Contemporary development
The higher phenomena and the birth of parapsychological research
The study of the "higher phenomena" of magnetism was the first basis for the birth of parapsychological research. Psychic research began in 1876 in the very prestigious "Trinity College" of Cambridge under the impulse of Henry Sidgwick, a professor of moral philosophy and politics who had a very good reputation. The French Metapsychique was created in 1919 by the Nobel prize of physiology Charles Richet. Metaphysical or parapsychological research was developed for twenty years. Subsequently it reduced its academic importance because of the appearance of new materialistic ideologies which came about after the Second World War. Although it is a minor current, still today several research centres exist, which operate within universities or private institutes that receive state financing.
Magnetic healing
Many traditional magnetism techniques continued and continue to be practiced especially in continental Europe, even after the last war. There has been a modification in the technique of magnetism after 1945 with limited attention to “higher phenomena”. But still in 1960 in France, Charles de Saint Savin published a book for the public which describes a method that is identical to the one practiced more than 100 years earlier by the swiss mesmerist Charles Lafontaine. Henri Durville had also operated in France until 1962. Henri Durville was the son of Hector Durville and continued the work of the baron Du Potet. (baron Du Potet was one of the foremost french magnetizers. He had studied with Deleuze, Faria, and Puysegur). The most significant aspect starting in the sixties is the almost contemporary disappearance of several key figures who were continuing in France the tradition of somnambulistic magnetism begun by Puysegur. There was also a change in attitude, and some of the magnetism practitioners often accept being called “healers” in this way emphasizing their difference from doctors. There also appears to be a convergence with similar oriental energetic techniques and a contemporary introduction of a nomenclature and terms having oriental origins. The creation of the “magnetic state” is often left out. "Higher phenomena" that once constituted the core of the Puysegurian magnetism are left out. These phenomena of magnetism continue to be studied by smaller groups although less often for therapeutic means than was in the past. Nevertheless many other specific aspects of original magnetism remain, especially in some healing tecniques. These techniques are still practiced today by a large number of practitioners in France, Italy, and other European countries and they are often members of associations. These groups were and are also in general advocates of natural life and of a natural way of living. It is to note that most of the practitioners are not doctors, but that doctors also continue to study the phenomena. Ulterior sporadic scientific research on healing has also been performed in this century and the results have been published in magazines (for example the experiments of Grad in Canada). The number of magnetic practitioners (operating with different denominations) in these countries is often superior to that of the so-called “hypnotists”. The interventions range from the fields of alternative medicine and sports to habit control.
Practical and legal aspects in Europe
Normally magnetic practices are not recognized as part of medical science, even if from a legal point of view the practice in Switzerland and in Germany can be inserted into a specific parallel legislative category (Heilpraktiker). In France and in Italy these practices have been progressively considered by the jurisprudence as admitted practices which are performed also by non doctors in that they are based on individual abilities which cannot be otherwise categorized.
Mesmerism and spiritual healing practices
ome researchers note that "many phenomena of animal magnetism emerged in a very similar form in a fair variety of appreciably different cultural and geographical settings, from New York to Calcutta and from Shetlands to Brazil. An obvious inference is that some at least of the phenomena are not the direct or indirect products of culturally determined belief, but rather reflect features of man's psychological" and physiological "constitution, which function independently, not perhaps of all his belief-system, but of his belief as to his own constitution."" Today scholars believe Mesmerism to share a concept of life force or energy with such Asian practices such as reiki and qigong. The practical and theoretical positions of such practices are on whole substantially different from those of mesmerism. See also:
- Biomagnetism
- James Esdaile
- Magnetoception
