Baron du Potet de Sennevoy — Il Magnetizzatore di Parigi/en
The Baron Jules Denis du Potet de Sennevoy (Sannevoy, Yonne, 1796 – Paris, 1881) is a central figure in the history of 19th-century European animal magnetism. A magnetizer, experimenter, editor, and popularizer, he was active for sixty uninterrupted years.
Biography
Origins
Du Potet was born in 1796 in Sannevoy, in the Yonne region (Burgundy), to a noble family ruined by the French Revolution. According to Dr. Paret in the History of Hypnotism, as a boy he was lazy and loved to spend time immersed in Nature: it was this connection with natural energies that would later provide him with extraordinary magnetic power.
In 1815, at the age of nineteen, he heard of Mesmer for the first time. His first spontaneous experiment was inducing a deep trance in two young women — from which he could not awaken them for hours — until they woke up on their own.
The Hôtel-Dieu and academic recognition
Du Potet brought magnetism from the private salon to the medical institution. His experiences at the Hôtel-Dieu — where he induced the state of somnambulism in patients before academic doctors — caused, according to Donato, "an enormous noise" and forced recognition. It was du Potet who provoked the Second Academic Commission (1826–1831), which acknowledged certain magnetic phenomena.
The Paris school (1828)
In 1828 he opened a school of magnetism in Paris with nearly a hundred students, many of whom were doctors. He founded and directed for decades the 'Journal du magnétisme, the main European journal in the field.
In England: 22 months in London (1837⁓1839)
In 1837 he visited London for 22 months. He initially encountered ridicule and hostility, but progressively overcame prejudices. He published in English 'An Introduction to the Study of Animal Magnetism'. Returning to France, he toured the Provinces, leaving groups of students everywhere.
He was the main architect of the spread of magnetism in England, preparing the ground for the demonstrations of Lafontaine (1840-1841) that led Braid to create hypnotism.
The technique: passes at a distance and gaze
Du Potet employed passes at a distance without preliminary contact, enhanced by the action of the gaze. Documented phenomena: spasms, attraction, catalepsy, immobility. He was able to magnetize dogs, cats, and horses.
This technique is the historical bridge to the direct fascination of Donato: passes → passes with gaze (du Potet) → pure gaze (Donato).
La Magie Dévoilée and the magical dimension
In 1852 he published La Magie Dévoilée, declaring that what he did was magic. According to Donato, this orientation towards the occult sciences considerably harmed his work. He remained active until his death in 1881 — sixty years of uninterrupted activity.
Works
| Work | Year | Content |
|---|---|---|
| An Introduction to the Study of Animal Magnetism | 1838 | Written in English during his stay; still considered authoritative |
| Manuel de l'étudiant magnétiseur | c. 1846 | Practical manual for students: exercises, techniques, phenomena |
| Thérapeutique Magnétique | c. 1850 | Clinical cases and therapeutic results |
| La Magie Dévoilée | 1852 | Magnetic-magical philosophy; translated into English in 1927 as Magnetism and Magic |
Historical placement
| Figure | Period | Main contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Mesmer | 1770s-1815 | Founder of scientific magnetism |
| Deleuze | 1813 | Theorist; Histoire critique 1813, Instruction pratique 1826 |
| Du Potet | 1820-1881 | Experimenter; hospital ′ school ′ journal ′ England |
| Lafontaine | 1840s-1880s | Public demonstrations; influenced Braid (1842) |
| Donato | 1875-1900 | Direct fascination; historian of the movement |
| Durville (brothers) | 1900-1940 | Continuation of the school; psychic aspects |
As Dr. Paret writes in the History of Hypnotism: «It is sometimes said that but for Dupotet magnetism would have been forgotten after Mesmer» — a judgment also contextualized to Lafontaine, which indicates du Potet's key role in the continuity of the movement.
Du Potet in the three intertwined histories
- 'Du Potet e il Magnetismo Scientifico — Genealogia e Commissioni': bridge Mesmer - Braid
- 'Du Potet e la Fascinazione — Passes, Sguardo, Eredità': precursor of Donato's fascination
- 'Du Potet e le Società Segrete — Magia, Aristocrazia e Magnetismo': ambiguity science/magic/occult
Primary sources
Anti-hallucination system: every statement is traced back to the sources below. Dossier of verified extracts ISI-CNV (17/05/2026).
Texts by du Potet — Drive
- Manuel de l'étudiant magnétiseur (Paris 1850) — 30 years of experience; includes Husson Academy Report
- Thérapeutique Magnétique — clinical cases and methodology
- La Magie Dévoilée (Paris 1852) — magical philosophy; verified OCR preface
- Magnetism and Magic (English translation Paret, .doc)
- Drive folder: all books by du Potet
Testimonies about du Potet
- Donato, Le Magnétisme Triomphant — Google Doc — sect. III «De Mesmer à Donato»: biog. + critical evaluation of du Potet | PDF gallica
- Paret, History of Hypnotism — Google Doc — sect. «Dupotet and Lafontaine» (lines 1705-1775 in TXT) | Searchable TXT | PDF
Historical journals and periodicals
- Donato, Journal de Psycho-Physiologie (162 pp., 290MB) — Donato's journal; meeting Donato-du Potet-Durville (OCR in progress — 51/162 pp. with readable text)
- Revue Magnétique — Cercle électro-magnétique de Paris (1878-1879) — PDF Drive — PRIMARY SOURCE (native text, 45,851 chars): Durville signs articles; du Potet gives lectures; common Parisian magnetic circle
See also
- Baron du Potet — Stub (fonti Donato)
- Du Potet e il Magnetismo Scientifico — Genealogia e Commissioni
- Du Potet e le Società Segrete — Magia, Aristocrazia e Magnetismo
- Charles Lafontaine — Il Magnetizzatore Franco-Svizzero
- Donato — Il Padre della Fascinazione
- La Tradizione Europea dell'Ipnosi — da Mesmer a Paret
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