 After being put in a trance by Chapelain, Villetard reportedly described Poyen's symptoms exactly, including which food and drink agreed with him, which convinced him to investigate mesmerism.Poyen had further experiences of mesmerism during a visit to his family's sugar plantation in Martinique and Guadaloupe in the French West Indies.In 1834 Poyen decided to move to the United States for the climate and sailed from Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadaloupe, arriving in Portland, Maine.