Words: Katie Cutforth
We explore the origins of another once-believed-in scientific theory that generally inspires scepticism today.
The phrase animal magnetism sounds straight out of the Discovery Channel, but it in fact refers to a biological theory invented by the German physician Franz Anton Mesmer in the 18th century. Originating around 1779, Mesmer’s theory and the resulting practice were hugely significant in medicine for about 75 years and remained influential in some circles into the 1800s. Remnants of this mysterious concept may even still linger today.
Animal magnetism is essentially the belief in the existence of an invisible natural force possessed by all living beings, including humans, animals and vegetables. The theory is associated with vitalism – a popular belief in Europe and the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries – which argues that living things are fundamentally different from non-living entities due to some intangible, non-physical element.
Mesmer believed that an invisible magnetic fluid, which he called “animal magnetism”, flowed from the body and could be manipulated to create physical effects, including healing. He theorised that the force permeated the universe and was possibly derived from the stars.
Practitioners of animal magnetism became known as ‘magnetisers’ or ‘mesmerists’. Their techniques involved passing their hands over the patient’s body in the hopes of rebalancing the animal magnetism and healing them from their afflictions. Reported effects of the therapy included intense heat, trembling and seizures, which led to varying degrees of relief from symptoms. Mesmer claimed that his methods could induce a trance-like state in his patients, which became known as mesmerism – from where we derived the commonly used English word ‘mesmerised’.
Doubt was first cast on Mesmer’s theory in 1784 when two French Royal Commissions appointed by Louis XVI studied the scientific accuracy of the magnetic fluid theory. The commissions, which included the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Jean-Baptiste Le Roy and Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, concluded there was no evidence of the existence of Mesmer’s “magnetic fluid”. Although they agreed that the cures claimed by Mesmer were indeed cures, it was concluded that the effects were the result of either a placebo effect or charlatanry.
Though widely discredited as a medical practice by the late 19th century, the idea of mesmerism remained popular as a method of spiritual healing. It was also a source of both interest and fury in the religious sphere. While authors Johann Peter Lange and Allan Kardec argued that animal magnetism was the source of Jesus’s miracles, other religious figures such as John Campbell Colquhoun and Mary Baker Eddy warned against the comparison, with the latter even claiming that animal magnetism would lead to “moral and to physical death”.
Today, the idea of animal magnetism has generally been consigned to history but similar practices persist. Reiki, which uses physical touch to encourage ‘energy flow’ and promote healing, shares similarities with Mesmer’s theory. However, it is based on an ancient Buddhist practice rediscovered in Japan in the mid-1800s, which became popular in the UK in the late 20th century.
