Hidden Depths : The Story of Hypnosis

by Waterfield, Robin

• ISBN13: 9780330492515
• ISBN10: 0330492519
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-12-31
• Publisher: Trans-Atlantic Pubns

Summary

The world of hypnosis is both fascinating and strange. Its history is littered with quirky individuals, remarkable stories and bizarre incidents. In Hidden Depths, Robin Waterfield brilliantly explores this world, taking us on a mesmerizing adventure through the terrain of the mind. As he builds a comprehensive picture of this unusual art, other issues are raised, for example, the relationship between the predilections of society and the popularity of hypnosis. Waterfield's careful analysis casts new light on the numerous historical controversies and applications of hypnosis and reflects on its continued presence in contemporary advertising, media, and popular culture. With a deft and witty touch, Hidden Depths brings the characters, the science and the psychology, the drama and the dreams magically alive. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Robin Waterfield is the author of more than twenty-five books, ranging from children's fiction to biography and translations of Ancient Greek texts. He is currently Writer-in-Residence at the University of Sussex

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Preface	p. xv
Introduction	p. xxi
Hypnosis in Fact and Fiction	p. 1
In the Beginning	p. 42
Franz Anton Mesmer	p. 64
Magnetic Sleep and Victor's Sister	p. 105
Crusaders and Prophets in the United States	p. 132
'Mesmeric Mania' in the United Kingdom	p. 157
Murder, Rape and Debate in the Late Nineteenth Century	p. 211
Psychic Powers and Recovered Memories	p. 239
Freud and Other Alienists	p. 279
State or No State: The Modern Controversy	p. 304
Hypnotherapy: Mind and Body	p. 330
Mind Control	p. 361
Self-improvement and the New Age	p. 391
A Plea	p. 417
In Mesmer's Footsteps	p. 423
References	p. 426
Bibliography	p. 432
Index of Names	p. 452
Index of Subjects	p. 459
Table of Contents provided by Rittenhouse. All Rights Reserved.