Poe and Life Science

What does mesmerism mean to Poe given the ways in which it is presented in his works?

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Mesmerism and animal magnetism were ideas that were very popular around Poe's time as they were viewed as very mystic and fascinating. Articles supporting and refuting these concepts appeared in newspapers fairly frequently. It is easy to see then that Poe would have been drawn to learn more about these "fields" of science. He even incorporated them into his works: "Mesmeric Revelation," "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar," and "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains."

Many thinkers of Poe's time such as Hawthorne, Melville, and Whitman viewed mesmerism as a force of attraction between mind and will; a sort of human interdependence, or a "potentially destructive influence of one personality on another." Poe seems to have viewed it more as an "illuminating force" that binds the mind and body which prevents the dissolution of both. This is seen in the "The facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" as Valdemar is preserved by mesmerism for months after he should have died. As soon as the force is broken, Valdemar's body quickly decays into a putrid liquid mass upon the bed.

Mesmerism is seen as an illuminating force in "Mesmeric Revelation" as the narrator interviews Mr. Vankirk while holding him under a trance. Mr. Vankirk seems very wise while mesmerized and provides great insight on the concepts of death and God. He is kept very calm and seems to be ambivalent toward his sickly condition -- when asked whether or not he is afraid to die, he responds that it is "no matter." This presentation of mesmerism points to Poe's view that this force sharpens the mind while freeing the mind of pain from the body.