Principal Works by Braid
Copyright © Donald Robertson, 2008
This is an excerpt from The Discovery of Hypnosis: The Complete Writings of James Braid (2009)
On the Curative Agency of Neuro-Hypnotism (1841, unpublished)
Practical Essay on the Curative Agency of Neuro-Hypnotism
Soon after the Lafontaine incident, Braid wrote to the Medical Section of the British Association in order to arrange delivery of a professional report entitled ‘Practical Essay on the Curative Agency of Neuro-Hypnotism’ (q.v. Neurypnology, 1843). However, his offer was declined; apparently because of concern over the controversial nature of the subject. Braid therefore advertised his own public reading of the “Rejected Essay” on 27th December 1841, attended by many of the British Association Members. He seems likely to have repeatedly delivered this report in whole or part at subsequent lectures. It is probable that the material from this essay was largely incorporated into Neurypnology (1843). This report precedes his Satanic Agency, etc., Reviewed (1842) and probably contained Braid’s first use of the word “hypnotism”.
Neurypnology (1843)
Neurypnology, or the Rationale of Nervous Sleep, Considered in Relation to Animal Magnetism, Illustrated by Numerous Cases of Successful Application in the Relief and Cure of Disease.
Braid’s first and most famous work on hypnosis. As Bramwell observes, however, this presents a very primitive picture of views which were to be fundamentally revised as his research progressed. Nevertheless Braid expresses a number of important views in this book which are often overlooked because of his writing style and the lack of descriptive chapter or section headings.
On the Power of the Mind over the Body (1846)
The power of the mind over the body: an experimental inquiry into the nature and cause of the phenomena attributed by Baron Reichenbach and others to a “new imponderable”.
A discussion of Braid’s experiments on Reichenbach’s claims regarding the subjective sensations and muscular responses experienced in response to magnets, etc., which Braid proves to be due to attention, suggestion and imagination. This is perhaps the work to which Braid himself tends to refer back most often in his later writings and seems to have marked a change of emphasis in his writings due to a greater appreciation of the role of suggestion in the waking state.
Observations on Trance (1850)
Observations on Trance, or Human Hybernation.
A discussion of the notion of “human hibernation” in relation to hypnotism and the alleged feats of Indian fakirs who survive entombed for many days without food or water. Not particularly relevant to modern hypnotherapy. It may serve to illustrate the fact that Braid drew parallels between hypnotism and yogic meditation, and that he saw the deepest stages of hypnotic sleep as loosely analogous to coma, hibernation, catatonic disorders, and the trances of fakirs.
Electro-Biological Phenomena (1851)
Electro-Biological Phenomena, Considered Physiologically and Psychologically.
Perhaps the rarest of Braid’s major works contains his response to J. Stanley Grimes’ theory of electro-biology, an American technique, which had been recently exhibited in England and attracted much interest. Braid was rightly concerned that the proponents had copied his eye-fixation technique and turned it into yet another pseudo-scientific “energy therapy”, based on the contention that psychological effects were due to the electro-magnetic properties of composite metal discs which were held in the palm of the hand and stared into. This rival theory, nevertheless, further motivated Braid to extend his theory and encompass mind-body interactions in the ordinary waking state as well as “nervous sleep”.
Magic, Witchcraft, Animal Magnetism, Hypnotism, and Electro-Biology (1852)
Magic, Witchcraft, Animal Magnetism, Hypnotism, and Electro-Biology; Being a Digest of the Latest Views of the Author on These Subjects.
A detailed defence of hypnotism and critique of Mesmerism by Braid written in response to a book by J.C. Colquhoun in which he is seemingly maligned. Despite the potentially off-putting title, this is one of Braid’s most important works, and contains many references to hypnotism and suggestion – and (strangely) none to witchcraft.
Hypnotic Therapeutics (1853)
Hypnotic Therapeutics, Illustrated by Cases, With an Appendix on Table-Turning and Spirit-Rapping.
Undoubtedly one of Braid’s most comprehensive and important later works, discussing in detail his mature views on hypnosis and the ideo-motor theory of suggestion. As the title suggests, this is perhaps the text by Braid which should be considered first in appraising his contribution to modern hypnotherapy, though it has been much neglected in the past.
The Physiology of Fascination (1855)
The Physiology of Fascination and the Critics Criticised.
Two short booklets, published together, the first briefly describing his later theory of monoideism, and the latter a combative response to attacks on Braid and Carpenter published in The Zoist.
On Hypnotism (1860, unpublished)
This 36-page manuscript, summarising Braid’s final views on hypnotism and related phenomena, was written by him in January 1860, according to Bramwell’s bibliography. It was sent by the author to Dr. Étienne Eugène Azam, a distinguished French surgeon and psychologist, a few months later in March 1860, just before Braid’s death. It was translated into French as Note sur le sommeil nerveux ou hypnotism (‘Note on nervous sleep, or hypnotism’) by Azam and subsequently published as an appendix to Dr. Jules Simon’s French translation of Neurypnology (1883). A copy was passed to Dr. George Miller Beard, a distinguished American neurologist who then lent it to Wilhelm T. Preyer, professor of physiology at Jena University. Preyer published a German translation entitled Über den Hypnotismus (‘On Hypnotism’) in his Die Entdeckung des Hypnotismus, etc., 1881, but it was never published in English – and it seems the original manuscript is now missing. (I have been unable to trace any subsequent reference to the existence of the original text.)
At this time, following favourable recommendations made to them by Azam, Paul Broca, and others, the French Academy of Sciences, which had established a joint committee to investigate Mesmerism in 1784, formed a new committee to investigate Braid’s hypnotism. Braid therefore addressed the foreword to the Academy and it seems Azam was entrusted with the task of conveying his writings to them for their consideration.
This text summarises many points made in Braid’s other writings, especially The Power of the Mind over the Body (1846) and Electro-Biological Phenomena (1851), but nevertheless it provides essentially the last word on his mature views, showing which aspects of his thought he considered most important and highlighting the key aspects of his final theory of hypnotism. As such, it represents a much better introduction to his theory of hypnotism than Neurypnology, his best-known publication.
Psycho-Physiology (Unpublished)
Psycho-Physiology: embracing Hypnotism, Monoideism, and Mesmerism.
In several of Braid’s other writings he comments on his intention to publish another major textbook on hypnotism. It looks as though Braid delayed publication of a revised edition of Neurypnology, perhaps because ongoing changes prevented him from settling upon a definitive account of his later theory. In The Power of the Mind over the Body (1846), Braid writes,
It would be inconsistent with the scope of this paper to enter into an elaborate detail of my views as to the philosophical explanation of the modes of exciting and varying certain trains of ideas, and their consequent manifestations during the nervous sleep. The inquiry is not only curious, but also one of great interest, in respect to the power of the mind in controlling physical action, and of physical impressions in reacting on the mind. I have given a pretty ample discussion on these topics in a second edition of my little work on hypnotism [Neurypnology, 1843], now preparing for the press, to which I beg leave to refer those who feel desirous of prosecuting the inquiry, and particularly those who desire to do so for curative purposes.
Braid introduced his Magic, Witchcraft, etc. (1852) by writing,
[…] by this means, moreover, I am making up, in some measure, for the delay in the publication of another edition of my work on hypnotism [Neurypnology, 1843], which has long been out of print, and so frequently called for. That call I hope shortly to be able to respond to, with fullness of detail as the importance of the subject merits; more particularly as regards its practical application to the relief and cure of some forms of disease, of which numerous interesting examples will be adduced.
In The Physiology of Fascination (1855), he then stated, ‘It is my intention shortly to publish a volume entitled “Psycho-Physiology: embracing Hypnotism, Monoideism, and Mesmerism”.’
It is possible that these comments refer to the same work, and that Braid was planning, or had written, a second, significantly revised edition of his major work on hypnotism but felt that the changes in his position were so fundamental as to require a change in the title from Neurypnology to the much more general Psycho-Physiology, etc. His views seem to have expanded beyond the initial focus upon “nervous sleep” to a wider conception of psycho-physiological (“mind-body”) phenomena, encompassing waking suggestion and a variety of interacting and overlapping psycho-physiological states, including nervous sleep (hypnosis), excitation and muscular rigidity (catalepsy) and mental abstraction (monoideism), etc.
