We Came Here to Mesmerize!

Waddup beautiful people! Welcome to the third installment of our blog, "Mesmerizing Monday", & it is sure to clarify a few things. Like, you may be wondering what exactly does Mesmerism mean, & why did we decide to name our collective after it; this post is to enlighten you on these matters. I will begin on the former: Mesmerism. Once upon a time--in the 18th Century--there was a German doctor named Franz Friedrich Anton Mesmer who had an interest in astronomy. His crowning achievement was the idea of "animal magnetism". He believed there was an invisible, natural force (Lebensmagnetismus) possessed by all living things, both animate & inanimate; he theorized that this force could have physical effects, which included healing. This idea, though popular during his time--hundreds of books were written on the subject matter from 1766 to 1925--never achieved scientific recognition & eventually faded into obscurity as a pseudo-medicine.

This vital energy--"animal magnetism"--was later called Mesmerism. People who practiced harnessing this energy were referred to as "magnetizers"; this is because the practitioners of Mesmerism were said to manipulate the "magnetic fluid" or vital energy within a patient to heal, or in some cases, control them. This resulted in feelings of intense heat, trembling, trances, & seizures among other effects. Mesmer himself began using literal magnets in his own practice. He would have a patient swallow an elixir that was heavy in iron & would then attach magnets to various parts of their body--pretty wild huh? Later, he ditched the magnets & began using his hands, among other odd devices, to manipulate this vital fluid. He even stated that exorcisms done by priests were another example of Mesmerism as they possessed a "high degree of animal magnetism" & could therefore heal people of various ailments.

By the end of his life, Mesmer was considered a kook & a charlatan, & many scientists discredited the idea of Mesmerism altogether. Some scientists & doctors continued on with the idea of "animal magnetism" but distanced themselves from Mesmer, whom they believed ruined the theory with his misguided practices. But who could blame them? Mesmer--though he didn't articulate this way--was trying to explain a metaphysical / spiritual phenomena through the lens of science, which is incredibly difficult if not downright impossible. In more contemporary times, sympathetic historians related Mesmer's ideas to the concepts of Qi & Qigong in Traditional Chinese Medicine. To me, Mesmerism seems akin to Reiki, which also utilizes Qi to facilitate physical & emotional healing. It should be noted that all of these practices are considered a pseudoscience within the Western framework of medicine. Another interesting thing to note: Mesmerism laid the groundwork for what we now call hypnosis, which was actually called Mesmerism until it became a more legitimized medical practice with differing techniques than those practiced by Mesmer. Essentially, hypnosis was a "rational Mesmerism" stripped of all the supernatural forces & replaced with physiological & psychological processes that could be observed.

Which brings us to the second question: Why did we name our collective "Mesmerism"? Simply put: we are an eclectic group of artists, thinkers, & healers who want to use our collective abilities to mesmerize the world around us. Much like Mesmer himself, we have an eccentric approach to these endeavors, & we hope our "magnetic" personalities & styles will help bring people together in a time when society is fractured, broken, & ill. We feel the Western world has lost sight of something truly important about the human spirit, & we hope to revive that spirit through music, poetry, performance, visual art, community events, & various healing practices that range from the practical to the metaphysical. We still believe in that "universal force" that connects all life & have faith that it can help us heal as human beings. We hope to entrance you with this "force" in the most positive, uplifting, & liberating way so that you can entrance others in the very same way. We have many plans for 2020 & beyond! This is only the beginning of a lifelong journey with Mesmerism Collective. Please, stay in tune for all that is to come.

With Good Health & Precious Songs,

Justin Groppuso-Cook

aka Sunni Mani