Honoring the brother of the Greek god Thanatos, this alternative medical practice got its name in the mid-19th century

The Final Jeopardy clue for Tuesday, June 9, 2026, appeared in the category “Medicine” and read: “Honoring the brother of the Greek god Thanatos, this alternative medical practice got its name in the mid-19th century.” The clue points to a practice whose name comes from Greek mythology and whose modern identity developed through 19th-century medical and psychological experimentation.

What Is Hypnotism?

The correct response is hypnotism. The key to the clue is the reference to Thanatos, the Greek personification of death. In Greek mythology, Thanatos’ brother is Hypnos, the personification of sleep.

The word “hypnotism” comes from Hypnos because the practice was once associated with a sleep-like state. In the mid-19th century, Scottish surgeon James Braid helped popularize the term after studying what had earlier been called mesmerism. He believed the condition involved focused attention and a distinctive mental state, even though the sleep comparison was not exact.

The Mythological Clue

Thanatos and Hypnos were twin brothers in Greek mythology, representing death and sleep. That relationship is central to the clue because it turns a medical term into a word-origin puzzle.

By saying the practice “honored” the brother of Thanatos, the clue points directly to Hypnos. From there, contestants needed to connect Hypnos with hypnosis or hypnotism, both of which refer to the practice of inducing a trance-like state.

How the Term Emerged in the 19th Century

Before the word hypnotism became common, similar practices were often discussed under the label mesmerism, named for Franz Mesmer. Mesmer’s ideas involved “animal magnetism,” a theory later rejected by mainstream science, but the demonstrations associated with mesmerism continued to interest physicians and researchers.

James Braid shifted the discussion by proposing a more medical and psychological explanation. In the 1840s, he used the term hypnotism to describe the state he observed, drawing on the Greek word for sleep. The name endured, even after Braid came to believe the condition was not truly sleep.

Hypnotism as an Alternative Medical Practice

Hypnotism has been used in different ways, including for relaxation, pain control, habit change, and psychological treatment. Its reputation has varied over time, partly because it has existed between medicine, psychology, stage performance, and alternative therapy.

In modern clinical settings, hypnosis is sometimes used as a complementary technique rather than a replacement for conventional treatment. Its medical use depends on context, practitioner training, and the condition being addressed.

Why This Final Jeopardy Clue Works

This clue works because it combines mythology, word history, and medicine. The reference to Thanatos’ brother leads to Hypnos, while the phrase “alternative medical practice” points toward hypnotism.

The correct response, hypnotism, fits every part of the clue. Its name comes from the Greek figure associated with sleep, it entered medical language in the mid-19th century, and it remains one of the best-known practices linked to altered states of attention and suggestion.