Anton Mesmer. Introduction
Franz Anton Mesmer (23.05.1734 – 05.03.1815) was a German physician who introduced “animal magnetism” or “mesmerism”, a predecessor to modern hypnosis. Mesmer assumed the existence of an invisible force, he called “animal magnetism.” He understood animal magnetism as a flow of energy between him and his patient.
Mesmer was a typical representative of a period called Enlightment, an era of great scientific discoveries. From today’s point of view the idea of an invisible energy flowing between animate and unanimated objects seems fantastic. But in Mesmer’s time such “invisible” forces like magnetism and electricity just have been discovered. From this perspective extrapolating the phenomena found in physics to the interaction between humans and theorizing the existence of “animal magnetism” seems to be less obscure concept.
During Mesmer’s era, European medicine demanded scientific validation and logical explanations. His idea of “invisible fluid” and obscure methods clashed with academic standards. While celebrated by the public Mesmer was rejected and stigmatized as a charlatan by the representative of medical establishment.
Mesmer was without a doubt a charismatic figure who contributed to the development and acceptance of hypnosis, from which the psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychology evolved. He experienced a rollercoaster life, filled with success, fame, and wealth, but also exile, financial ruin, and tarnished reputation. The eventual acceptance of hypnosis, psychoanalysis, and psychosomatic disorders revealed the mind-body connection in health.
Franz Anton Mesmer. Biographic Note
Franz Anton Mesmer was born on May 23, 1734, in the charming village of Iznang, situated on the serene shores of Lake Constance. He was the third child among nine siblings, and his father served as a game warden for the Prince Bishop of Constance.
In 1752, at the age of 18, he embarked on his academic journey by enrolling at the Jesuit Theological School in Dillingen. Continuing his studies, Mesmer moved on to the Jesuit University of Ingolstadt in 1754, dedicating a year to theology. His activities between 1754 and 1759 remain shrouded in mystery, but it is plausible that he delved into the realms of philosophy during that time.
In 1759, he made a shift, registering as a law student in Vienna, only to switch to the field of medicine the following year. It was in Vienna that he diligently pursued his medical studies, culminating in the successful completion of his degree in 1766, at the age of thirty-three. His dissertation delved into the intriguing topic of the influence of celestial bodies on human diseases.
In 1767, Mesmer’s life took a new turn as he married Maria Anna von Posch. He established himself as a physician in Vienna, marking the beginning of a career marked by both fame and controversy across Austria, France, and Germany.
As his journey unfolded, Mesmer eventually found solace in Switzerland, where he settled. On March 5, 1815, he breathed his last in Meersburg, Germany, where he found his final resting place.
The Origins of Hypnosis
Hypnosis, in various forms, dates to ancient civilizations like Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. While these practices often leaned towards magic, they hinted at hypnotic phenomena. Anton Mesmer introduced the hypnosis into the medical field. His method helped several patients and was the only know remedy for curing the “nervous aliments”, later called neurosis. The paradox of Mesmer was the fact that he used hypnosis but misunderstood the origin of this phenomenon assuming the existence of an invisible force flowing between him and his patients.
It was not until the 1840s that the term “hypnosis” was devised by Scottish surgeon James Braid (1795-1860). Braid believed that individuals entered a sleep-like trance state during hypnosis.
In the late 1800s, a French doctor named Jean Martin Charcot thought of hypnotism as a physical state, while another doctor named Hippolyte-Marie Bernheim saw it as a mental state where people are easily influenced.
However, Sigmund Freud, who learned from Jean-Martin Charcot, used hypnosis to help patients remember things they had forgotten. It was like going back to bad memories and talking about them. Later, he changed to a different method called free association.
Today, hypnosis is used for different treatments, such as smoking cessation, an auxiliary method in treatment for depression or anxiety. Franz Anton Mesmer is known for being one of the first to use hypnosis in therapy. While his methods were effective, he was wrong about the nature of hypnosis. Mesmer’s role can’t be overestimated as the first physician who treated his patients with hypnosis, the first psychological treatment method especially when it came to treating people with hysteria. M
Introducing “Animal Magnetism”
In 1774, at the age of 40, Mesmer took notice of news involving Jesuit astronomer and astrologer Maximilian Hell, who claimed to heal illnesses through ‘magnet therapy.’
According to Mesmer, he believed he grasped the mechanism behind Hell’s magnet therapy. If a magnetic fluid truly existed, as suggested by the therapy’s success, then Hell’s magnets likely induced an artificial tide in this fluid.
To test his theory, Mesmer conducted an experiment. He administered an iron preparation to a woman suffering from hysteria, then placed magnets around her body. The patient reported feeling mysterious fluid coursing through her body, cleansing it of illness. Mesmer saw this as confirmation of his ideas.
Soon, he realized that he could achieve similar results without using iron or magnets, merely by passing his hands over patients.
In 1775, Mesmer began to attribute the success of his treatment to what he called “animal magnetism.” He believed his body possessed an abundant supply of this magnetic fluid, which he could transfer to his patients. According to Mesmer, his patients were unwell because their bodies either lacked magnetic fluid or had blockages in its circulation, both of which his treatment aimed to rectify.
During his time at the University of Vienna, Mesmer was influenced by Paracelsus, an ancient mystic physician. He explored astrological influences on health, attributing them to planetary forces. Inspired by Maximilian Hell, an astronomer and priest who used magnets in treatment, Mesmer tried magnet therapy.
Using magnets, Mesmer achieved remarkable results, particularly in treating a young woman with hysteria. He didn’t credit magnets but proposed that the body acted like a magnet with a fluid responding to magnetic attraction, influenced by Richard Mead’s ideas on planetary effects from 1704.
Mesmer coined the term “animal magnetism” and after his rise through the educational ranks in Bavaria and Austria and his marriage. He settled in Vienna, where he interacted with notable composers like Mozart.
For ten years, Mesmer enjoyed prosperity and fame, giving lectures, and traveling throughout Hungary, Switzerland, and Bavaria. He attracted attention for his cures, which he promoted with a flair that irked Vienna’s influential doctors.
In 1777, a blind pianist, Maria-Theresa von Paradies, sought Mesmer’s help. Despite her long history of blindness, she gradually regained her sight under his care, leaving the medical community astounded. However, her mother, influenced by jealous doctors, removed her from Mesmer’s care prematurely, and her blindness returned.
Anton Mesmer’s Healing Career
Mesmer’s Work in Vienna
As an honest physician, Mesmer claimed his treatments were effective for people with “nervous complaints,” psychosomatic illnesses stemming from the mind.
Despite criticism from Vienna’s medical school, Mesmer built a highly successful practice centered on animal magnetism.
The tragic aspect of Mesmer’s story lies in the fact that, though his treatments often worked, he was dismissed as a quack by the medical community. This was because he offered a quack’s rationale for his success, and no one delved into the scientific basis at the time.
Additionally, Mesmer was deeply committed to the concept of a universal fluid. Had he chosen a different topic for his doctoral thesis, he might have discovered hypnosis and suggestion, establishing himself as a respected scientist instead of a pseudoscientist.
By 1777, Mesmer faced mounting failures, notably the case of the blind girl, causing problems. Her blindness may have been psychosomatic, and she claimed to regain sight during treatment but only in Mesmer’s presence, then went blind again. The medical establishment scrutinized Mesmer closely. In response, he left Vienna and his wife behind, seeking a new life in Paris.
Anton Mesmer in Paris
In January 1778, at 43, Mesmer arrived in Paris, reviving his career, and opening a medical practice in an upscale neighbourhood.
He quickly gained a devoted following of believers who paid high fees for his treatments. However, the city’s medical establishment turned against him.
In 1779, Mesmer published a French book, “Report on the Discovery of Animal Magnetism,” outlining the 27 principles of animal magnetism. He proposed an invisible magnetic fluid pervading the universe, linking all things, and imbalance in this fluid caused illness. Mesmer’s methods aimed to restore this balance, leading to recovery.
Mesmer’s system, revolved around four principles: the existence of a subtle physical fluid connecting all things, disease arising from its imbalance, techniques to channel and convey this fluid, and the use of “crises” to heal ailments.
The central element was Mesmer’s belief in animal magnetism, which he first noticed while treating Fraulein Oesterlin. He could induce symptoms in patients through physical presence and gestures. According to Mesmer, every person possessed varying degrees of animal magnetism, akin to the Polynesian concept of “mana.”
The second aspect of the doctrine delved into the physical theories that aimed to elucidate animal magnetism’s nature and function. Mesmer, a product of the Enlightenment, sought a rational explanation while rejecting mystical theories. Lacking a developed psychology at the time, he gravitated toward physical concepts like Newton’s universal gravitation and electricity.
In his earlier medical dissertation, Mesmer had introduced the idea of a universal fluid, gravitatio universalis, pervading the cosmos, which could explain celestial influences on the human body and the periodicity of certain diseases. Later, he referred to this fluid as the “general agent,” believed to exist in various forms: the magnet’s influence, electricity, and animal magnetism. This physical aspect remained unclear due to Mesmer’s limited systematization skills.
The third element incorporated analogies from contemporary discoveries in electricity. Mesmer envisioned his fluid having poles, streams, discharges, conductors, isolators, and accumulators. His baquet, designed to concentrate the fluid, mimicked the recently invented Leyden jar. He also proposed the existence of positive and negative fluids that neutralized each other, though this idea was not widely accepted.
The fourth element was the theory of crises, inspired by Gassner’s practices. For Gassner, crises signalled possession and initiated the exorcism process. Mesmer viewed crises as artificial manifestations of disease and the path to recovery. Specific crises corresponded to the ailment, becoming milder with repeated provocations until they disappeared, signifying recovery.
These elements culminated in Mesmer’s famous aphorism: “There is only one illness and one healing.” Mesmer believed that medication or therapy alone couldn’t cure; it required the influence of magnetism. His egocentricity led him to anticipate medical schools embracing his theory, revolutionizing medicine, and rendering the medical profession obsolete.
Notably, Mesmer’s therapy was as repellent to contemporary medicine as modern medicine was to him. He used minimal medication, relying mainly on magnetic water. During sessions, he sat closely with patients, making eye contact, touching thumbs, and conducting passes over limbs. Patients often experienced peculiar sensations or entered crises, which Mesmer considered curative.
French King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette supported Mesmer’s pseudoscience with financial backing. Mesmer’s unconventional attire and magnetic wand added to his mystique, captivating patients. His practice grew rapidly; by 1780, he treated over 200 patients daily in groups, causing mass hysteria. Some particularly affected individuals, mainly women, were moved to crisis rooms, leading to rumours.
Concerns arose about Mesmer’s treatment of female patients, and suspicions of exploitation spread. Even the King feared Mesmer’s influence over Queen Marie Antoinette. In March 1784, a Royal Commission, featuring eminent scientists like Antoine Lavoisier and Benjamin Franklin, investigated Mesmer.
The commission dismissed Mesmer’s magnetic fluid claims as mere imagination, failing to recognize a real phenomenon in his patients. Vienna grew too hot for Mesmer earlier, and now Paris became uncomfortable. Mesmer vanished from there in 1785.
Despite his departure, thousands of copycat mesmerists continued the practice, capitalizing on Mesmer’s popularity in Paris. One of them was a brilliant French scientist Marquis de Puységur, who developed further the method of hypnosis and recognized that the interaction between him and his patients takes place on the psychological level and not by exchange of an enigmatic fluid, the “animal magnetism”.
After leaving Paris, Mesmer continued his nomadic journey across France, Germany, Great Britain, Austria, and Switzerland. In 1793, he returned to Vienna but faced deportation due to his suspicious political views. Mesmer eventually settled in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, near Lake Constance, his childhood home.
Franz Mesmer passed away at 80 from a stroke on March 5, 1815, in Meersburg. He rests in the town’s graveyard, overlooking Lake Constance. His death preceded science’s formal explanation of his hypnotic successes in Vienna and Paris by three decades.
Anton Mesmer. Summary
The modern era of hypnosis, attributed to Franz Mesmer, holds a unique place in history. His theory about mesmerism involved an invisible fluid, he called “animal magnetism” connecting the subject and the therapist.
Mesmer organized his followers into a society where both medical professionals and lay magnetizers shared equal status. These members, having invested significantly, studied Mesmer’s doctrine, exchanged therapeutic outcomes, and upheld the movement’s unity.
Mesmer’s success relied on a psychological connection with his subjects. The trough nature of such interaction was first discovered by James Braid in 1843 who coined the term “hypnosis.” Messmer opened the door into the depth of human psyche beeing followed by such researchers as Jean Martin Charcot, Hippolyte Bernheim and Sigmund Freud. The latter used initially hypnosis but finally abandoned it in favour of psychoanalysis, the first psychotherapeutic method.
Debates persist regarding Mesmer’s role as either a precursor or the actual founder of dynamic psychiatry. Yet, like any pioneer, he both built upon earlier practices and paved the way for future developments. Mesmer’s animal magnetism undeniably laid the groundwork for modern dynamic psychiatry, though history has perhaps not given him the recognition he deserves.