The mesmerists inquire about "Oriental mind powers": West meets East in the search for the universal trance.
Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 2010 David T Schmit
Contemporary interest in Asian meditation raises questions about when Westerners began investigating these practices. A synopsis of Western-originating scientific meditation research is followed by a brief introduction to mesmerism. Next, the unappreciated ways the mesmerists explored Oriental mind powers is recounted. How the mesmerists' cultural positioning, philosophy, and interest in...