Complete Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Mind-Reading and Spiritualism / How to Hypnotize: Being an Exhaustive and Practical System of Method, Application, and Use

This work surveys the history, theories, and practical methods of hypnotism, tracing early mesmerist rituals through later clinical developments. It describes induction techniques used by various practitioners, methods of self-hypnosis, the stages of trance, and procedures for awakening subjects. Demonstrations and theatrical performances are recounted alongside cautions about fraud, simulation, and ethical and safety concerns. Therapeutic applications such as anesthesia, habit modification, and restoration of motor function are examined, as is hypnotism applied to animals. The author evaluates experimental claims about criminal suggestion, contrasts competing explanations for hypnotic phenomena, and explores telepathy, clairvoyance, and mediumistic confessions as possible non-spiritual accounts of alleged supernatural effects.