Completely fascinated and transfixed, as if under a spell or hypnotic influence. This involves being so absorbed that one loses awareness of surroundings and time.
Named after Franz Mesmer, an 18th-century physician who practiced 'animal magnetism' (later called hypnosis). The word originally described being under hypnotic influence but evolved to mean any state of complete fascination.
Being mesmerized actually shares neurological similarities with hypnotic states—increased focus, decreased peripheral awareness, and altered time perception. This intense absorption can be so complete that it temporarily overrides our brain's normal monitoring of the environment around us.
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