HYPNOTISM: MAGNETISM, MESMERISM, SUGGESTIVE THERAPEUTICS AND MAGNETIC HEALING: Including all that is known in the Art and Practice of Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Mental and Magnetic Healing. Prepared for the self-instruction of beginners as well as for the use of advanced students and practitioners
Book Details + Condition: The de Laurence Co (Chicago). Scarce Early Edition, 1916. Hardcover with dark red boards and gilt title, with decoration of devil and owls to the front. 188 pages with b&w photographs of hypnotized subjects. A firm copy of a scarce edition, with wear to boards; fading to gilt on front and spine; red dye has bled from upper edge (front and back), with bleeding to corresponding areas on first and last few pages; mottled discoloration to boards (perhaps someone tried to color? or printing error?); owner name to ffep and five underlined (penned) sentences. A brief article titled "Secret Method No. Two" has been pasted to rear endpapers. By Lauron William de Laurence (1868-1936), renowned book pirate, plagiarist, and publisher of occult literature. While this volume is similar to De Laurence's "Hypnotism, A Complete System of Method Application and Use" (1900) it is a separate work, and longer. De Laurence was notorious for taking other people's works and reissuing them under his own name (sometimes re-titling them in the process, as he did here). Despite his eccentricities, de Laurence played an important part in the occult history of the US: he was a pioneer in selling occult books and supplies by mail order, and the cheap "Pow Wow" books and other books of simple magic which he published were well received. Contents include:
- The Science of Hypnotism
- Inducing Hypnotic Sleep
- Fascination
- For Stage Purposes
- Post-Hypnotic Suggestion
- Clairvoyant or Second Sight
- Hindoo Sleep
- Different Stages of Hypnosis
- Curing Disease by Hypnosis
- Hypnotizing Animals
- Telepathy, Mind-reading, and Spiritualism
- Magnetic Healing
- And much more.
More from the Preface: In bringing before the public this book on Hypnotism, Mesmerism, and Suggestive Therapeutics, or the treatment of disease by Hypnotism and Suggestion. I feel that no apology is necessary for introducing so important a subject. No method of treatment has during the last few yeas attracted so much interest among men of science and members of the medical profession, as has the science of Hypnotism and Suggestion. The dangers of Hypnotism and Mesmerism have been proven chemical; and are merely imaginary, for in proper hands no undesirable medical result can occur through its practice, and there is, I believe, hardly one authenticated case of its being used for a criminal purpose in the countries where it is extensively used, especially by the medical profession. More than this can hardly be said of any system of medical treatment. The treatment of disease by Hypnotism and Suggestion has been very successful where it has been practiced by qualified physicians and intelligent operators whose knowledge and experience has taught them to use of hypnotism and Mesmerism in its practical application, and many noted physicians unhesitatingly advocate its use as a powerful auxiliary in combating many forms of nervous and other diseases, not readily reached by other means. Hypnotism and Mesmerism, so called, consists of a true knowledge of the science of the human mind, or soul.
