In the late 1700s, physician Anton Mesmer claimed he could cure illnesses using invisible magnetic fluids. King Louis XVI wasn’t convinced, and a royal investigation ended up conducting one of the first blind placebo trials in history, concluding that any “miracles” were powered not by magnetism, but by the mind.

Decades later, Scottish surgeon James Braid ditched the magnets and reframed the practice as “hypnotism,” describing it as a sleep-like state. Today, hypnosis looks a lot less like stage theatrics and a lot more like guided suggestion, often used in psychiatry to help with pain management, anxiety, memory, and even smoking cessation.

So does hypnosis actually work?

For some people, yes. Research shows that when hypnotic suggestions take hold, brain activity can shift in ways that resemble real perception, not just imagination. Patients have reported reduced pain during surgery, improved working memory after brain injury, and measurable benefits for certain mental health conditions.

It’s not mind control, it’s not magic, and it definitely isn’t magnetized water.

But when it works, it’s a powerful reminder that the brain might be the most persuasive force of all.