Mesmerism and Spiritualism
Oxford University Press eBooks October 14, 2008 DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195320992.003.0010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that mesmerism and spiritualism shaped Western esotericism by linking scientific ideas about fluid and mental powers with spiritual concepts, as exemplified by Mesmer's theory of a universal fluid mediating cosmic and terrestrial influences. |
Abstract
This chapter examines the influence of mesmerism and spiritualism on the history of Western esotericism. It explores the relation between science and spirituality and traces the development of animal magnetism from the combination of the notion of fluid and the powers of the mind in science. It discusses the works of Franz Anton Mesmer and his doctoral dissertation concerning the influence of the planets in the human body where he posited on the existence of an invisible, universally distributed fluid that flows continuously everywhere and serves as a vehicle for the mutual influence among heavenly bodies, the earth, and living things.