In the initial early days, “hypnotist” was not being used to describe person who does hypnosis work, it was rather known as “mesmerist”. It came from one of the pioneers in hypnotism, Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician in 1734-1815. The theory founded was known as “animal magnetism” – about channelling animal magnetism to overcome ailment.
It was James Braid, an English physician in 1795-1860 that proposed Mesmer’s technique and use the term “hypnotism” that comes from Greek God of Sleep – Hypnos.
Hypnosis gains more traction during the time of Milton Erickson, a psychiatrist 1932-1974, who used hypnosis as a form of communication.
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