Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a practice in which a person’s attention is intensely focused, often with guidance, resulting in heightened suggestibility and concentration that can influence perceptions, feelings, memories, or behaviors. It is used in clinical, therapeutic, and experimental settings as a means of facilitating relaxation, reducing pain, or modifying behavior and thought patterns.

Historically, the term arose in the 18th century from Franz Anton Mesmer’s theories of animal magnetism. In the 19th century, James Braid reframed the phenomenon as a state of focused attention, coining the term hypnosis. Since then, hypnosis has evolved into a wide range of techniques and has become a widely studied tool in psychology and medicine. Stage hypnosis and clinical hypnosis share techniques but differ in aims and ethical context.

Mechanistically, hypnosis involves attentional focusing, reduced peripheral processing, and increased responsiveness to suggestions. The exact nature of the hypnotic state remains debated, with theories proposing dissociative, social-cognitive, or neurophysiological explanations. Effective hypnotic work usually requires a skilled practitioner and a collaborative patient, and success is influenced by individual susceptibility.

Techniques include guided imagery, progressive relaxation, direct or indirect suggestions, and posthypnotic suggestions. Trained clinicians use standardized scripts and tailored interventions to address pain, anxiety, phobias, habit change, or psychosomatic symptoms.

Evidence and applications vary by condition. There is robust support for perioperative and procedural analgesia and for certain forms of acute anxiety. Evidence for chronic pain, migraine, sleep disorders, and depression is more mixed, and hypnosis is typically used as an adjunct to evidence-based treatments. Ethical practice emphasizes informed consent, safety, and respect for patient autonomy.

Safety and misconceptions: hypnosis is generally safe when performed by qualified professionals. Adverse effects are uncommon and usually mild, such as transient headache or drowsiness. It is not a reliable method for memory recovery and is not appropriate for all individuals or conditions.