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Benjamin Franklin and Mesmerism, revisited
Kevin M McConkey1, Campbell Perry
1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. k.mcconkey@unsw.edu.au
The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis
|October 5, 2002
Abstract:
The authors revisit and update their previous historiographical note (McConkey & Perry, 1985) on Benjamin Franklin's involvement with and investigation of animal magnetism or mesmerism. They incorporate more recent literature and offer additional comment about Franklin's role in and views about mesmerism. Franklin had a higher degree of personal involvement with and a more detailed opinion of mesmerism than has been previously appreciated.