Langit, Marie Frederique R.

PSYC 3193 – Introduction to Psychotherapy

BS – Psychology 4-2 Dr. Rodrigo Lopiga

Mesmer
A Reflection Paper

“In the absence of anything better, the worst is the best.”

Such was an insight I have learned from reading a book, and yet again, many thoughts
began to occupy my mind: how can something better become absent, making what was
supposedly the worst the best? One word: perception. Perhaps, if there’s one thing in the world
that can distinguish the difference of all the things in the world, it is through the manner of
perception.
Franz Anton Mesmer, a doctor from Vienna believed that he can cure mentally and
physically ill people through what he called “animal magnetism,” an invisible natural force
possessed by all living things which could have physical effects such as healing, however, his
colleagues did not believe him and made him a laughingstock. During that time, doctors used
different methods to cure people suffering from mental illnesses such as lobotomy, bleeding,
trephination, fever therapy, and even putting them in an asylum, but these procedures weren’t
effective enough to justify the risks it would put the patients into, however, the doctors were left
with no choice but to perform such procedures for they have no other way of treating illnesses.
Then came Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer.
There are some points made in the movie that I agree and disagree with. Looking through
different perceptions to reflect onto, the disagreeable thing in the movie was that the
transference and countertransference that was shown in the movie was on my point of view,
unnecessary, and although it would be normal and helpful to some cases, it affected Dr. Mesmer
in a negative way– giving his colleagues a valid reason to exile him. On the other hand, using a
positive perception, Dr. Mesmer, aside from trying to prove something for his own recognition,
was able to show a great deed of empathy to the patients, by still trying how the animal
magnetism should work, even though he probably knew that it would cost him his credibility as
a doctor. Feeling and showing empathy might not be important in their line of work, but it is
important, when you look at the patient’s perspective, to know what the best thing is to do when
you take their condition into consideration, to not add another distress to them, and Dr. Mesmer
was able to show how empathetic he was, making him different from other doctors.
Perception, preferably unbiased yet empathetic is the key. The existence of concept of
pessimism and optimism introduces how perception is significant. The existing methods to cure
people back then may be very inhumane nowadays, and Mesmer’s way can be called humane
compared to others, which were ineffective, either way, both, no matter how it was viewed,
continuously contribute to the growth of the society. If not for those procedures, we would not
have what we have right now. Mesmer’s method of curing illness might be the worst, but in the
absence of better and more humane method, it became popular and probably one of the best in
the history that led to the discovery of “hypnosis.”
Remember how wise people tell us to see things in a new light? They had the idea. There
is always, always a new light. It is, however, up to us whether we would want to see it or not, and
how we would want to see it. One word: perception.