The Encyclopedia Britannica defines the word "hypnosis" as the state wherein sleep is induced by one person, called the hypnotist, to another person. Through the process, the hypnotist manipulates the actions and thoughts of the other person.



A hypnotized person readily accepts suggestions and orders of the hypnotist because he is in a state of subjection or vulnerability. Proper reasoning and normal thinking is set aside.

It is to be noted that the history of hypnotism can be traced back into the ancient ages when sorcery was very popular. The famous Sigmund Freud used hypnosis when he was studying the state of being unconscious.

Eventually, the practice of hypnotism has come to be widely used in the disciplines of psychology and medicine. Some practitioners even hypnotize patients to calm them or anesthetize them, modify unlikely behaviors, and ultimately, uncover repressed personality or memories.

Still, there is no exact or generally accepted explanation for hypnotism. Below are various attempts and theories that try to pacify the unending questions and curiosity about the concept.

1) Theories On Dissociation And Neo Dissociation

Pierre Janet, a French physician and psychologist of the 19th century, had a theory on dissociation, which is the state when components of consciousness are split off. Through Dr. Janet's experiments and observations, hysterical patients were pacified through dissociation, which is practically hypnosis.

In 1977, American psychologist Ernest Hilgard developed a neo dissociation theory, which was a spin-off to Dr Janet's dissociation concept. According to Dr. Hilgard, there are components of one's personality that are further dissociated from other sub-components through an amnesic blockage. Therefore, orders and commands from a hypnotist would alter one's perception and eventually, behavior.

2) Theory Of Role-playing

The theory of role-playing states that people are all playing roles. Any alteration from a hypnotist would provide a wake up call or induce reality. Thus, the theory is primarily dependent on the kind of rapport developed between the patient or subject and the hypnotist.

3) Hysteria

Another psychologist named Charcot has postulated that hypnosis can only be effective when people experience hysteria. However, modern breakthroughs have challenged the idea because hypnosis is found to take effect also on people who do not exhibit hysteria.

4) Partial Sleep

An early psychologist named Ivan Pavlov tried to explain the nature of hypnosis by defining it as a state of being partially asleep.

The theory explains the reason why a hypnotized person seems to lose his sense of own thinking and depends on the instructions of the hypnotist. Otherwise, hypnosis would not be possible because normal thinking would resist subjugation to other people's control.

Overall, a handful of professionals and experts attempted to explain and expound on the nature and dynamics of hypnotism. Some people still think of hypnotism as a form of a paranormal activity. A number of movies and fiction stories depict hypnotism as evil. Some people now perceive the concept as a creepy idea.

Above all, hypnotism is a way of understanding the complex and confusing facet of the human mind and consciousness.