Imagine a feeling similar to sleep- where you become unconscious, yet are vulnerable to outside interactions. A scene plays out in your mind like a dream, where you say and do things like normal, except when you awake from this trance-like state, you have no idea what you’ve done or said. For some people, this process has been experienced in order to improve something about themselves, in most cases, their health. Hypnosis is hailed as a valid method to quitting smoking and losing weight, among other things. For tourists on vacation, it is part of a stage performance to awe and thrill the audience. People generally view hypnosis in this latter category, a trick or show put on for entertainment purposes. On the other hand, hypnosis has an intriguing and remarkable history; where many people have spent their life in pursuit of understanding this mystifying concept.

The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis says, “It is a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention.” However, until the 19th century it was not called hypnosis and was not defined as what we know now. Although the word originates from the Greek hypnos, meaning sleep, hypnosis is quite different, in that your mind readily accepts the suggestions put forth by the person who induces this unconsciousness. Ancient India is credited with the first use of this concept for health purposes. The ancient Hindus took their sick to “sleep temples” in order to cure them mentally of their illnesses. This happening was also noted in ancient Egypt and Greece. Avicenna, a Persian psychologist, published The Book of Healing in 1027 and was one of the first people to compare hypnosis and sleep, and publicly introduce the idea of creating situations in which a person readily accepts whatever you say. In the 18th century, catholic priests believed disease to be a form of evil spirits inhabiting the body and would employ hypnosis to exorcise the demons with incantations and prayers.
Hypnosis became noteworthy in the west around 1770, when Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer began experimenting with magnets in order to heal. Considered a pioneer in the field, Mesmer, from whom we get the verb mesmerize, was responsible for challenging the perceived medical community at that time. He developed several contentious theories of magnetic therapy and thus, was ostracized for his radical assertions; later his theories would be proved and disproved by his various successors. Around this time an Indo-Portuguese priest, Abbe Faria introduced oriental hypnosis to Europe. He demonstrated hypnosis in 1814 as something created in the mind from the power of expectancy and cooperation of the participant. Faria’s work was provocative and was later built upon by other theorists. Marquis de Puysegur, a student of Mesmer, first described the idea of sleepwalking and coined the term for it: somnambulism. This concept, though similar to hypnosis, is different in that the person is not told to engage in certain activities, but acts of their own accord in a coma-like state.
In the 1840’s, chemist Carl Von Reichenbach debunked Mesmer’s claim of hypnotism as mind control, and put forth his concept of Odic Force. Naming his hypothesis after the Norse god Odin, Reichenbach explained that various outside substances could affect the human nervous system. And such substances all give off similar forces- like electricity, magnetism, and heat, to which people are sensitive. However, Reichenbach’s “vitalist theories” were rejected and ignored in the scientific community. Hypnotism was also attributed to European saints, whose actions were interpreted as simply hysterics, thus causing the Roman Catholic Church to ban hypnotism until the mid-20th century. Mesmer’s ideas and practices further influenced James Braid, a neurosurgeon from Scotland, who coined the term hypnosis in 1842 and developed the concept as we know it today. Braid, now considered the Father of Modern Hypnosis, disproved Mesmer’s theory that magnetism was the reason for this sleep-like condition. He explained that this “mesmeric trance” was due to prolonged fixation on a bright moving object; which caused a exhaustion on certain nerves in the brain, resulting in a stupor in the individual. Braid, who is credited with writing the first book on hypnosis: Neurypnology (1843), used the method to treat various psychological and physical disorders, the former proved to be the most successful, while the results of treating physical ailments with hypnosis were unsubstantial. Despite these early revelations and failures, hypnosis has produced some notable achievements throughout history!

There have been numerous recorded instances of success with hypnotism. In the early 19th century, an English doctor reported several cases of surgical operations performed using mesmerism as anesthesia. This occurrence has been duplicated many times in history. Before the development of modern tranquilizers, it was reported that hypnotism was the sole anesthetic in British India. Around 300 major operations were successfully performed using mesmeric sleep! Before the introduction of ether and chloroform in America, the first extensive medical application of hypnosis took place during the American Civil War, with prolonged success in the field. Jean-Martin Charcot, a French neurologist, introduced hypnosis as a treatment for hysteria, and led a number of experimental examinations all over Europe. This Napoleon of Neuroses, as he was later titled, made extraordinary observations in memory and sensory perception whilst working with hypnotism around this time. In the 1880’s, Pierre Janet developed the idea of dissociation of consciousness. As a result of his work with hysterical patients, Janet believed that hypnosis resulted in dissociation, where areas of an individual’s behavioral control are split off from ordinary awareness. Hypnosis removed some control from the conscious mind and the individual responded with involuntary reflexive behavior. Emile Coue, a French pharmacist, further expanded the findings of hypnotism when he published his laws of suggestion; one of which reads that whenever an attention is concentrated on an idea, it spontaneously tends to realize itself! Johannes Schultz, a German psychiatrist, later worked closely with the studies of Abbe Faria and Coue, and came to the conclusion that hypnotism employs some of the same principles as meditation and yoga.
By the end of the 19th century, hypnosis had become a widespread phenomenon, and the general population marveled at these seemingly paranormal occurrences. This was a result of Charcot’s public experiments and the subsequent studies of Sigmund Freud, a student of Charcot’s. Freud’s development of psychoanalysis was spurred on by his studies of hypnotism with Charcot. Well into the 20th century, stage performers and magicians capitalized on the public’s growing fascination and incorporated hypnotism in their acts. As a legitimate treatment, hypnosis flourished in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Military doctors found it particularly beneficial in treating what is now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in soldiers. Before this, modern hypnotism gained more analysis in the 1930’s at Yale University. In 1933, experimental psychologist Clark Hull published Hypnosis and Suggestibility. His work rigorously examined the phenomenon and proved once and for all that hypnosis had nothing to do with sleep. Hull’s main purpose was to clarify the outlandish claims of hypnotists, in regards to enhancing cognitive abilities. Dave Elman, a prominent hypnotist, created a definition that is still widely used today among many professional hypnotherapists. Although Elman had no medical training, he is known for having trained physicians and psychotherapists in the use of hypnotism.

The scientific and medical community continually rejected these studies and conclusions; not giving any credibility to this dubious practice. However, more recently steps have been made to further understand hypnotism on an academic level. In 1952, Britain found it necessary to pass the Hypnotism Act, regulating stage performances involving public hypnosis. Later in 1955, the British Medical Association permitted the use of hypnosis with pain management in childbirth and surgery; also advising all physicians and medical students to receive basic training in hypnosis! The American Medical Association followed suit in 1958 and approved research on hypnosis, while maintaining that the subject was still controversial and speculative. Another victory came in 1960 when the American Psychological Association certified hypnosis as a branch of psychology.

In pop culture, hypnosis has endured its share of commercialization, exploitation, and promotion. There have been many TV shows, in the UK and America, which have sought to entertain with hypnosis on a massive level; as well as numerous books and documentaries seeking to enlighten the skeptical public on the subject. A large number of these books, along with various clinics around the world, are devoted to improving the physical and mental well being through hypnotism. One such example has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show in May of this year. Dr. Brian Weiss, a psychologist and hypnotherapist, appeared on the show to share his experiences with hypnotism. He explained about using it to experience a past life, and confessed that he himself was a non-believer of this phenomenon until his incredibly revealing results. Now, Weiss utilizes certain techniques to help his patients get rid of their psychological issues through a retrospection of their past births! This segment was successful in starting serious discussions about hypnotism and introducing another branch of its countless applications.

Modern hypnotism is prevalent in many facets of medicine- psychiatric therapy and surgery being the biggest areas of application. Hypnotism is also used in dentistry, treating skin diseases in dermatology, and even improving study techniques of students at colleges and universities. Hypnotherapy is probably the most popular form in practice today. Patients use hypnosis to alleviate various mental stresses, such as anxiety or irrational fears. Self-hypnosis is also prevalent in people trying to quit something or improve themselves in some way. Autosuggestion has been used to make better food and diet choices, stay motivated in certain activities, quit smoking or alcohol, or just to gain more everyday confidence! Nevertheless, hypnosis can be detrimental in extreme cases, as certain techniques require a dive into the most recessed areas of the mind, such as childhood memories and traumatic experiences. Hypnotized patients have awoken to feeling disorientated and confused, some resulting in a mental breakdown after extended periods of being hypnotized.
Hypnotism as we know it has had a long and controversial past. All is still not understood about this electrifying concept, but it has proven that people in need will try whatever is available to better themselves. Today, hypnotism is taught, written about, and regulated in practice by professionals, all building on the work of countless individuals who have devoted their careers to understanding the infinite powers of the mind.