Note: The discussions and text below appeared on the websites sourced below and is excerpted and quoted in its original text below under a Creative Commons license and the fair use doctrine in Section 107 of U.S. Code Title 17. Comment 1: BillGladwell Feb ’08 I’ve been a hypnotist for over eighteen years Read More
Category: History of Hypnosis
The Definition of Hypnosis
Some think that hypnosis means the loss of control or a loss of awareness. This is completely incorrect, hypnosis is the opposite of that, hypnosis is a heightened state of awareness and concentration and mindfulness. Here are some definitions, some old, some new. Hypnosis is defined as a state of mind, measured now by brainwaves, Read More
The Birth of Hypnosis
This series of posts (The Birth of Hypnosis) will be focused on the early history of hypnosis and the possible precursors to it. I will start by discussing possible mentions of hypnosis in ancient cultures, I will then discuss pre-19th century Magnetism and Mesmerism then discuss James Braid, father of modern hypnotism, in some detail. Read More
Hypnosis Mind-Body Research
This paper is shared here for educational and archival purposes. Hypnosis in Mind and Body John F. Kihlstrom University of California, Berkeley Note: Plenary address presented to the annual meeting of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Berkeley, California, October 4, 2013. This paper honors Dr. Dabney Ewin, Clinical Professor of Read More
Animal Magnetism Defined
In today’s usage Animal Magnetism refers to a person’s sexual attractiveness but this is misleading. According to Franz Mesmer, Animal Magnetism (French: magnétisme animal), as it was originally used, referred to a “Magnetic fluid” or “ethereal medium” residing inside of living beings. It is worth noting that Mesmer chose the word “animal” to offer contrast between Read More
The Origins of The Words Hypnotism & Hypnosis
I’d like to take a moment to mention that any use of the term “hypnotism” before 1841 is speculative since James Braid was the first to use that term in 1841. Braid adopted the term hypnotism to emphasize the state of the subject, rather than the techniques applied by the operator. Braid’s technique was a subject-centered Read More