mesmerism

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: mes=mer=ism

CIDE DICTIONARY

mesmerism, n. [From Mesmer, who first brought it into notice at Vienna, about 1775: cf. F. mesmérisme.].

 An earlier name for hypnosis or hypnotism, the art of inducing an extraordinary or abnormal state of the nervous system, in which the actor claims to control the actions, and communicate directly with the mind, of the recipient. It is believed to be a state between sleep and wakefulness, in which a person is more susceptible to suggestion than when awake. See Animal magnetism, under Magnetism.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

mesmerism, n.
1 Psychol. a a hypnotic state produced in a person by another's influence over the will and nervous system. b a doctrine concerning this. c an influence producing this.
2 fascination.

Derivative

mesmeric adj. mesmerically adv. mesmerist n.

Etymology

F. A. Mesmer, Austrian physician d. 1815

DEVIL DICTIONARY

mesmerism

n. Hypnotism before it wore good clothes, kept a carriage and asked Incredulity to dinner.

ROGET THESAURUS

mesmerism

Sorcery

N sorcery, occult art, occult sciences, magic, the black art, necromancy, theurgy, thaumaturgy, demonology, demonomy, demonship, diablerie, bedevilment, witchcraft, witchery, glamor, fetishism, fetichism, feticism, ghost dance, hoodoo, obi, obiism, voodoo, voodooism, Shamanism (Esquimaux), vampirism, conjuration, bewitchery, exorcism, enchantment, mysticism, second sight, mesmerism, animal magnetism, od force, odylic force, electrobiology, clairvoyance, spiritualism, spirit rapping, table turning, divination, sortilege, ordeal, sortes Virgilianae, hocus-pocus, magic, magical, mystic, weird, cabalistic, talismanic, phylacteric, incantatory, charmed, Circean, odylic, voodoo.