Joseph Ennemoser – författare

Joseph Ennemoser (1787-1854) was an Tyrolean doctor and scientist, noted for his use of magnetism and hypnosis. He was a forerunner of Freud in his belief in the connection between the mind and physical health, and his interest in psychology led to investigations into the paranormal and magic. He became well known for his presentations about magic, delusions and apparently supernatural occurrences. He suggested that most of these phenomena appeared miraculous only because of a lack of understanding of the laws of nature. The History of Magic was published in Leipzig in 1844, and translated into English in 1854 by William Howitt, a leading Spiritualist writer. Volume 1 deals with the different categories of magic and mysticism, and how they were viewed in ancient times. He discusses visions, dreams and soothsaying, and miracles in the Bible, and the link between classical medicine and oracles.

Joseph Ennemoser (1787-1854) was an Tyrolean doctor and scientist, noted for his use of magnetism and hypnosis. He was a forerunner of Freud in his belief in the connection between the mind and physical health, and his interest in psychology led to investigations into the paranormal. He became well known for his presentations about magic, delusions and apparently supernatural occurrences. He suggested that most of these phenomena appeared miraculous only because of a lack of understanding of the laws of nature. The History of Magic was published in Leipzig in 1844, and translated into English in 1854 by William Howitt, a leading Spiritualist writer. Volume 2 examines Germanic and medieval magic. Ennemoser attempts to show how animal magnetism has been partially understood throughout history, and relates it to scientific knowledge. The editor, Mary Howitt, has added a collection of accounts of supernatural events which illustrate the topics discussed.

Joseph Ennemoser (1787-1854) was born in Tyrol and, after fighting in the Tyrolean rebellion and the Napoleonic wars, qualified as a physician in Berlin. He later became professor at the recently founded University of Bonn, and eventually opened a successful medical practice in Munich. Ennemoser was a leading figure in the then highly fashionable field of 'animal magnetism' (popularised by Mesmer in the later eighteenth century) and hypnosis, and his emphasis on the connection between the mind and physical health foreshadowed Freud's development of psychoanalysis. The holistic views of the mesmerists incorporated ideas both from natural philosophy and from German Romanticism, and Ennemoser and his contemporaries wrestled with the problem of integrating materialist and mystical viewpoints. In this 1842 publication, Ennemoser analyses the relationship between 'animal magnetism', nature and religion, focusing on phenomena including visions, their physiological and psychological explanations, and the application and effects of 'magnetic' treatments.

Der Titel dieses Buches zeigt an, dass der Gegenstand, von dem es handelt, bereits auf festen Füßen steht. Wer andere anleiten will, muss einen festen Grund und ein bestimmtes Ziel haben. Der Mesmerismus beruht nicht mehr auf unbekannten, eingebildeten und zweifelhaften Erscheinungen, sondern aus Tatsachen der Erfahrung, die jedermann nachmachen kann, und die aus dem Felde der Wissenschaften bereits so begründet sind, dass sie nicht nur mit andern bereits erkannten Naturerscheinungen im Zusammenhang stehen, sondern dass sie auch auf das dunkle Gebiet geheimnisvoller Rätsel und unenthüllter Wunder des Geistes ein helles Licht verbreiten. Der Mesmerismus hat aber auch eine wichtigere praktische Seite für das Leben und die Gesundheit der Menschen, was noch viel weniger erkannt ist, und was von Gewohnheitsmenschen, von Witzlingen und sogenannten starken Geistern wohl noch für Chimäre und Phantom oder gar für Teufelsspuk erklärt wird.