Mesmerists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals skilled in a technique involving deep focus and influence over others' mental states
2. Practitioners who utilize suggestive methods to induce hypnotic states for various applications, including therapy or performance
3. Experts who employ techniques to entrance individuals and modify their mental states through focused attention and suggestion

Etymology: Franz Anton Mesmer was a physician who argued that an invisible fluid he called "animal magnetism" flowed through all living things, and that illness could be cured by directing it with his hands or with magnets. Those who practised his methods took their name from him, so a mesmerist was someone who claimed to channel this force. "Mesmerists" is the plural of "mesmerist," naming a group of such practitioners. The word also gave English the verb "mesmerize," meaning to hold someone's attention so completely that they seem spellbound, a meaning that outlived the magnetic theory behind it.

Synonyms: hypnotists, mystics