The story of mesmerism in nineteenth-century America is the story of how, for the first time, a psychological theory arose to meet the everyday religious and intellectual needs of Americans. Robert Fuller gives us the first complete history of American mesmerist philosophy. He traces its development from an obscure scientific hypothesis to a powerful spiritual philosophy that deeply influenced many of the period's emerging Protestant religious sects. He investigates in depth the role of mesmerism in the Mind-Cure movement and New Thought and paints for us the cultural land­scape existing at a time when thousands of antebellum Americans turned from their churches to the realm of psychology in search of self-understanding. In the early part of the century, mesmerism was for the most part the territory of carnival showmen. Itinerant mesmerists during the 1830s placed subjects in trancelike states from which they could divulge the contents of sealed envelopes and describe in detail locales to which they had never traveled. Literary figures such as Poe and Hawthorne seized upon mesmerism, depicting its workings at their most sinister and diabolical extreme. But by midcentury, mesmerism was beginning to enter the American consciousness in ways that involved anything but parlor trickery. Straddling a fine line between religious myth and scientific philosophy, mesmerism's spiritual tenets resonated almost perfectly with important currents in contemporary religious life. Universalists, Swedenborgians, and early spiritualists adopted the doctrine of mesmerism as evidence of man's unity with the Almighty. The self-made mind-cure practitioner Phineas Quimby used mesmeric theory to develop his "power of positive thinking," a concept that led eventually to the emergence of the Christian Science movement. But, Fuller shows, mind-cure cultists such as Quimby also helped transform mesmerism into a kind of self-help spirituality. Later writers condensed the principles of mesmeric healing into handy maxims that could be assimilated by a popular reading audience. Thus Mesmerism and the American Cure of Souls presents a paradigmatic instance of the role played by psychology in the American sensibility. In addition, Fuller's study constitutes a rich and hitherto unexplored chapter in American intellectual history.

This unique Book is the new enlarged and complete version of the earlier "Easy Guide to Mesmerism and Hypnotism", with added text and notes. Dr. Paret personally reviewed this new Edition as he applies with incredible success this ancient methodology into which he was personally initiated. Mesmerism is completely different from modern hypnosis. Mesmerism is the Western school corresponding to the use of Prana or Ki (Chi) in Orient. Parts of the teachings of this school were never completely disclosed in print. Dr. Paret, who is a genuine practitioner, wrote a serie of notes which allow a better understanding of practical applications of these techniques and their actualness. Many of the powerful results of Mesmerism are scarcely reachable if only pursued through verbal hypnosis. Dr. Paret therefore accompanies you through your reading. You will not only find here the original text of Dr. Coates, but also a better understanding of the original school of magnetism. If you really want to immerse in this powerful world, this is your occasion!