ABSTRACT
The psychotherapeutic origin of thought transference lies in the work of Franz Mesmer and his pupil, the Marquis de Puysegur.
In the 1770s Mesmer proposed that illness derived from magnetic imbalance within the body. By establishing hypnotic rapport with patients, Mesmer believed he could alter their magnetic structure and cure their illness. Mesmer was successful at curing patients of chronic illnesses. His technique was the most successful medical intervention in nineteenth-century Europe.
An envious medical establishment demanded the French government investigate his work. A scientific commission concluded many sick people were cured by Mesmer. But these cures were the result of imagination, touch, and patients’ imitation of others. Mesmer cured through the mind. Therefore, the cures—though real—were invalid, his technique was outlawed, and Mesmer was disgraced. Traditional treatments like bleeding and leeches prevailed.
Puysegur treated a peasant named Victor Race. Victor fell into a trance in which he was more lucid than when awake, demonstrating profound intelligence. Most impressively, Victor was able to read Puysegur’s thoughts and respond to Puysegur’s unspoken commands. During rapport, Puysegur believed an invisible connection linked their brains and nervous systems causing their minds to fuse. Telepathy was a commonly observed feature of hypnotic rapport.
