Imagine that you are in Paris in 1775. People tell you their physical and mental health is remarkably improved when they experience a strange sleeplike trance. Later, you hear that the man who performed these remarkable cures was investigated and forced to leave Paris. What forerunner of hypnosis were the people of Paris discussing?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The phenomenon being described is mesmerism, named after Franz Mesmer, who proposed the existence of a natural energy transference between all animated and inanimate objects, which he called "animal magnetism." This was a precursor to the modern understanding of hypnosis.

Imagine That You Are in Paris in 1775