Book Report: Mesmerism Unveiled! by Leslie J. Gee (c)1885

Mesmerism Unveiled! by Leslie J. Gee (c)1885

Background information: From what is inferred in the book, the author was a popular stage performer of mesmerism, although I was unable to find anything about his performances on line.  He seems to speak with a great deal of experience and the same kind of passion for his art that most hypnotists have today. This little book (approx 50 pages) was likely an item that he sold at his shows to those interested in learning for themselves.

While I was unable to find any information about his performances, he does include his home address (circa 1885) in order for readers to contact him if they had any questions. There is currently a somewhat rundown single-family house on the site (thanks, Google maps!) that was built in 1890. No record that I could find of the previous house or landowner.

The subtitle of this book is "The Only Work Ever Published Giving Full Instructions How to Practice and Master the Art of Psychology, or Mesmerism" and, indeed, there seems to be material that I have not seen in any other books of Mesmerism, so for novelty value alone, it's a worthwhile little volume.

Today we think of Mesmerism as a primitive kind of hypnosis, but that is not exactly the case. While is did utilize trance and suggestion to effect changes in the client, Mesmerism was based on the idea that there was an actual "magnetic fluid," an invisible energy, that ran through the nervous system, and which, with practice, could be projected to people and things to effect certain kinds of results. While mesmerism is a thing of the past, we find similar concepts surviving in Christian Science, Polarity, Laying on of Hands, Chinese Chi Gung and Indian Pranic healing, and so forth. A Mesmerist would typically wave his hands over his subject, utilizing "magnetic passes" to affect the energy flow of the subject. Because there was a direct exchange of energy between Magnetizer and subject, it was assumed there was some kind of telepathic connection at work, and indeed, the usual expected results that could be achieved from this art included the same that hypnotism is known for, like smoking, drinking, weight management, etc., it was also commonly believed that mesmerism could produce clairvoyance, telepathy and other exotic phenomena. 

The book is written in an easy conversational style (albeit a very 19th century style). The most notable thing about this book is that it offers a rapid method of Mesmerism, utilizing touches on certain parts of the subject's head, in addition to the usual magnetic passes. Another thing is that he doesn't dwell on practice and exercises for projecting one's magnetic energy. (many of the books that I've read offer exercises for beginning Mesmerists like pointing your fingers at an empty chair to learn to project energy, or meditative energy gathering exercises). Typically mesmerism is a very slow process of making magnetic passes in front of the subject for at least half an hour, until trance is achieved (L.E.Young actually advised people to use hypnosis and not Mesmerism for stage shows because the Magnetic method was so slow and boring). 

The author attempts to demonstrate that Mesmerism is a common phenomenon, and uses the examples of rapport between animals and trainers. He then goes on to describe the science behind it, which is primarily Phrenology (a debunked science of how different parts of the mind work), and a version of neurology which little resembles what we know today. 

In addition to his own method, he presents three methods which he describes as being very popular (in his day). One is the slow method of magnetic passes, one is a kind of Mesmerism utilizing eye fixation that is called "Hypnotism" (that was probably brand new at the time!), and a kind of group operation. 

For his own method, he goes into depth, including the attitude and emotion the Magnetizer should be using, the importance of will power and persistence, the specific touches and passes he employs on stage for rapid Mesmerism, and how to chose the most responsive subjects (several times in the book he reminds us that while everyone can be mesmerized, only 40 people in 1000 will be really easily brought into trance).
He gives directions on the way a beginner should start, and what to expect, and also some effects that can be done with a subject that are still common today, like spinning hand, acting out suggestions, singing, etc., and some suggestions we wouldn't use today, like pushing sewing needles into their cheek, convincing them to eat candles like candy, making them believe they're chased by snakes or that their house is on fire, etc. Suggestions that are not at all common today but were part and parcel of the Mesmerism were the development of psychic skills like clairvoyance and telepathy, though he does warn that it may take a hundred sessions before some people will develop these abilities. He even offers instruction on "charging" a glass of water in order to bring the magnetic power right to the internal organs.

Overall, the author is very encouraging and stresses persistence and patience in developing this ability. He advises beginners who may have questions to consult their local Mesmerist or Clairvoyant, or even send letters to his home. He even offers some herbal substances that he feels may strengthen the beginner's performance, including quinine and a tonic made of Valerian, Catnip, Skullcap, Coriander and Capsicum (the first three herbs are known for their calming, anti-stress qualities).

I have never had any experience performing Mesmerism, so I can't discuss the efficacy of the book, but as a nice addition to a library of this kind of ephemera. I couldn't even fins an image of the original printing, but the book can be found on the web in PDF form, and facsimile editions can be got from https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/books/MesmerismUnveiled_10834811

Book Report: Master Secrets of Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis by Kurt Tepperwein (c)1991

Master Secrets of Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis by Kurt Tepperwein (c)1991 

I think I said everything about this book in my original review for Thriftbooks, where I purchased it. I'll expand on it just a little bit:

This is a very impressive looking book! It's serious and thick and looks great on the shelf. One of the reasons it's so thick, though, is that the type is really big! The author does include a lot of information. It's worth noting that this is a translation from the original German, so there may be a lot lost in translation.  

For all the information included, a lot of it was not very well explained. I was also frustrated that it's not a very well organized book. The author may start on one topic and then go off on a different tangent. (perhaps this is due to it being a translation?). The first part of the book contain a number of inductions. Some are very interesting and novel, some are very old fashioned, and some just seem awkward. He doesn't really fully explain the hypnotic process as thoroughly as he could have, and those inductions are so short that, unless the hypnotist has established really strong "prestige" over his client, they may or may not always work. Some techniques rely on mesmerism, which is very old fashioned, and some rely on actually placing hands on clients, which can be problematic in a professional setting. 

 There's a section on "covert hypnosis," which veers into psychic influence. I don't know much about this, but it's some of the most interesting stuff in the book. If that's your interest, this book may be very worthwhile, but I can't really say. The self-hypnosis section includes a lot of scripts for different issues, but they also seem a little old fashioned, and some have only a very superficial understanding of the problems. I had fun, but also frustration, reading this book. If you're very experienced, it's a good addition to your library, but I'm afraid that such a title that promises so much to a beginner may leave him with a set of hit-or miss skills.

Book Report: Wehman's Bros Practical Hypnosis and Mesmerism (c.1900's) -- Hypno History

 Wehman Bros Practical Hypnosis and Mesmerism, no author or copyright date listed. 

Background information: Wehman Brothers was a pulp publisher at the turn of the century located at Park Row in NY, the publishing center of the city in the 19th century, with an extensive catalog of titles on nearly every topic imaginable, including sports, letter writing, stage skills, and jokebooks. Their books were usually inexpensively printed on newsprint, sized to fit in a back pocket and sold inexpensively. This volume is printed on glossy paper and bears the "Zone Code" of "New York 3 NY" indicating it is probably from the 1940s, since our 5-digit "Zip Code" didn't come into use until the early 1963. Wehman Brothers Publishing appear to have survived from the 19th century and are still working in some capacity as an intermediary publisher. 

If you're interested in the historical evolution of hypnosis from Mesmerism to the present day, this booklet is a great place to start. Many books put out by Wehman Bros. were taken from other sources, and this book is literally taken from someone else's work--for one thing, the first page in the booklet is marked page 35. 

The author of this work was apparently working at a time early in the 20th century when hypnosis was being to displace Mesmerism, and he was clearly well experienced in both arts. (FYI: in a nutshell, hypnosis induces trance though verbal suggestion and fixed attention, and occasionally some other elements, while Mesmerism believes it induces trance through the projection of "Animal Magnetism" from the practitioner to the subject via "magnetic passes" of the hands and the "Magnetic Gaze" of the eyes. It's something like Chinese chi-gung therapy, or laying on of hands). 

The first part of the book describes the characteristics of mesmerism, including the best qualities for a mesmerist and for a mesmeric subject, how to cultivate the mesmeric aura and transmit it to a subject. In addition to describing his method, the author quotes several other experts, who I presume were well respected mesmerists of their day, for additional advice and insight. 

He closes the discussion of mesmerism by warning the practitioner that Mesmerism is slow and unspectacular, and if one is performing for an audience, it is better to employ the new science of hypnosis. 

The hypnosis portion of the book is pretty basic, and of more interest for historical purposes. The author include the methods of some of the leaders of the early 20th century, including James Braid, Albert Moll, and James Coates. 

There is a discussion of phrenohypnosis (phrenology and hypnosis, something I've never read about elsewhere!), medical mesmerism, charging water with mesmeric power, and hypnotizing animals.

Despite the small size of this book, it does contain a lot of information and attempts to earnestly present useful information and aspiring mend control enthusiast can practice.