Hypnotism without mystery, superstition, or stage-show theatrics.
In *Hypnotism Made Plain*, Maynard Shipley presents an accessible exploration of hypnosis as a psychological process rooted in concentration, expectation, imagination, and suggestion.
Beginning with the early theories of Paracelsus and Franz Mesmer, Shipley traces the development of hypnotism from the age of "animal magnetism" to the influential work of James Braid, the Nancy School, and Émile Coué. He explains how hypnosis gradually emerged from mysticism to claim a place in the study of psychology and medicine.
Readers will discover historical methods of hypnotic induction, including visual fixation, relaxation, focused attention, and verbal suggestion. Shipley also examines autosuggestion, the subconscious mind, hypnotic phenomena, individual suggestibility, and the influence of suggestion on crowds, politics, religion, and public opinion.
Blending history, practical instruction, and early psychological theory, this concise classic offers a fascinating look at how hypnotism was understood and practiced in the early twentieth century.
Presented for its historical and educational value, this work reflects the terminology and medical understanding of its original era.
Narrated by Eleesha Lewis.
