Mesmerism

Japanese: mesmerism

...In response to the popularity of this mysterious treatment, the French government in 1784 appointed a committee of investigators led by the chemist Lavoisier to investigate the truth behind it, but the committee rejected the animal magnetism theory and concluded that it was due to some psychological cause. Although this treatment fell out of favor, it cannot be denied that it marked the beginning of research into hypnosis, and it was long known as mesmerism. About half a century later, in 1843, British surgeon James Braid (1795-1860) wrote a book called Neuropnology, in which he announced various methods of inducing hypnosis that are still used today, and was the first to use the word hypnotism. ...

From the Animal Magnetism Theory

…The theory established by FA Mesmer, also known as mesmerism, states that the human body is under the influence of animal magnetism, a type of gas that fills the universe, and that an imbalance of this magnetism within the body causes illness.

From Mesmer

…German physician and proponent of the theory of animal magnetism. He studied medicine at the University of Vienna and opened a practice there. He tried magnetic therapy (mesmerism) based on the magnetic theories of Paracelsus, JB van Helmont, Kircher, and others, and became famous for curing many incurable diseases. He claimed that the gravitational force acting between all things is transmitted by a fluid made of minute particles with magnetic properties that are omnipresent in the universe, and he named this "animal magnetism." …

*Some terminology explanations that mention "mesmerism" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…この神秘的な治療法の流行に対して，1784年フランス政府は化学者ラボアジエをはじめとする調査委員会を設置し，真相の解明にあたらせたが，委員会は動物磁気説を否定し，何か心理的な原因によるものとの結論を下した。この療法は下火となったものの，催眠研究の端緒となったことは否定しえず，その後長くメスメリズムmesmerismと呼ばれることになった。約半世紀後の1843年，イギリスの外科医ブレードJames Braid(1795‐1860)は《神経催眠学Neurypnology》なる本を著し，今日用いられるもろもろの催眠誘導法を発表するとともに，催眠(術)hypnotismなる言葉を初めて用いた。…

【動物磁気説】より

…F.A.メスマーの立てた学説で，メスメリズムmesmerismともいう。すなわち，人体はすべて宇宙に満ちているガスの一種である動物磁気の作用下にあり，体内においてこの磁気の不均衡が生ずると病気になるというものである。…

【メスマー】より

…ドイツの医者，動物磁気説の提唱者。ウィーン大学で医学を学び同地で開業，パラケルスス，J.B.vanヘルモント，キルヒャーらの磁気論に基づく磁気療法(メスメリズムmesmerism)を試み，多くの難病を治し評判となった。万物相互間に働く万有引力は，宇宙に遍在する磁気的性質を帯びた微細な粒子からなる流体によって伝達されるとし，これを〈動物磁気〉と名付けた。…

※「mesmerism」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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