mesmerism

Mesmerism, also known as hypnotism, is a therapeutic procedure developed by German physician Franz Anton Mesmer in the late 18th century. Mesmer believed he was using a mysterious force called "animal magnetism" to treat patients. This force was thought to be an invisible fluid that flowed through the body, and disease resulted from blockages in this flow. Mesmer's treatments aimed to restore the harmonious flow of this fluid, often inducing trance-like states in patients.123

While Mesmer's theories about animal magnetism were not scientifically supported and led to his discrediting by a commission in Paris, his work is considered a forerunner to modern hypnotism. The term "mesmerism" is now broadly synonymous with hypnotism, referring to the induction of a sleeplike state where individuals are suggestible.1452