Answer
Scottish physician James Braid was the pioneer of hypnosis, which he initially termed "neuro-hypnotism." Braid's interest in hypnosis stemmed from his fascination with the work of Franz Mesmer, a Viennese physician who believed in the existence of a universal fluid that could be used to heal the sick. Braid, however, rejected Mesmer's theory of animal magnetism and instead proposed that hypnosis was a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility.