The mesmerists inquire about "Oriental mind powers": West meets East in the search for the universal trance.
Contemporary interest in Asian meditation raises questions about when Westerners began investigating these practices. A synopsis of Western-originating scientific meditation research is followed by a brief introduction to mesmerism. Next, the unappreciated ways the mesmerists explored Oriental mind powers is recounted. How the mesmerists' cultural positioning, philosophy, and interest in mind-body practices facilitated their inquiries of Oriental medicine and Hindu contemplative practices is explored, followed by a consideration of why these investigations were unique for the era. The way this work subverted Western cultural imperialism is examined. A consideration of the historical continuities and discontinuities between the mesmerists' inquiries and twentieth-century meditation research concludes the article.
Schmit
David T
DT
St. Catherine's University, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105, USA. dtschmit@stkate.edu
D044466:Asian People; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis / Q000266:history*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019122:Meditation / Q000266:history*; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical / Q000502:physiology*; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000266:history