Metodo Lafontaine nei Materiali ISI-CNV/en
The "Lafontaine Method" refers to the set of magnetic procedures practiced by Charles Lafontaine (1803–1892) and the way these procedures are taken up, codified, and taught within the ISI-CNV teaching materials in the context of the Method Paret. This page serves as a link between the primary historical sources (the Mémoires d'un magnétiseur and L'Art de Magnétiser) and the derived contemporary operational techniques.
The method in historical sources
In his writings, Lafontaine describes a magnetic practice based on a few essential, recurring elements in all accounts of the Mémoires:
- Gaze fixation: the operator intensely fixes the subject's eyes until it becomes impossible for them to sustain the gaze and their eyelids are forced shut. In the famous episode of the lion in Tours, Lafontaine recounts fixing the animal's eyes until «ses paupières clignèrent, puis elles se fermèrent, malgré les efforts qu'il fit pour les relever» (Mémoires, vol. I).
- Magnetic passes: hand movements along the body or towards the subject's head, with which — according to the fluidic theory of the time — the operator "throws" or transmits the fluid. Lafontaine describes "lancer d'une main le fluide sur sa tête" to obtain a deep sleep.
- Imposition of hands and controlled contact: as an alternative to distant passes, direct contact to concentrate the magnetic action on the affected organs.
- Awakening (démagnétisation): the return to the ordinary state obtained with reverse passes.
The practical result sought is a state characterized by magnetic sleep, catalepsy, and insensitivity — the same triad that, decades later, Braid would reinterpret in physiological terms. See: Lafontaine in Inghilterra e Braid — La Tournée del 1841 e l'Origine dell'Ipnotismo.
Codification in ISI-CNV materials
Within the Method Paret, Lafontaine's historical practice is taken up and reorganized into two distinct operational protocols, both in the magnetism category:
| ISI-CNV Technique | Nature | Historical reference element |
|---|---|---|
| Lafontaine Induction / Method | Rapid non-verbal induction (catalepsy in a few minutes) using only gaze and passes | Ocular fixation + fluid throwing from the Mémoires |
| Lafontaine Induction (induzione seduta classica) | Seated magnetic induction with controlled tactile contact (thumbs/palms) | Imposition of hands and direct contact described in L'Art de Magnétiser |
| Evolution → Donato | Direct fascination, subsequent qualitative leap | Continuity of tradition, not a break |
The underlying principle of the ISI-CNV reading is technical continuity: what changes from Lafontaine to Donato and the Method Paret is not the substance of the operation (fixation + presence + induction of a state), but the theoretical framework and the degree of speed and economy of the gesture.
Important historical distinction
The ISI-CNV materials incorporate the documented correction on the biographical page: Lafontaine was not a student of the Baron du Potet. The two were parallel and independent figures of the same fluidist school. According to his own Mémoires (vol. I, ch. III), Lafontaine was introduced to magnetism in Brussels by his Belgian friend M. Jobard and an unnamed Dutch doctor with whom he undertook an observational internship.
Primary sources
Verification dossier: every technical and historical statement on this page is traced back to the original passage in the primary source extracts dossier on Drive (anti-hallucination system).
Digitized sources available in the ISI-CNV "Lafontaine" Drive folder:
- Charles Lafontaine, Mémoires d'un magnétiseur, vol. I (Genève, 1866) — PDF Drive
- Charles Lafontaine, Mémoires d'un magnétiseur, vol. II (Genève, 1866) — PDF Drive
- Charles Lafontaine, L'Art de Magnétiser ou le Magnétisme Animal — PDF Drive
Note: the full OCR of L'Art de Magnétiser is in progress; specific technical passages from the manual will be quoted verbatim in a later revision.
See also
- Charles Lafontaine — Il Magnetizzatore Franco-Svizzero
- Lafontaine Induction / Method
- Lafontaine Induction (induzione seduta classica)
- Persone Curate da Lafontaine — Casi Clinici dai Mémoires
- John Braid e il Braidismo — La Versione Corretta della Storia
- La Tradizione Europea dell'Ipnosi — da Mesmer a Paret
| Donato e la Fascinazione — Navigazione ISI-CNV | |
|
Il personaggio
Il metodo |
I protagonisti della rivista
L'eredità
|