Neurypnology James Braid «720p»

“He recognized that hypnosis was a subjective phenomenon, dependent entirely on the state of mind of the hypnotized and not on any mystical fluid or occult magical power wielded by the hypnotizer.” Peter Harrington Recommended Versions of the Article

Initially, Braid believed the state was caused by physical fatigue of the eyes and nervous system from fixed staring. NEURYPNOLOGY James Braid

He argued that hypnosis is triggered by the fixation of attention on a single object or idea. “He recognized that hypnosis was a subjective phenomenon,

You can find the full original text or detailed historical summaries through these sources: In it, Braid moved the field away from

Braid’s work focused on the physical and psychological mechanisms that induce a hypnotic state:

James Braid’s seminal work, Neurypnology; or, the Rationale of Nervous Sleep (1843), is considered the foundational text of modern hypnotism. In it, Braid moved the field away from the mystical "animal magnetism" of Franz Mesmer toward a physiological and scientific understanding of trance as a state of "nervous sleep". Core Principles of Neurypnology

Braid coined the terms "hypnotism" and "hypnosis" in this book, though he later preferred "monoideism" when he realized the state was not actually sleep.