mesmerism

Meaning

Noun

• The method or power of gaining control over someone's personality or actions, as in hypnosis or suggestion.
• The state induced by hypnotic methods (especially that of Mesmer himself).

Origin

• From French mesmérisme, analysable as [[w:Franz Mesmer + -Mesmer]]; so called after Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815), a German physician who developed the animal magnetism theory.