Neurypnology; Or, the Rationale of Nervous Sleep, Considered in Relation With Animal Magnetism

Neurypnology; Or, The Rationale Of Nervous Sleep, Considered In Relation With Animal Magnetism by James Braid presents James Braid’s systematic study of hypnotism (which he terms Neuro-Hypnotism) and its application to healing. The work distinguishes hypnotism from Mesmerism/Animal Magnetism, arguing that the state is not produced by a magnetic fluid but arises from the nervous system’s fixed attention and altered conditions. It details the method of induction, notably the fixed gaze technique, the sequence of sensory changes, and the progression from excitement to depression, which together produce the hypnotic state and its therapeutic potential. The text includes extensive experimental observations, definitions of terms, and a broad array of clinical cases—rheumatism, headaches, epilepsy, deafness, eyesight, paralysis, spinal curvature, neuralgia, and surgical analgesia—demonstrating remarkable cures and improvements. It also addresses objections, moral considerations, and the relationship between mind and matter, defending mind’s primacy and the value of hypnotism as a professional medical tool rather than a universal remedy. The work emphasizes careful inquiry, rigorous testing, and the cautious, ethical use of hypnotism in medicine.