| Author |
Message |
RastaKid
Starter Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2008
Posts: 33
|
 Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:58 am Post subject: The first hypnotherapeutist. |
 |
|
| Who is the first person that hypnotised somebody?Did you ever heard of him?I want to know who he was. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
|
PhoenixDawn
Site Moderator
Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 96
Location: Nottinghamshire UK
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:44 am Post subject: |
| |
|
Most books on hypnotherapy will accredit Franz Anton Mesmer with the beginnings of hypnotherapy, when they referred to it as Mesmerisation, or Animal Magnetism.
If you're interested in knowing more, there's a good book called "Hidden Depths - The Story of Hypnosis" by Robin Waterfield, published by Macmillan in 2002 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Oigen
Starter Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2008
Posts: 10
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject: |
| |
|
| Mesmer, hence the word "mesmerized". He was a brilliant man, truly a genius for that time and age. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hypno-therapist
Site Moderator
Joined: 30 Nov 2006
Posts: 883
Location: Witney UK
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:39 pm Post subject: |
| |
|
| Oigen wrote: | | Mesmer, hence the word "mesmerized". He was a brilliant man, truly a genius for that time and age. |
Really?? What makes you say that? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
markd
Starter Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
Posts: 11
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject: |
| |
|
| PhoenixDawn wrote: | Most books on hypnotherapy will accredit Franz Anton Mesmer with the beginnings of hypnotherapy, when they referred to it as Mesmerisation, or Animal Magnetism.
|
Not correct.
Mesmer imagined that he was using magnetic energy to put people into a trance and heal them. He wasn't. A group of scientists, including Benjamen Franklin, investigated Mesmer and showed that there was no magnetic energy - it was simply the power of expectation, suggestion and belief which led to the improvements.
It was the debunking of Mesmer that led to the development of hypnosis by James Braid - a Victorian scientist who explained the effects of 'Mesmerism' with reference to known psychology and physiology. It was Braid who coined the term "hypnosis", describing it as a sort of 'neurological sleep'.
The fascinating truth here is that hypnosis was founded out of the scientific debunking of alternative therapies - and is based on scientific principles. However it is now categorised as a 'complementary therapy' and viewed as being alternative to mainstream medicine.
A good reading of the history of hypnosis and hypnotherapy shows quite clearly that hypnotherapy was THE original psychotherapy - and pre-dated Freud (who used it quite extensively). Indeed hypnotherapy as developed by Braid is really an early, original form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Hope that helps
Regards
Mark Davis
[URL removed by moderator - please place personal links in your signature line.] |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PhoenixDawn
Site Moderator
Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 96
Location: Nottinghamshire UK
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:51 am Post subject: |
| |
|
| Quote: | Not correct.
Mesmer imagined that he was using magnetic energy to put people into a trance and heal them. He wasn't. A group of scientists, including Benjamen Franklin, investigated Mesmer and showed that there was no magnetic energy - it was simply the power of expectation, suggestion and belief which led to the improvements.
It was the debunking of Mesmer that led to the development of hypnosis by James Braid - a Victorian scientist who explained the effects of 'Mesmerism' with reference to known psychology and physiology. It was Braid who coined the term "hypnosis", describing it as a sort of 'neurological sleep'. |
Simply because Mesmer thought he was achieving his results by some other factor, and had no awareness that he was utilising suggestions, belief, hand-passes for induction etc., which are all now considered major factors of hypnosis, and the term "hypnosis" had not yet been coined, does not mean that he was not using hypnosis - he just didn't know he was.
James Braid followed on and 'improved' on what he saw, and coined the term. However, he began by recognising strong elements in Mesmer's work rather than starting from scratch from his own - as you stated, he was aiming to debunk Mesmer. He did excellent work on behalf of the profession, however, I disagree that he was literally the first since he took elements of the work of others, and perhaps neither was Mesmer. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
markd
Starter Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
Posts: 11
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:20 pm Post subject: |
| |
|
| PhoenixDawn wrote: | | Quote: | Not correct.
Mesmer imagined that he was using magnetic energy to put people into a trance and heal them. He wasn't. A group of scientists, including Benjamen Franklin, investigated Mesmer and showed that there was no magnetic energy - it was simply the power of expectation, suggestion and belief which led to the improvements.
It was the debunking of Mesmer that led to the development of hypnosis by James Braid - a Victorian scientist who explained the effects of 'Mesmerism' with reference to known psychology and physiology. It was Braid who coined the term "hypnosis", describing it as a sort of 'neurological sleep'. |
Simply because Mesmer thought he was achieving his results by some other factor, and had no awareness that he was utilising suggestions, belief, hand-passes for induction etc., which are all now considered major factors of hypnosis, and the term "hypnosis" had not yet been coined, does not mean that he was not using hypnosis - he just didn't know he was.
James Braid followed on and 'improved' on what he saw, and coined the term. However, he began by recognising strong elements in Mesmer's work rather than starting from scratch from his own - as you stated, he was aiming to debunk Mesmer. He did excellent work on behalf of the profession, however, I disagree that he was literally the first since he took elements of the work of others, and perhaps neither was Mesmer. |
You are confusing the presented treatment with the actual method by which the treatment works. By your reasoning if I give you a glass of water and say it has a powerful pill dissolved in there to cure your cancer and you drink it and get better then this is hypnosis.
Mesmer told people he was curing them through his magnetic energy - but infact he did it through expectation and suggestion - even HE didn't know that this was how it was working. How can we call his hypnosis?
By this reasoning every complementary therapist or doctor who 'suggests' that you will get better (and just by visiting them this his happening) is doing hypnosis. (i.e. they put you into a 'trance' that you will get better.)
Braid introduced the term 'hypnosis' to show it wasn't magical energy - it was simple physiology and psychology. Notice also how this then actual empowers the client (i.e. it is his or her own beliefs and expectations that lead to the improvements) - rather than Mesmer taking the credit for the healing.
This is why hypnotherapy fundamentally leads to much deeper confidence and self-control - because the locus of control is in the client not the therapist.
Mesmer's clients were dependant on him and believe that he healed them. That isn't hypnosis - even though that hypnotic suggestion was the way it was actually effective. We could call it placebo (the method of effectiveness is hidden/not acknowledged). However hypnosis is NON-deceptive placebo - the method of effectiveness is communicated to the client and is shown to be... THE CLIENT!
THAT is hypnotherapy!
Mark
[URL removed by moderator - please place personal links in your signature line.] |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Paddy Landau
Site Moderator
Joined: 30 Nov 2006
Posts: 490
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:40 pm Post subject: |
| |
|
I both agree and disagree with Mark. You see, it really depends on the definition of hypnosis that you use.
| markd wrote: | | By this reasoning every complementary therapist or doctor who 'suggests' that you will get better (and just by visiting them this his happening) is doing hypnosis. (i.e. they put you into a 'trance' that you will get better.) |
By the NLP definition of hypnosis (the loosest definition I've come across), then yes, that is exactly what is happening.
Indeed, some therapists use exactly that sort of hypnosis to achieve their results.
| markd wrote: | | Mesmer's clients were dependant on him and believe that he healed them. That isn't hypnosis... |
Well, yes, it is. Hypnosis isn't defined by dependency or lack of it. It's defined more by the results of the suggestions given. (I have not yet found a definition that all hypnotists can agree on, apart from "heightened suggestibility"; that seems to be the common factor.)
What about an unethical hypnotherapist who fosters dependency, but yet gets his clients to achieve good results? It's still hypnotherapy, even though his clients believe that they would not have been able to heal themselves.
What would you make of the "strong" definition of hypnosis -- that a hypnotised person cannot help himself but follow the instructions of the hypnotist? With that definition, self-hypnosis is a contradiction in terms, and so the client is dependent on the hypnotherapist.
Paddy |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
Forum Subscriptions 
FAQ 
Search 
Memberlist 
Usergroups 
SmartFeed
Register
Profile 
Log in to check your private messages 
Log in 
