For a deeper look at Braid's medical career and his "crucial experiment," see the academic overview on ResearchGate .
Initially, Braid believed the state was caused by physical fatigue of the eyes and nervous system from fixed staring. NEURYPNOLOGY James Braid
He argued that hypnosis is triggered by the fixation of attention on a single object or idea. For a deeper look at Braid's medical career
A concise look at Braid’s legacy as the "Father of Hypnosis" is available on Britannica . NEURYPNOLOGY James Braid
He recognized that the hypnotic state is dependent on the subject’s mind, not the operator’s power. Key Historical & Scientific Impacts