The immense, untapped power of the human mind
continues to fascinate us. Although many medical professionals – and other
people, including law enforcement – recognize the potential benefits and
mysterious power of hypnotism, it is still largely unexplained. In this book,
Derek Forrest examines the history of this baffling science, from its origins
in 17^th century Austria to the early days of the 20^th century,
when it emerged more or less into the form we know today.

The most compelling figure in the early history of
hypnotism was Anton Mesmer, the Austrian physician who was the first to
seriously experiment with the trance state he observed in epileptic and
hysteric patients. Forrest devotes the first four chapters to Mesmer’s theories
of a universal fluid that magnetically influenced illnesses in a variety of
ways – a theory that Mesmer termed "animal magnetism." Mesmer pursued
respectability for his newfound science, mesmerism, throughout his life,
working mainly in France. His ideas were alternately scorned and praised by the
public and his peers, for although his ability to induce a trance state in
patients was impressive, and his results with many illnesses promising, his theories
were at times inconsistent and he was not as politically savvy as he should
have been. His failure to gain acceptance by the nobles and gentlemen
dominating the medical field in that era led to scandals and denunciation, and
Mesmer died a poor and broken man.

However, Mesmer had many followers, and their
subsequent work in the field led to an improved understanding of the effects of
trances on patients, and an inkling of the vast potential that the field had to
offer. The idea of surgery without pain was quite revolutionary, and though the
mesmerists had stiff competition in the form of the newly developed chemical
anesthetics, many of them experimented with this concept. Mesmerism (also
variously called somnambulism and, by the 1880’s, hypnotism) was examined in
conjunction with the then-popular "science" of phrenology, and by
riding at least partly on the coattails of phrenology’s vogue, spread to
England and America, gaining once again mixed acceptance on the way.

Forrest traces hypnotism’s evolution, discussing the
gradual trend away from the universal fluid theory to a recognition that the
phenomenon observed were psychological in nature, dependant on the
susceptibility of the patient and the skill of the mesmerizer rather than any
mechanical agent like magnetized water or the various metals used in earlier
attempts to induce the trance state. Some of the ideas held by the early
mesmerizers seem laughable to us today, but it is certainly fascinating to see
how the painful, slow development of a science came about; full of theories and
counter-theories, ridicules and proofs, and all the "aha" moments of
many great men.

Forrest closes his book in the mid-20^th century,
an age of more subtle progress, less dependent on just a few prominent
researchers. As the theory of hypnotism developed, more people became involved,
and thus many hypnotists made more, but smaller, contributions to the field. In
the early years of the century, Sigmund Freud experimented with, but ultimately
rejected hypnotism as a tool in psychiatric therapy. Following World War II,
however, other researches began to investigate its usefulness in many areas,
focusing less on how it worked than why.

Forrest does an admirable job of tracing the
development of hypnotism, with descriptions of the most notable pioneers in the
field and their various theories, as well as a chronicle of their lengthy
battle for acceptance from public and peers. This is a fairly scholarly work,
dealing in a serious way with weighty subject matter, but Forrest keeps it
basic and readable, so that laypersons and professionals alike can garner much
from his narrative. He uses lots of quotes and excerpts from the works of the
early hypnotists, which are quite fascinating, both for the information they
contain and for the glimpse into the norms and morals of the times. He also
provides an excellent, detailed notes and references section. Anyone with an
interest in hypnotism will find this an interesting addition to their
bookshelf.

© 2003 April Chase

 April Chase is a freelance journalist
and book reviewer who lives in Western Colorado. She is a regular contributor
to a number of publications, including The Business Times of Western Colorado
and Dream Network Journal.

Categories: Psychology