8th August 2008

I told her my family name was that of Franz Anton Mesmer the father of hypnotism. Her retort a sharp and almost offended “I know.” I can be cynical especially when it comes to anything of this sort. I wanted a demonstration, a small sample but I certainly did not want to be the one coaxed into going au naturale to the café across the street to ask for directions (or something equally absurd) so I offered up a willing friend. She held the hands of my friend swaying them gently and talking to her at a volume I couldn’t tune into. After a few impatient minutes of what seemed like conditioning my friend Joan, Julie had her sneezing uncontrollably. I was both impressed and ever the skeptic, I demanded more. We made our way to a table full of strangers she swore and explained our experiment and goals for the evening. The table of leather