

Mesmerism—also known as animal magnetism—is an 18th-century healing theory developed by Franz Anton Mesmer. He proposed that:

• A universal invisible force (“animal magnetism”) flows through all living beings.

• Illness arises when this fluid becomes blocked or imbalanced.

• A practitioner can restore balance through gestures, touch, or focused intention.

Although Mesmer’s ideas about a magnetic fluid were eventually discredited, the psychological effects produced during his sessions—especially suggestion, expectation, and altered states of attention—became foundational to the later development of hypnosis.

Mesmerism: Animal Magnetism — A Deep Exploration of History, Theory, Practice, and Legacy

Few phenomena at the intersection of science, psychology, and occult philosophy have inspired as much fascination—and controversy—as Mesmerism, more formally known as animal magnetism. Originating in the late 18th century through the work of Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer, the theory proposed an invisible, universal fluid permeating all living beings. By manipulating this fluid, Mesmer believed illnesses could be cured, emotions regulated, and consciousness altered in profound ways.

While Mesmer’s framework was ultimately rejected by scientific committees of his time, the practices he pioneered became foundational for the later development of hypnosis, psychotherapy, psychosomatic medicine, and even modern concepts of placebo and suggestion. Mesmerism remains a bridge between Enlightenment-era protoscience and the contemporary study of mind-body interactions.

This article dives deeply into the origins, methods, scientific controversies, cultural impact, and modern reinterpretations of animal magnetism.

1. Origins: Franz Anton Mesmer and the Birth of Animal Magnetism

1.1 Early Life of Mesmer

Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815) was trained in medicine at the University of Vienna, where he studied astronomy, music, and the mechanistic physiology popular in Enlightenment-era thought. Mesmer was influenced by Newton’s ideas of attractive forces and believed that the universe was bound together by a subtle medium.

1.2 Mesmer’s Early Experiments

Mesmer’s original interests lay in the effect of magnetic fields on the body, inspired by experiments with iron-laden medications and magnetic therapy. But he soon abandoned literal magnets in favor of the idea that the human body itself produced a magnetic force.

He theorized that:

• A universal fluid flows through all bodies.

• Disease results when the flow is obstructed.

• Certain individuals can influence or correct this flow in others.

Mesmer called this phenomenon animal magnetism, distinguishing it from mineral magnetism.

2. Theory of Animal Magnetism

Mesmer’s worldview was complex, combining natural philosophy, early biomedical speculation, and metaphysical assumptions.

2.1 The Universal Fluid

According to Mesmer, the universe is filled with a subtle, invisible fluid analogous to electricity or gravity. Human beings interact with this fluid constantly.

2.2 Illness as Imbalance or Blockage

Mesmer argued that:

• Emotional disorders

• Chronic diseases

• Nervous disturbances

result from disturbances in the fluid’s circulation.

2.3 The Magnetic Operator

Mesmer believed certain individuals possessed an innate ability to direct the fluid. This “magnetic operator” could use hand movements, physical contact, or even their gaze to guide the patient into crisis and cure.

2.4 Crises and Convulsions

Mesmer often induced dramatic physical reactions—shaking, crying, laughing, fainting. He believed these magnetic crises purged the patient, allowing fluid to flow freely again.

Modern interpretations see these reactions as suggestibility, hysteria, or mass psychogenic response.

3. Mesmeric Techniques and Instruments

Mesmer’s sessions were elaborate, theatrical, and immersive.

3.1 “Passes”

Magnetic passes were sweeping gestures with the hands over the patient’s body. Mesmer claimed these guided the flow of the magnetic fluid.

3.2 The Baquet

The most iconic instrument of mesmerism, the baquet, was a communal healing device:

• A large tub filled with iron filings, glass shards, and bottles of “magnetized water”

• Patients sat around it holding metal rods

• Sessions took place in darkened rooms with music, incense, and controlled atmosphere

3.3 The Mesmeric Trance

Patients frequently entered altered states characterized by:

• Heightened suggestibility

• Dreamlike imagery

• Emotional catharsis

• Analgesia or reduced pain perception

These states closely resemble what later psychologists called hypnosis.

4. The Rise and Fall of Mesmerism

4.1 Meteoric Popularity in Paris

Around 1778, Mesmer arrived in Paris and became a phenomenon. Aristocrats and intellectuals alike flocked to his salons, and mesmerism quickly became a cultural craze.

4.2 The Royal Commission of 1784

Mesmer’s rising influence alarmed the medical establishment. King Louis XVI appointed a commission including:

• Benjamin Franklin

• Antoine Lavoisier

• Physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin

After investigating, the commission concluded:

• Animal magnetism existed only in the imagination.

• The effects could be explained by imagination, suggestibility, and expectation.

This was one of the earliest scientific recognitions of the placebo effect.

4.3 Mesmer’s Exile and Decline

Discredited by the commission, mesmerism lost scientific legitimacy, though its practices remained popular in underground circles.

5. Post-Mesmer Mesmerism: From Occult to Science

While Mesmer himself faded, his ideas evolved in new directions.

5.1 The Marquis de Puységur and Somnambulism

Puységur discovered “artificial somnambulism,” a calm, trance-like state much different from Mesmer’s dramatic crises. It is considered the true precursor to modern hypnosis.

5.2 Mesmerism in Victorian Occultism

In the 19th century, mesmerism blended with:

• Spiritualism

• Magic

• Séances

• Clairvoyance

• Mediumship

Practitioners claimed the trance enabled communication with spirits.

5.3 Scientific Transformation: From Mesmerism to Hypnosis

James Braid, a Scottish surgeon, reinterpreted mesmerism as a psychological phenomenon caused by:

• Focused attention

• Imagination

• Expectation

He coined the term hypnosis, distancing it from Mesmer’s metaphysics.

6. Modern Perspectives

Mesmerism is now viewed through multiple disciplinary lenses:

6.1 Psychology

• Hypnotic susceptibility explains mesmeric trance.

• Ideomotor responses explain involuntary movements.

• Placebo effects explain perceived healing.

6.2 Neuroscience

Functional imaging shows trance states involve:

• Reduced activity in the default mode network

• Altered connectivity in executive regions

• Heightened focus and dissociation

6.3 Medicine

Mesmerism prefigured:

• Psychosomatic medicine

• Mind-body therapies

• Relaxation techniques

6.4 Cultural Studies

Mesmerism played a role in:

• Early science communication

• Medical quackery debates

• Romantic and Gothic literature (e.g., Poe, Hawthorne)

7. Contemporary Uses of Mesmerism and Neo-Mesmerism

Although Mesmer’s theory of a magnetic fluid is scientifically obsolete, modern practitioners in alternative medicine and esoteric traditions use “neo-mesmerism,” reframing it as:

• energy healing

• biofield manipulation

• magnetic passes for relaxation

• induction of trance for therapy or ritual

These practices function psychologically rather than magnetically—but often provide real subjective benefit.

8. Why Mesmerism Still Matters

8.1 Foundational for Hypnosis

Without Mesmer, hypnosis as a therapeutic tool might not exist.

8.2 Early Understanding of Suggestion

Mesmerism was one of the first scientific investigations into:

• The role of belief in healing

• The power of expectation

• Nonverbal influence

8.3 A Cultural Turning Point

Mesmerism blurred the lines between physics, medicine, and metaphysics at a time when science was defining itself.

Mesmerism—despite its flawed scientific foundation—represents a pivotal chapter in the history of the human quest to understand the relationship between mind and body. Franz Anton Mesmer’s theory of animal magnetism, though debunked as a physical force, opened doors to the study of suggestion, trance, hypnosis, psychosomatic medicine, and the profound influence of imagination on human health.

Its legacy continues in medical science, psychology, alternative healing, and the broader cultural imagination. Mesmerism teaches us that even incorrect theories can illuminate deeper truths when pursued with curiosity and rigor.