Mesmerizing A 19th-century doctor attempts to heal a patient using the hypnotic techniques created by Franz Mesmer in the 1770s. Mesmer believed that every person was surrounded by a magnetic field, or “animal magnetism,” that could be summoned for therapeutic purposes (Wobst, 2007). The word “mesmerize” derives from Mesmer’s name.
Jean-Loup Charmet/Science Source