Download Hypnosis Hypnosis is a systematic procedure that typically produces

Hypnosis
Hypnosis is a systematic procedure that typically produces a heightened state of suggestibility.
History of Hypnosis
Mesmerism - Credit for the popularity of hypnosis goes to Franz Anton Mesmer, a physician, who
mistakenly thought he discovered “animal magnetism.”
Some of his patients experienced a trancelike state and felt better upon waking up.
In 1841 Scottish surgeon James Braid witnessed a demonstration of mesmerism and began to develop
his own technique.
Braid held a bright object in front of patients’ eyes while also making verbal suggestions.
He argued mesmerism was a state of “nervous sleep” produced by concentrated attention.
He renamed it hypnosis after Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep.
Used in the U.S. by Benjamin Rush (Father of America Psychiatry) in the mid 1800’s
The famous neurologist Charcot taught hypnosis to Freud in 1885
Freud popularized hypnosis as part of psychoanalytic therapy
Now an established field and used for many purposes
Hypnotic State
 Hypnosis is not like a sleep state
 Very relaxed waking state
 Suggestible state
 Focused attention
Four Steps in Hypnosis
 Distractions are minimized
 Told to concentrate on something specific
 Told what to expect
 Suggest events or feelings to occur
Hypnotic induction is the process by which one person leads another into hypnosis.
Not necessary to swing a watch in front of the eyes or say “you are feeling sleepy”!
Moss (1965) reported being able to sometimes induce a trance simply by saying “Please sit in that chair
and go into hypnosis”!
The goal of most induction procedures is to relax the subject and increase his or her attention
Measured by hypnotic susceptibility scales
Sample test items from the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C
Hypnotic Susceptibility Hilgard (1977)
 10% of subjects will be completely nonresponsive,
 10% will pass all or nearly all items, and
 the rest will fall in between.
Hypnotic Susceptibility
People who are imaginative and prone to fantasy are often very hypnotizable. But people who lack
these traits can also be hypnotized.
Susceptibility can be enhanced by increasing people’s expectations (Spanos et al., 1991; Vickery &
Kirsch, 1991).
If you are willing to be hypnotized, chances are good that you could be.
Hypnosis depends more on the efforts and abilities of the hypnotized person than the skills of the
hypnotist.
Uses of Hypnosis
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Hypnosis is being used in a variety of medical and counseling situations
Pain relief - very effective
Dentistry, childbirth, even surgery
Psychotherapy – many applications work
o less effective for breaking habits like overeating and smoking
Memory enhancement – Not very effective
Posthypnotic suggestibility – a subject is given instructions under hypnosis and follows them after
returning to a non-hypnotized state.
Posthypnotic amnesia – the subject is instructed to not remember any of the suggested behavior after
leaving the hypnotic state.
Effects of Hypnosis
Many abilities have been tested during hypnosis, leading to the following conclusions:
Superhuman acts of strength: hypnosis has no more effect on physical strength than instructions that
encourage a person to make his or her best effort.
Memory: there is some evidence that hypnosis can enhance memory. However, it frequently increases
the number of false memories, as well.
For this reason, many states now bar people who have been hypnotized from testifying in court.
Sensory Changes: Hypnotic suggestions concerning sensations are among the most effective.
Is Hypnosis an Altered State of Consciousness?
Social Cognitive or Influence Theory: Hypnotic subjects may simply be imaginative actors playing a social
role.
Divided Consciousness Theory: Hypnosis is a special state of dissociated (divided) consciousness
(Hilgard, 1986, 1992).
Summary
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Hypnosis produces an increased receptiveness to suggestions.
Hypnotized people subjectively experience their actions to be involuntary.
Dissociation theories attribute this to divided streams of consciousness.
Social Cognitive theories attribute this to subject’s expectation as to what effect hypnosis will
have on them.