Theories of animal magnetism and magnetic power were proposed by the German Franz Mesmer towards the last quarter of the 18th century. Animal magnetism was, according to Mesmer, an invisible natural force shared by all living beings without exception. Conveniently managed, magnetic power could be used for the benefit of mankind to obtain physical benefits and cure diseases. Although mesmerism, as the theory of animal magnetism is also known, enjoyed great esteem between the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, today it is a discipline that has fallen into disuse as such. Even so, mesmerism is considered to be the theoretical-practical origin on which modern hypnosis techniques are based.
In this excerpt taken from the English book The secret of animal magnetism, mesmerism, clairvoyancy and mind reading; how to develop the magnetic power, published by John D. Barnes, presents some of the key elements of this practice.
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How to develop magnetic power: keys of animal magnetism
To all the world I will say this: cultivate and develop the Magnetic Power that resides in you in the most absolute way, and show yourself insensitive to all other impressions. This is essential for anyone who wants to be a good mesmerizer, since whoever does not do this in the presence of other people, will probably end up impressed himself, so the experiment will seem ridiculous and will end prematurely.
First, avoid strong and intoxicating drinks (spirits are especially bad). Thoroughly cleanse your body every week or more frequently using warm water, and then rub the skin with a rough towel until you are dry. Avoid heavy meals and meats that are difficult to digest, since these hinder and slow down the faculties by having the stomach to sustain itself in the activity of the brain in order to digest food.
Avoid anger, fear and any kind of passion . Stay calm and concentrated, and make sure your diet is light and easily digested, based primarily on fruit and vegetables. If you are sick or unwell, do not mesmerize anyone until you have recovered to avoid inflicting harm on your subject or patient. The healthy person will mesmerize the sick, and with great benefit of the latter, but the sick should not be allowed to mesmerize the healthy. If you follow these tips, and if you keep your mind calm and calm in that state that is called self-control, you will increase the Magnetic Power of your interior to the maximum level possible.
Then, in your actions, do not let others persuade you unless you are wrong and honorable and noble to confess it, but only in this case, because otherwise it is allowed that the Magnetism of that other person to tame you, something that could make you negative. This is something you should avoid carefully. Therefore, always try to persuade others .
The next two points are very important. First, the Eyes: you must train them so that they become intense and penetrating, capable of sustaining the continuous gaze of any person. To do this it is necessary to look at the objects continuously without blinking for as long as you can. Morning is considered the best time of day for this practice, since the mind is fresh and free from everyday worries. First of all, you should wash your eyes with water, after which they will gain strength, and this will allow you to observe intensely for as long as you want and without any damage. This cultivation of the gaze is essential.
The next point is the cultivation of the mind and the concentration of thoughts and ideas . To dispose of this power in all its perfection, you must evoke in your memory some event from the past of which you have a vague memory. Then, focus your attention on him with all the strength you have, and draw it in your mind as if it were a present fact. Think about it continuously and represent everything in your mind clearly. This concentration of the mind and thoughts must be pursued constantly and persistently until, after a while, the scenes of the past can be reviewed mentally with all the vivacity and sense of the reality of the present. This is indispensable to develop the reading of thought. It may be a bit difficult at first, but it is essential and, with perseverance, can be mastered in a short time.
Animal magnetism: how to mesmerize and operate on others
The following method, which has been proposed by Dr. Gregory, a famous specialist in matters of mesmerism, is the best method I have found, and therefore I present it here: Try the experiment that involves passing the fingertips of your right hand over the hands of several people, very close but not touching them, from the wrist down, while people keep their hands with the palms up and t together fingers or move them one by one. Repeat this slowly, several times, and you will surely find at least one or more people who will clearly feel a peculiar sensation, which is not always the same for everyone. Some will feel mild heat; others, a prick; some will perceive a tingling and others a numbness .
People who have these sensations clearly will then be tested, and it is very likely that their reaction is clear and consistent, even if they do it blindfolded, although sometimes the bandage produces a state of nervousness that does not It favors a clear perception.
After having found a person susceptible to a certain extent to the mesmeric influence, you will test the effects of the passes. You will do them slowly with both hands from top to bottom, from the crown to the face, the stomach cavity and even lower, until you reach the feet. Avoid contact, but try to stay as close as possible to the person without touching them. You can also make the passes laterally, from top to bottom on the arms.
It is necessary to act with a cold and determined mind, and a firm mind while the patient is passive and without showing any reaction to the sound of the voice or otherwise. He should stare into the eyes of the operator who, in turn, would have to firmly observe his patient. The passes should be continuous and prolonged for some time and, in general, they will awaken sensations such as those mentioned above: heat, cold, punctures, tingling, tingling of the skin or numbness, depending on the person you are operating on. When these sensations are very pronounced, it most likely demonstrates that the subject is a good element to experiment on.
It is likely that with patience and perseverance a healthy operator will eventually succeed and exert his influence on people but, in some cases that have been proven too sensitive afterwards, the subject has only been able to influence at first with great difficulty and Only with a lot of perseverance. Or it has not even been influenced in any way, even trying repeatedly. The operator should not be discouraged, since if he perseveres the chances of succeeding they increase significantly . On the contrary, you will frequently find cases in which only a few minutes will suffice to produce very strong effects.
Another method that, sometimes, produces better results, consists of sitting in front of the patient, very close to him, then taking his thumbs between your hands and your fingers, and gently squeezing them while looking directly into the patient's eyes and concentrating your mind about him, while he does the same. This method, at least, is less tiring than performing novel and infrequent movements of passes. Anyway, with a little practice it is easy to get many passes without interruption.
I cannot express a preference for one method or another, since sometimes both fail or both work. They can be combined with each other, that is, alternating with each other, and this is usually beneficial. There are two characteristics that are desirable: first, a passive and voluntary state in the patient . Faith in mesmerism is not necessary, just passivity or willingness to collaborate on the part of the patient on which it operates, which is also not essential in those patients with a natural predisposition to be influenced. Second: the intense concentration by the operator . To obtain this, absolute silence is essential.
The time required ranges from a few minutes to an hour or even more, but usually decreases with repetition. Only with the intense gaze, especially if both parties have trained profitably, will it often produce the above-mentioned sensations without physical proximity. ”
I hold everything that Dr. Gregory points out . Some operators use a disc or piece of shiny metal on which the patient must fix his eyes while the operator makes the passes. This is preferred to the gaze, since, if the experiment is conducted in public or among friends, it might seem too ridiculous.
SOURCES
- https://archive.org/details/secretofanimalma00barn/page/8
- https://web.archive.org/web/20040710162753/http://www.unbf.ca/psychology/likely/readings/mesmer.htm
