Odylic force

Odylic force is a term once in vogue to explain the phenomenon of hypnotism.

In 1845considerable attention was drawn to the announcement by Carl Reichenbachof a so-called new imponderable or influence developed by certain crystals, magnets, the human body, associated with heat; chemical action, or electricity, and existing throughout the universe, to which he gave the name of odyl. Persons sensitive to odyl saw luminous phenomena near the poles of magnets, or even around the hands or heads of certain persons in whose bodies the force was supposed to be concentrated.

In Britainan impetus was given to this view of the subject by the translation in 1830 of Reichenbach's Researches on Magnetism, etc., in relation to Vital Force, by Dr. Gregory, professor of chemistry in the University of Edinburgh. These Researches show many of the phenomena to be of the same nature as those described previously by F. A. Mesmer, and even long before Mesmer's time by Swedenborg.

References

• This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, a publication in the public domain.

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odylic+force Wikipedia article Odylic force.