Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a human condition defined by focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness.

When a person is in this state, they have an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestions. The American Psychological Association Division 30 defines it as a state of consciousness involving this focused attention. This state is often marked by a deeply relaxed physical and mental condition. It is not the same as sleep, though it may look similar on the surface. Researchers and psychologists study hypnosis to understand how the mind processes information and influence.

There are two primary ways to explain how hypnosis works. Altered state theories suggest that hypnosis is a trance. This is a level of awareness that is different from our ordinary conscious state. In contrast, non-state theories offer different explanations. Some see it as a type of placebo effect, where a person responds because they expect a result. Others view it as a form of imaginative role enactment. In this view, a person is simply acting "as if" they were hypnotized.

Some theorists, like Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell, even suggest it is an artificial way to access the REM state. This is the same brain state that occurs during dreaming.

The process of entering hypnosis usually begins with a hypnotic induction. An induction is a series of preliminary instructions and suggestions. These techniques vary depending on the desired depth of the trance. Some sources suggest there can be between 30 and 50 different stages of trance. One influential method was the "eye-fixation" technique developed by James Braid. This involves having a person stare at a specific point to focus attention. In 1941, Robert White noted that most techniques involve reclining, relaxing muscles, and closing the eyes. The induction serves to heighten expectation and focus the subject's attention.

Once a person is induced, the practitioner uses suggestions to guide them. Suggestion is the act of providing ideas or instructions to the subject. These can be delivered in many ways. Direct verbal suggestions are plain instructions. Indirect suggestions might use metaphors, stories, or rhetorical figures of speech. There are also non-verbal suggestions, such as using specific voice tonality or mental imagery. Suggestions can be authoritative or permissive in their delivery. Some suggestions are intended for immediate responses. Others, called post-hypnotic suggestions, are designed to trigger behaviors later in time.

Different scientists have different views on which part of the mind receives these suggestions. Some believe suggestions are directed at the conscious mind, which is the part we use for everyday thinking. Others believe they reach the unconscious or subconscious mind. These concepts were introduced at the end of the 19th century by Pierre Janet and Sigmund Freud. Freud described conscious thoughts as being at the surface of the mind. He viewed unconscious processes as being much deeper. Hypnotists like Milton Erickson used indirect suggestions to communicate with this deeper level of the mind.

One fascinating neurological concept related to hypnosis is the ideo-motor reflex. This theory was first introduced by James Braid, who used ideas from his colleague William Carpenter. The ideo-motor reflex is an automatic muscular movement caused by a mere idea. For example, simply thinking about the idea of sucking a lemon can produce a physical reaction. Braid used this to explain how a wide variety of bodily responses can be affected during hypnosis. It shows how a mental thought can lead directly to a physical effect without the person intending to move.

The history of hypnosis is tied to several key figures and changing theories. The terms hypnosis and hypnotism come from "neuro-hypnotism," a term coined by Étienne Félix d'Henin de Cuvillers in the 1820s. The word itself is derived from the Greek word "hypnos," meaning sleep. James Braid popularized these terms in English around 1841. He built his work on the "animal magnetism" practices of Franz Mesmer, though his theories were different. Later, Hippolyte Bernheim shifted the focus from physical states to the psychological process of verbal suggestion. This shift dominated the study of hypnosis throughout the 20th century.

Today, hypnosis is used in several distinct ways. When used for therapeutic purposes, it is called hypnotherapy. It can also be used as "stage hypnosis," which is a form of mentalism used for entertainment. However, some uses are controversial. Using hypnosis to retrieve early memories is a subject of debate in the scientific mainstream. Research indicates that hypnosis may actually aid the formation of false memories. Because of these complexities, medical hypnosis is sometimes viewed as pseudoscience or quackery by some experts.