James Braid

"James Braid credited with the title the “Father of Modern Hypnotism” is a major figure in the history of hypnotism. Hypnosis was not known as it is now before Braid. He freed hypnotism from the occult…"

"Some individuals may themselves be deceived by the compelling words of other individuals, but a much more significant number fall into the same state after being hypnotised by continuous eye-fixation …"

"It is however possible, by education, to entirely invert the order of these natural phenomena: suppose that the operator speaks, with each pass or with each movement that he executes, and that he says…"

"Around 1840, a patient in the office of James Braid accidentally entered a state of trance while waiting for an eye examination. Braid, as he was aware of the disfavour of mesmerism and animal magneti…"

"Many people still believe that hypnotism originated in the work of Franz Anton Mesmer. However, Mesmer never actually hypnotised anyone. His many followers emphasised the notion of “animal magnetism”,…"

"In this way, we influence the muscles of physiognomy and it is possible for us to arouse any passion or sentiment whatsoever; the contraction of the interconnected muscles, constituting “the anatomy o…"

"Although Braid believed that hypnotic suggestion was a valuable remedy in functional nervous disorders, he did not regard it as a rival to other forms of treatment, nor wish in any way to separate its…"

"...have the power of directing or concentrating nervous energy, raising or depressing it in a remarkable degree, at will, locally or generally. That in this state, we have the power of exciting or dep…"