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History of Hypnosis
More than just the Hollywood perception and fantasy of hypnosis, the act of
treating patients by putting them into a sleep-like is a practice that has
been ongoing for centuries. The history of hypnosis dates back to ancient
Egypt, Greece and India where hypnosis was used to treat the sick by putting
them into a sleep-like state. It wasn’t until 980 – 1037 when Persian
psychologist Avicenna made the determination that that this sleep-like state
could be created by other people to put them in a dream-like state while
actually being awake.
For many years, European doctors and scientists used hypnosis in their
treatments of patients and studies. From the 1400’ to the mid-1800’s these
professionals would treat their patients by running magnets over their
bodies, though they were in actuality performing a variation of hypnosis in
its early stages.
Dr. James Braid is one of the most important figures in the history of
hypnosis. In 1842, the Scottish neurosurgeon first coined the term
“hypnosis” after rejecting the notion that hypnotism was induced by
magnetism. He is no often referred to as the Father of Modern Hypnotism as
he is credited for writing the first book on hypnosis entitled Neurypnology
in 1843. Another key figure in the history of hypnosis is English surgeon
John Elliotson who reported he had conducted several surgical operations on
patients who felt no pain using mesmeric sleep.
After further interest and experimentation in hypnosis all over the world,
the act of hypnotism became conducted more by mental health professionals
than doctors. It became a popular method for treating hysteria. However,
many doctors continued to use hypnosis to treat pain and during the American
Civil War, hypnosis was often used to help stop the pain in wounded
soldiers, many of whom required amputation. But with the invention of ether
and chloroform to treat pain in the late 1800’s, drugs became a quick and
easier way to treat severe pain.
Today, many professionals continue perform the act of hypnosis to help
suppress the pain of non-curable illnesses such as cancer. Many
professionals also perform hypnosis on people to aid them in quitting
addictions such as smoking and eating.
However, to this day many people are skeptical of mind control through
hypnosis. This does not only refer to the people who do not believe they can
be hypnotized, but also many professionals who do not believe hypnosis is a
legitimate practice. These are often people who are hardest to induce into a
state of subconscious by those who know how to use mind control. Many
professionals also caution against hypnosis, especially for children, with
the argument that the act can cause trauma in patients who later experience
repressed memory and cannot distinguish a true memory from a false one.
But the history of hypnosis has shown that putting people into this
sleep-like state can be therapeutic and healing. Mind control through
hypnosis can also help people, though many professionals ban the procedure.
For more information on hypnosis, seek a mental health professional in your
area.
History of Hypnosis
Hypnosis Scripts
Hypnosis Techniques
Mind Tricks
Hypnosis Reviews
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