The 'Nancy School' was an early
French suggestion-centred school of
psychotherapy founded in
1866 by
Ambroise-Auguste Liébeault, a follower of the theory of
Abbé Faria, in the city of
Nancy.
It is referred to as the Nancy School to distinguish it from the antagonistic
Paris School that was centred on the hysteria-centred hypnotic research of
Jean-Martin Charcot at the
Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.
Suggestive therapeutics
Whilst its work centred on the application of what they termed "suggestive therapeutics", they also maintained that
hypnosis significantly amplified the efficacy of the suggestions so offered.
Ambroise-Auguste Liébeault delivered a sequence of suggestions in a monotonous but penetrating a tone regarding subjects' health, digestion, circulation, coughing, etc. He had hundreds of cures.
Initially sceptical of Liébeault's theories, methods and clinical results, the French neurologist,
Hippolyte Bernheim eventually joined Liébeault and they conducted a clinic and further research together. In 20 years, they treated over 30,000 patients using suggestions under hypnosis.
Influence
People came from all over
Europe to examine their methods and study under them (students included
Émile Coué and
Sigmund Freud).
See also
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History of hypnosis
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Hypnosis
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Hypnotherapy
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Post-hypnotic suggestion
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Psychotherapy
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Suggestibility
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Suggestion
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Subconscious mind