James Braid - Pioneer of Hypnotism
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Kyle Young
I am a freelance writer based in the South West of Scotland. I write travel articles and profiles of artists and writers. Much of my work has been published online by Helium and Ezine articles. I have had a lot of reprints on many other web sites.
My hobbies include photography, hillwalking and going to the cinema. I have written articles on subjects as diverse as poetry and speed bumps! I also perform at poetry nights and enjoy a wee dram at night. By Kyle Young
Published on 07/3/2008
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James Braid was born in Fife on June 19th 1795. He was the son of James Braid and Anne Suttie. Known as an eminent Scottish neurosurgeon, he was an important and influential pioneer of hypnotism. James Braid studied in Edinburgh and concerned himself with surgery. He wrote on orthopaedic surgery, the treatment of club foot, squint, and other surgical topics.
Braid was initially a physician to Leads Hills mines in Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was in 1841, when well established in a surgical practice at Manchester, that he developed a keen interest in mesmerism.
Braid's interest in hypnotism was stirred in November 1841 when he watched a demonstration by Lafontaine. He began to experiment for himself, and was soon demonstrating and lecturing. He openly encouraged open discussion and criticism. Durand de Gros coined the term "braidism".
Braid adopted a physiological view that hypnosis is a kind of sleep, induced by fatigue resulting from the intense concentration necessary for staring fixedly at a bright, inanimate object.
The primary technique was to get the subject to focus on a small bright object held a short distance from the eyes. The position would eventually strain the eyes and eyelids. This would generally lead to a spontaneous closing of the eye.
Braid was mainly interested in the therapeutic possibilities of hypnosis and reported successful treatment of diseased states such as paralysis, rheumatism, and aphasia. He hoped that hypnosis could be used to cure various incurable diseases, and alleviate the pain and anxiety of patients in surgery.
A pioneer in his field, James Braid is remembered because although no-one understands to this day how hypnotism works, his techniques can still be used to help people undergoing trauma. There is a James Braid Society that meets monthly.
James Braid was born in Fife on June 19th 1795. He was the son of James Braid and Anne Suttie. Known as an eminent Scottish neurosurgeon, he was an important and influential pioneer of hypnotism.
James Braid - Pioneer of Hypnotism
Copyright Terms - If you choose to print, publish or share this article, all article content and this tag must remain intact and unchanged. You must include the tag with the article.
A live link to Buzzed-Up must be included. All links must remain live.
http://www.buzzed-up.com
James Braid was born in Fife on June 19th 1795. He was the son of James Braid and Anne Suttie. Known as an eminent Scottish neurosurgeon, he was an important and influential pioneer of hypnotism. James Braid studied in Edinburgh and concerned himself with surgery. He wrote on orthopaedic surgery, the treatment of club foot, squint, and other surgical topics.
Braid was initially a physician to Leads Hills mines in Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was in 1841, when well established in a surgical practice at Manchester, that he developed a keen interest in mesmerism.
Braid's interest in hypnotism was stirred in November 1841 when he watched a demonstration by Lafontaine. He began to experiment for himself, and was soon demonstrating and lecturing. He openly encouraged open discussion and criticism. Durand de Gros coined the term "braidism".
Braid adopted a physiological view that hypnosis is a kind of sleep, induced by fatigue resulting from the intense concentration necessary for staring fixedly at a bright, inanimate object.
The primary technique was to get the subject to focus on a small bright object held a short distance from the eyes. The position would eventually strain the eyes and eyelids. This would generally lead to a spontaneous closing of the eye.
Braid was mainly interested in the therapeutic possibilities of hypnosis and reported successful treatment of diseased states such as paralysis, rheumatism, and aphasia. He hoped that hypnosis could be used to cure various incurable diseases, and alleviate the pain and anxiety of patients in surgery.
A pioneer in his field, James Braid is remembered because although no-one understands to this day how hypnotism works, his techniques can still be used to help people undergoing trauma. There is a James Braid Society that meets monthly.