The eighteenth-century scientific commission headed by Benjamin Franklin to study mesmerism concluded something similar to the modern view of hypnosis. Which conclusion from this study is TRUE?
A) Mesmerism is a special trance state with a distinct physiological pattern of response.
B) Mesmerism results from the suggestions of the mesmerist and the imagination of the mesmerized person.
C) Mesmerism involves the movement of a magnetic force through the nerves of the mesmerized person.
D) Mesmerists can control the minds of mesmerized persons and get them to engage immoral acts that they would not otherwise commit.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scientific commission led by Benjamin Franklin concluded that mesmerism resulted from the suggestions of the mesmerist and the imagination of the mesmerized person. They believed that there was no special physiological pattern or magnetic forces involved, and they did not find evidence that mesmerists could control the minds of mesmerized persons or make them engage in immoral acts. This conclusion is similar to the modern view of hypnosis, which emphasizes the importance of suggestion and the role of the individual's imagination and willingness to participate in the process.

The Eighteenth-Century Scientific Commission Headed by Benjamin Franklin to Study