"This monumental history charts the development from ancient times to the start of the modern era."--Cover p. [4].

Dr. Gauld has written a detailed and scholarly history of the phenomena, practice, and theory of mesmerism, hypnotism, and multiple personality disorders. The book traces the development of mesmerism and hypnotism and those who were influential in its use and acceptance as a scientific method.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Hypnotism Molly Moon is no ordinary orphan. When she finds a mysterious old book on hypnotism, she discovers she can make people do whatever she wants. But a sinister stranger is watching her every move and he'll do anything to steal her hypnotic secret...

Psychology is an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines how we learned to understand the mysteries of the human mind.

Hypnotism has fascinated and inspired people since the mid-1800s, when entertainers and medical professionals enthusiastically took up this Far Eastern practice. This is the first popular, illustrated history of hypnosis. It tackles the (relatively) reputable aspects of the subject--brain imaging, clinical trials, and hypnotherapy--alongside the smoke and mirrors of stage hypnosis.The author has uncovered intriguing stories about the larger-than-life characters who inhabit the world of hypnosis. From Professors of Mesmerism to Princes of Necromancy, this book explores the different guises of hypnotism as portrayed by pseudo-scientists and showmen alike. It takes a very personal approach to the central questions posed by hypnosis: why do we want to give up our power? Why do we think someone else can change us, if we can't change ourselves? Why do we want to alter our normal patterns of cognition? Why would anyone go on stage and do what a sweaty guy in a cheap suit tells them to do? An accredited hypnotherapist and performer himself, the author examines the connections between stage hypnosis and hypnotherapy or, in other words, the point at which showbiz meets self-help and sleight-of-hand meets scholarly research. The book is practical, informative, and entertaining, and fully illustrated with colorful source material from the archives of the British Library.

From the 18th-cent. discovery of Ôanimal magnetism' to the current uses of hypnosis & hypnotherapy, Forrest's fascinating work charts the turbulent development of hypnotic theory & practice. When Anton Mesmer began to cure patients with Ôanimal magnetism', he initiated a controversy in the medical profession that continues to this day. His theory of a universal fluid in the human body that could be regulated by magnetic influence was developed by his disciples, until it became the hypnotism of today. Introduces us to a range of extraordinary characters including: Charcot, Freud's mentor, & the eccentric Dr. Elliotson. Explores the dramatic events of 250 years of hypnosis. An enlightening study of an intriguing & controversial therapy.Ó

Despite more than two centuries of having tacitly recognized its enormous potential utility, the phenomenon of hypnosis has always been commonly regarded with outright Fear and Loathing. How is it possible that something as beneficial to humanity as hypnosis ever came to be viewed in such a horrible manner? I intend to show that the history of hypnotism provides us with the clue to this unfortunate legacy; and I've neither spared anyone's feelings nor pulled any punches in this quest to reveal the shamefully appalling level of incompetence and ignorance that has characterized the (mis)use of this phenomenon since its discovery by Mesmer more than two hundred years ago.

Excerpt from Hypnotism: Its History, Practice and Theory Since the publication of the Second Edition of my book nothing has been written, as far as I know, which throws any fresh light on the phenomena of hypnosis and suggestion. On the other hand, much progress has been made with the practical side of the subject. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.