The modern history of hypnosis begins of course with the story of Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815)’s “Animal Magnetism”. But it should not be overlooked that a contemporary of Mesmer’s, Johann Joseph Gassner (1727-1779), also made similar contributions to the colorful early development of the science. Gassner’s treatment of patients using ‘exorcism’ produced many phenomena in patients similar to what Mesmer observed in his own treatments.
Gassner began working in 1758 as a country parson in Klösterle, a small village in eastern Switzerland. A year later he began to suffer from intense headaches and dizzy spells, especially before delivering a sermon, before the church service itself, or when taking a confession. His experiences led him to suspect that these disturbances had an unholy origin, and the devil was working against him. In an effort to become master of his ailments, he employed the Catholic Church’s exorcism ritual, and found success; his ailments disappeared. Following his healing experience, he began to treat more and more ill people with prayers of exorcism. He had such astounding success, that his fame spread quickly across the continent and through all levels of society. The sensation that he created was so great that the pope himself was obliged to examine the vogue sweeping through society.
One of Gassner’s sessions is described in a letter of Abbé Bourgeois, later published in the Archive for Animal Magnetism1):

“The first patients were two nuns, who had been obliged to leave their abbey on account of the spasms they suffered. Gassner invited the first to kneel before him, and quickly asked her name, her illness, and if she was agreed to accept all that he would command. She agreed. He began speaking solemnly in Latin: ‘If there be something unnatural in this illness, then I command in the name of Jesus that it immediately reveal itself.’ The patient instantly began to convulse. According to Gassner, this was an indication that the illness was caused by an evil spirit and not a natural ailment.

His sudden fame gained Gassner numerous invitations. He travelled, among other places, to the Lake Constance region, where he found great success in Salem and Meersburg, but without winning the goodwill of the Bishop of Konstanz. In fact, in ‘enlightened’ circles of the Catholic Church, the far-flung efforts of Gassner were viewed with unease. Gassner worked during the ‘enlightenment’, when reasonable people were expected to search for rational explanations and reject ideas of the supernatural.

In late autumn 1775, the Bavarian elector, Max Joseph, assembled a commission to investigate exorcism practices. Franz Anton Mesmer was among the invited guests. Mesmer had created a sensation by discovering a new form of energy, which he named “Animal (i.e., affecting the vital being) Magnetism”. He claimed that an uneven distribution of magnetic energy over the body was to blame for causing the most widely-differing illnesses; and only a harmonious re-distribution of this energy could relieve the patient’s illness. The proper distribution of energy could be effected by the magnetiseur sweeping his hands over the patient’s body. The reallocation of magnetic energy was displayed in a so-called “crisis”, which was expressed through twitches and spasms of the body.

When Mesmer demonstrated to the commission on November 23, 1775, that the cramps and spasms associated with Gassner’s exorcism could be explained only with the concepts of “animal magnetism”, it was received by enlightened circles as a victory over the religion-bound traditional thinking that Gassner represented.

Gassner

It appeared that there was no devil being dealt with, but only a quasi-physical force – an (apparently) scientifically explainable form of energy. Mesmer explained that Gassner healed by using animal magnetism, and then falsely attributed his successes to the exorcism ritual. Gassner was eventually advised by the ruling bishop of Regensburg (and also urged by the Kaiser and the Pope) to greatly restrict his practice of exorcism, and only accept patients who were directly referred by clergymen. Thus began the era of “animal magnetism” and Franz Anton Mesmer’s career as a “magnetic” healer.

Sources:

1) Einige Briefe des Abts Bourgeois an seinen Bruder in Luxemburg (1820). In: von Eschenmayer, E.A., Kieser, D.G. & Nees von Esenbeck, C.G. (Hrsg.). Archiv für den tierischen Magnetismus, 8 (1. Stück), 87 - 99.

Franz Anton Mesmer founded the idea of “animal magnetism” in the 1770’s. According to Mesmer’s notion, the collective universe is permeated by a force, which he also called “life fire”, and which is also found in the human body. He said all illnesses have the same cause, namely a stagnation of the life fire in the body of the sick patient. The magnetiseur, who regulates excesses of animal magnetism, influences stoppages of life fire in the patient’s body to flow once more. The successful intervention is accompanied by a “crisis” (cramps and spasms).






Mesmer’s birthplace in Iznang, near Lake Constance.

Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815)

The practice of hypnosis developed in a way out of the “animal magnetism” of Franz Anton Mesmer. This can be seen by the fact that renowned hypnosis researchers of the 1800’s were provoked to investigate the carnival-like pageants of ‘magnetizers’, and thereby take over their techniques. In fact, important aspects of modern hypnosis techniques stem directly from the tradition of magnetism.

As more and more patients sought treatment from Mesmer – sometimes he dealt with 200 patients in his Paris practice – he turned to use of the “baquet”.

Moreover, modern hypnosis endeavors to ground itself in the somewhat scientific roots of Mesmerism rather than its roots in magic and mythology. Mesmerism was the first attempt to explain therapeutic trance phenomena in a scientific manner. However, in comparison to a modern hypnotherapy practice, Mesmer’s approach was quite exotic and theatrical. A typical magnetic treatment played out in something like the following: the patients at first gathered around an oaken tub, which Mesmer had ‘magnetized’ and filled with water and iron filings. Those who arrived first took their places directly beside the bath, while those who came later gathered behind. Mesmer was not yet present. Only very dampened light filtered into the room through the heavily-curtained windows. Sounds were quickly swallowed up by the heavy carpets and wall-hangings. The mirrors hanging upon the walls reproduced the participants in confusing variety. Upon the signal of an assistant, the patients would form a ‘magnetic chain’. The tension and excitement would rise.

Baquet

A baquet was a large oaken tub containing water, iron filings, broken glass, and bottles. He ‘transferred’ his magnetic powers to these materials, so that he would not always have to actually be present to personally bring about the therapeutic ‘crisis’. It was enough for the patients to collect around the baquet and ‘take up’ Mesmer’s ‘stored’ magnetic power through iron rods and ropes. In the case of an especially strong ‘crisis’ experience, the hysterical patient would be led by helpers into the designated ‘crisis room’. In this depiction we see patients gathered about the baquet.

Then the sounds of ‘music of the spheres'would arise from the neighboring room – where Mesmer himself played the glass harmonica. Sometimes singing or piano music might be used also. This music elevated the tension further. Suddenly the candles would flicker, the door would open, and Mesmer would finally appear wearing long violet robes of silk, and an earnest expression. He strode slowly to the heavily-breathing chain of patients, and questioned the patients in a whisper about their illnesses. He waved his special wand over them and looked deep into their eyes. Shortly thereafter the patient would pass through a phase of calm in to the ‘crisis', and begin to moan, cry out, and sweat. The shroud of excited silence would be broken, and others would be taken over by the crisis. One patient might fall into spasms, another would laugh out loud. In other places along the chain there would be screams. The most severe patients would be led to the so-called ‘crisis room' and receive Mesmer's personal help to restore their calm. In the treatment room calm would gradually return. Some patients would request a stronger treatment. Other expressed their gratitude for their healing experience on their knees .

Mesmer was born in Iznang on May 23, 1734, on the (today) German shore of Lake Constance. His father was a hunter in the service of the Konstanz ruling bishop. He first found a place in the public eye in Vienna; after finishing his studies, he married into a rich family, and his new idea of ‘magnetic’ treatment made him well-known. He moved about in the social circles that represented Vienna’s vogue, and included residents like the Mozart family.
This idyllic time was shattered, however, by a scandal surrounding his alleged healing of a blind girl. His detractors challenged his self-purported temporary restoration of sight and accused him of charlatanry. Mesmer left Vienna and went to Paris in 1778, where he built up a large magnetism practice. His success made him quickly famous, although the established medical arts circles scoffed at him. Eventually, King Ludwig XVI set up a commission of renowned scholars in 1780, for the purpose of evaluating ‘magnetic’ healing. The commission found that magnetic phenomena were based on the imagination of patients. The success of the treatment, however, was not challenged.
Despite this judgement, Mesmer’s influence grew continuously. In various French cities, associations were created to use Mesmer’s teachings. The French Revolution of 1789 brought an end to Mesmer’s long residence in Paris, including his ties to many leading players in the revolution. He lost his abilities and retired to the Lake Constance region (to Frauenfeld in the Swiss canton of Thurgau, and to Konstanz and Meersburg). There he lived entirely withdrawn from the world of science, and on a pension paid by the Paris city government – enough for horse-drawn coach, a housekeeper, and generally wealthy existence.

Mesmer’s will

At the age of 75, he was discovered again by the Swiss doctor Zugenbühl, and brought out once more before the attention of the scientific public. He was offered a post as the director of a magnetic clinic in Berlin, but declined on account of his age. He died on March 5, 1815, in a house in Meersburg that today holds a wine museum. He lies buried in the Meersburg cemetery, under a triangular marble gravestone.

Mesmer’s gravestone in Meersburg

Sources:

1) Tischner, R. (1928)." Franz Anton Mesmer: Leben, Werk und Wirkungen." Muenchen, Verlag der Muenchner Drucke.

3) Ellenberger, H. F. (1973) Die Entdeckung es Unbewußten, Bern: Huber.

It appears that Mesmer believed the ‘crisis’ following magnetic treatment necessarily involved spasms and loss of motor control. He nevertheless likely witnessed other responses to his treatments, which were only later described by his student, the Marquis de Puységur. Puysegur named these less-spastic effects the ‘perfect crisis’ or ‘profound sleep’. These calm forms of ‘crisis’ came to be seen as the typical form of magnetic treatment. In this way, Puysegur’s ‘magnetic sleep’, an idea evolved from Mesmer’s framework, can be seen as the direct predecessor to the modern concept of hypnosis. In the scientific literature of the time, we can see a changeover to the use of the idea of calm ‘crisis’. Authors like Ennemoser 1) and Kluge 2) reported such observations as anaesthetic sleep, catalepsy, and waking slumber as consequences of mesmerism.

Sources:

1) Ennemoser, D. (1819)." Der Magnetismus nach der allseitigen Beziehung seines Wesens, seiner Erscheinung, Anwendung und Entraetselung." Leipzig, Brockhaus.

2) Kluge, K. A. F. (1811)." Versuch eine Darstellung des animalischen Magnetismus, als Heilmittel." Berlin, C. Salfeld.

Like Mesmer, Puysegur also used a kind of Baquet. Near his castle in the village of Buzancy, Puysegur ‘transferred’ his ‘magnetic power’ to an elm tree. Farmers of the area could gather around to seek treatment for their ailments by grabbing hold of ropes tied to the branches, and thereby receiving Puysegur’s magnetic power.