not particularly theatrical (maybe a bit), but certainly *quite* different
from the verbal process of hypnosis that we are more familiar with today.
Anyone have more information, or has anyone used this? Hey, it's right here
in the Organon, so presumably material we ought to be familiar with!
"I find it necessary to allude here to *animal magnetism*, as it is
termed, or rather *mesmerism* (as it should be called, out of gratitude to
Mesmer, its first founder), which diffes so much in its nature from all
other therapeutic agents. This curativge power ... which streams upon a
patient by the contact of a well-intentioned person powerfully exerting his
will, either acts homeopathically, by the production of symptoms similar to
those of the diseased state to be cured; and for this purpose a single pass
is made,without much exertion of the will, with the palms of the hands not
too slowly from the top of the head downwards over the body to the tips of
the toes, is serviceable in, for instance, uterine hemorrhages, even in the
last stage when death seems approaching; or it is useful by distributing the
vital force uniformly throughout the organism, when it is an abnormal excess
in one part and deficient in other parts, for example, in rush of blood to
the head adnd sleepless, anxious restlessness of weakly persons etc, by
means of a similar, single, but somewhat stronger pass [???What does he mean
by "stronger pass" -- more exertion of will, or quicker motion, or ???]; or
for the immediate communication and restoration of the vital force to some
one weakened part or to the whole organism--an object that cannot be
attained so certainly and with so little interference with other medicinal
treatment by any other agent besides mesmerism. If it is wished to supply a
particular part of the vital force, this is effected by concentrating a very
powerful and well-intentioned will for hte purpose, and placing the hands or
tips of the fingers on the chronically weakened parts, whither an internal
chronic dyscrasia has transferred its important local symptom, as for
example, in the case of old ulcers, amaurosis, paralysis of certain limbs,
etc. ...
Aph 294: All the above-mentioned methods of practicing mesmerism depend
upon an influx of more or less vital force into the patient, and hence are
termed positive mesmerism. An opposite mode of employingmesmerism, however,
... deserves to be termed negative mesmerism...." [more description
follows.]
on 7/31/04 3:23 PM, hahnemannian2002 at hahnemannian2002@yahoo.com wrote: