The Library of Occult Knowledge: Complete Hypnotism: Mesmerism, Mind-Reading and Spiritualism. How to Hypnotize: Being an Exhaustive and Practical System of Method, Application, and Use

There is no doubt that hypnotism is a very old subject, though the name was not invented till 1850. In it was wrapped up the "mysteries of Isis" in Egypt thousands of years ago, and probably it was one of the weapons, if not the chief instrument of operation, of the magi mentioned in the Bible and of the "wise men" of Babylon and Egypt. "Laying on of hands" must have been a form of mesmerism, and Greek oracles of Delphi and other places seem to have been delivered by priests or priestesses ...