Hypnotism

Hypnotism is a psychological state with physiological attributes superficially resembling sleep and marked by an individual's level of awareness other than the ordinary conscious state. This state is characterized by a degree of increased receptiveness and responsiveness in which inner experiential perceptions are given as much significance as is generally given only to external reality.

History

The concept of hypnotism is as old as mankind. The old, mysterious forms of sleep temples in Egypt, Greece and other places all over the world are the earliest known facts of hypnotism. The modern development of the concept of hypnotism dates from the late 18th-century from the Austrian physician Franz Mesmer, who used magnets and metal frames to perform "passes" over the patient to remove "blockages" (as he saw them) in the flow of the magnetic forces in the body of his patients. He was often accused of fraud and of conducting a form of secular mesmerism, a precursor to hypnotism.

Techniques

Hypnotism techniques involve an induction procedure that includes suggestions of relaxation, calmness, and well-being. Instructions to imagine or think about pleasant experiences are also commonly included in hypnotic inductions. People respond to hypnotism in different ways. Some describe hypnotism as a state of focused attention, in which they feel very calm and relaxed. Most people describe the experience as pleasant.

Applications

Hypnotism has been used in the field of psychology to relax patients and perform "analytic" procedures (where the patient talks about his or her experiences and feelings while in a state of trance). The use of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes is referred to as "hypnotherapy", while its use as a form of entertainment for an audience is known as "stage hypnotism".

See also

• Hypnotherapy
• Franz Mesmer
• Psychology

References

Hypnotism Resources
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