Don't look up while you are After Mesmer retired, his orof telling people they are get- reading this. There may be methods, called " mesmerism," ting sleepy are helpful, but not someone there whose piercing continued to interest doctors. necessary. The point is to get eyes are waiting to catch your Then, in the , a Scottish the subject to relax, use his or attention, hypnotize you, de- physician and surgeon, James her imagination, pay close stroy your will power, and Braid, began experimenting on attention to what is said, and make you a slave. At least his friends with mesmerism. not fight the process. The rest that's what you might believe He coined the term , is up to the subject and his or if you watch too many old and described it as a mixture her willingness to go along movies. The mystery that sur- of physiological and psycholog- with the . The rounds hypnosis is inevitable, ical mechanisms that involve trance itself need not involve since it can produce so many intense mental concentration the appearance of drowsiness. unusual phenomena. Natu- and the power of . Many hypnotized.subjects act rally, you have some questions drowsy because that is the about this unusual state of WHAT IS THE POWER OF way they think they are sup- consciousness, and we posed will try SUGGESTION? to behave.In most cases, to answer a few of them. however, the average person The power of suggestion often cannot tell whether a subject in- WHO DISCOVERED involves nothing more than is hypnotized-hypnotized quite HYPNOSIS? focusing your attention on dividuals can appear to be sensations you did not notice normal and alert. The actual The "father" of hypnosis was before. Do you feel thirsty? Is trance induction can take from Franz Anton Mesmer, an your throat dry? Does it tickle 10 minutes to half an hour. The eighteenth-century Austrian a little? Does it feel scratchy? deep trances used in psycho- doctor. He believed that he had If we keep making these sug- therapy often take many hours the power to heal with his gestions, you will eventually and many sessions to produce. hands and that a force he called notice things about your throat "" flowed that you hadn't paid attention patients. WHAT IS POSTHYPNOTIC from him to his Al- to before. SUGGESTION? though he had many successes, Hypnosis involves allow- other physicians accused him ing yourself to yield to another The hypnotist may tell the of practicing magic, and he person's suggestions. The hyp- subject that when the trance is was ordered to leave Austria. notic trance is not like sleep. over, he or she rvill remember He went to Paris, where he It is a state of intense focus on everything that has happened. continued his healing, but some aspect of reality. What Or the hypnotist can request there h'e was called an im- that aspect is depends on the that the subject remember poster and a fraud. In the end, suggestions of the hypnotist. nothing of the session. But he lost his practice and retired. most interesting of all, the He did not know his meth- that HOW IS HYPNOSIS DONE? hypnotist can suggest that the ods would later be developed subiect do thines after the by others into an important The usual methods of focusing trati.e without iemembering therapeutic technique. attention on a swinging watch that he or she was told to do

Consciousness so. For instance, a woman may to you by the hypnotist.It is an nosis have been tried for years, be told to laugh whenever she altered state of consciousness but no one has succeeded. The hears the word "today." When that you willingly produce most that can occur is a deep- she does so, she is unable to with the hypnotist's guidance. ening of your belief that you explain why she laughs, but Some people can learn to have magic capacities. Again, she is also unable to keep from hypnotize themselves. Such you don't need hypnosis to doing so. Such posthYpnotic autohypnosls provides relaxa- achieve this end. suggestions are very helPful tion and self-discipline. This also be for individuals who are trying kind of self-control can WILL YOU DO SOMETHING to rid themselves of habits, achieved through various methods meditation. You IMMORAL WHILE such as overeating or smoking. of HYPNOTIZED? have probably already been hypnotized in one way. If you It depends on your morals, of YOU BE HYPNOT'ZED? CAN have ever been so caught up in course. Hypnosis won't make Probably. Most people can. But a television show or a book that you immoral or give you crimi- it is easier for some than for you didn't notice the rest of the nal tendencies. In cases where others. The difference seems to world around you-even peo- "hypnotic influence" is said to be a matter of personality and ple talking to you-then you have accounted for criminal the learning that takes place have experienced a form of acts, the hypnotist and the as you grow up. If you want to hypnosis. You concentrated so victim have been found to be be hypnotized and you feel that much on one aspect of reality deeply involved with each the hypnotist has mysterious that the rest of reality faded other. from your awareness. WHAT IS HYPNOSIS USED llflany CAN HYPNOSIS MAKE YOU FOR? A BETTER STUDENT? lr;rynotined, In recent times, hypnosis has You won't become an aca- been used extensively to relieve srrbJeats aet demic superstar, but for some pain. Hypnosis is used instead people hypnosis can be used of an anaesthetic for a number drowsy be- to produce a state of general of dental procedures, ranging relaxation that increases the from simple fillings to root eause th.at ability to learn. If you can use canal work. Hypnosis is also self-hypnosis to get yourself to being used to help with rnajor ls the way do your homework and study pain, such as the pain of child- regularly and carefully during birth and of terminal cancer they thtnk the semester, you won't need patients. tlrey a;r.e; to be hypnotized to relax for Psychiatrists use hypnosis exams. to try to get to thoughts and slrpp(Dsed to desires buried in the patient's unconscious mind. Hypnosis WILL HYPNOSIS GIVE YOU behave may be used to "age regress" MYSTIC POWERS? the patient-to take him or powers and can easily domi- Hypnosis won't let you see the her back to an earlier period in nate you, then it probably future, read people's thoughts, life and relive some key experi- won't be hard to hypnotize have ESP, or gain control over ences. Hypnosis has also been you. Remember, though, that others. Attempts to acquire used as a method for helping hypnosis is not something done mystical powers through hyp- people to get over phobias, ob-

Psychology Today and Tomorrow state one brings uPon one- sessions, and other neurotic Arrto- self. EssentiallY, it is a state ;;;bi;;t, as well as to lose ol-ielaxation ihvolving in- iveight or to stop smoking' h1,1lnosis tense concentration on a rii*"t"t. The hYPnotized willinglY sur- REAL? piovides individual IS HYPNOSIS renders to the suggestions Not according to Theodore X' relaxation of the hYPnotist. gu.b"t. a bY Barber, PsYchologist self- 3. Hvpnosis is induced *ho studied hYPnosis,-believes and ;;H;i;s the subject and iitui ttt"." is n6 such Phenome- setting him or her to con- claims dlsclPllne u. hYPnosis'. He Eentra"te on a stimulus' The "o" no scientific suP- m.aY Itrai the.e"ii hYPn-osis hvpnotized individual o. reliable test for it' He evidence that .is and normal- are no ;r"ut t' orne's Procedure in- sJJ- "*lboints out that there drowsiness"t"tt of hYPnosis in asking several PeoPle to the l"io"" changes PhYsiologY are hYPlo- is a mYth. that occur wlth hYPnosis-no "of"". thai theY rate' or "."t""aiir"J. Ttt"" other irsychologists 4. A posthYpnotic suggestion changes in EEG, heart try to Further- exDerienced in hYPnosis-PeoPle is an instruction to behave t".tt measures' after the "itt"i G insists that an-Ything ;;ffiil" which, .theY in a certain way ;;;;, hYPnotized and over. The abilitY vou can do while hYPlo- are testing are liu"." is that f"t i"g' These kinds dePends ,i-r"a" .u., do in a wide- *ttriii tiJ i" U" ftvPtotized not have shown that in a Peo- if You are ProPerlY on orre'i-PersonalitY' - ^wuk""stut" "ftt"ai"t;;;#of situations, the hYP- ple can hYPnotize them- motivated.:---fttot" react consrs- who are convinced notized subjects ielves using autohyPnosls' in a waY different from that hvPnosis does Produce a i.en;ln 5. People under trypnosis ih; ;.y the fakers act' orne unioue itate of consciousness indi- have no mYstical Powers criti- iJt'irtlt these reactions do things theY tt^u" igttoted Barber's are character- u"a ao not researcher' itttt there ordinarilY do' ;ir;r. bne noted "ut" to the hYPnotic wiuldn't conducted a i*ilt o"."liar can use this state M;;i" orne, has' state that cannot be But theY r"ti". of exPeriments that t..rr"" to helP them concentrate ;;il feel Prbvide conclusive faked. ;;;hdgt theY do do-such as studYing. SUMMARY 6. HvPnosis is used to relieve The u"a it is also a tool The Phenomenon called grew out of the bf"iil", psYchotheraPY' T'.X ftoo"6tit th,at Jf M"t*"t in the Barber has suggested does not really s(Dn Ganrr(Dt "lfiuiti".eishteenth century' James hvpnosis for eiist, but the exPeriments il;"id is resPonsible indicate tellwhether " mesirterism" into of Martin Orne ;.ki"g hYPnotic is "hypnotism." there is a distinct a sulDieet state. is an altered trance hytrmotized' 2. Hypnotism

221 CHarrpn 6 Consciousness

hypnotized. Moreover, they attend closely to the hypnotist's instructions (Crawford and trol of others, 1993). Therefore, is extremely unlikely that someone could be hypnotized it that en against his or her will.

Rorr . Changes in Consciousness Brougltt About by Hypnrssis 1972). trance Hypnotists and people who have been hypnotized report that hypnosis can bring about were h' the following changes in consciousness. As you read them, bear in mind that changes in hypnot "consciousness" are inferred from changes in observable behavior and self-reports. hypnot . Passiaity.When being hypnotized, or in a trance, people await instructions and ap- subject pear to suspend planning. hypnot t Nanowed attention. People focus on the hypnotist's voice or on a spot of light and that Pe avoid attending to background noise or intruding thoughts. Res are 80( . Pseudomemories and hypermnesia. People may be instructed . to report role tht pseudomemories (false memories) or hypermnesia. In police investigations, for ex- role p1i ample, hypnotists attempt to heighten witnesses' memories by instructing them to unusua focus on details of a crime and then reconstruct the scene. Studies suggest, how- ever, that although people may report recalling more information when they are hypnotized, such information is often incorrect (Weekes and others, 1992). Dtsscr races b ;is. Hypnotized people become passive and fol- , Suggestibilify. People may respond to suggestions that an arm is becoming lighter dents i, \ug-qestions oi the hypnotist. Only recently has and will rise or that the eyelids are becoming heavier and must close.They may act V rs becorre a respectable subject for psychologi- as though they cannot unlock hands clasped by the hypnotist or bend an arm SAME irv sociatit "made rigid" by the hypnotist. Hypnotized individuals seruing as witnesses may (like h' incorporate ideas presented by interviewers into their "memories" and report them In as facts (Loftus, 1994). instruc, , Playing Unusual Roles. Most people expect to play sleepy, relaxed roles, but they others, may aiso be able to play roies calling for increased strength or alertness, such as howevt riding a birycle with less fatigue than usual. In age regression, people may play them tr Trath or Fiction Realslted. themselves as infants or children. Research shows that many supposed childhood that tht memories and characteristics are played inaccurately. Nonetheless, some people i t,:ri tti,o,t ioi ,oi irJ,i ti ,niig,; yii, Tht show excellent recall of such details as hairstyle or speech pattern. A person may cirt rate iusl by lhinking about il when haps in - speak a language that has been forgotten since childhood. "thinking 0boul il" involves biofeedbock sulrouI lroining. . Perceptual Distortions. Hypnotized people may act as though hypnotically induced or awa hallucinations and delusions are real. In the "thirst hallucination," for example, focus o people act as if they are parched, even if they have just had a drink. People may Yet wh behave as though they cannot hear loud noises, smell odors, or feel pain (Miller & sound i Bowers, 1993). Rol . Posthypnotic Amnesia. Many people apparently cannot recall events that take nosis a place under hypnosis (Bowers & Woody, 1996) or, if so directed, that they were througi Truth or FCction Realsited hypnotized at all. However, if they are hypnotized again, they can usually recall Rather. 'is no evidence thot people run be hypnotized what occurred when instructed by the hypnotist to do so. OuI cal r deem i their will. People who 0re reodily hypnotized c Posthypnotic Suggestion. People who have been hypnotized may later follow in- desire lhe experien(e ond rooperole wilh lhe structions to prearranged cues of which they are supposedly unaware. For instance, s: hypnotisl. during hypnosis a subject may be directed to fall into a deep trance later upon the 5n single command "Sleep!" Smokers frequently seek the help of hypnotists to break l,,a their habit, and they may be given the suggestion that upon "waking" they ,,vill find cigarette smoke aversive. :a ,'l'heorias o/' Hl,lpnusis *! PERMNEStA . Greatly enhanad or heightened memory. ff \c€ REGRESstoN . ln hypnosis, taking on the role of k': Hypnotism is no longer explained in terms of animal magnetism, but psychodynamic S':, r 1, commonly aaompanied by vivid recollertions of one! part. *qi rEsstoN . Return to a form of behavior rhararteristic of and learning theorists have offered explanations.According to Freud, the hypnotic trance ll an earlier stage of development. represents regression. Hypnotized adults suspend "ego functioning," or conscious con' & HYPNOSIS Questions Name

t. Who were Franz Anton Mesmer and James Braid?

2. How long does it take for someone to be hypnotized?

3. What is a posthypnotic suggestion?

4. What is autohypnosis?

5. Can hypnosis make you a better student? Explain.

6. Will hypnosis give you special powers? Explain.

1. Wiil you do something immoral while hypnotized? Explain.

8. What are the different uses for hypnosis? 9. What do Theodore Barber and Marlin Orne each believe about hypnosis?

10. Explain the eight changes in consciousness brought about by hypnosis:

a.

b.

d.

f.

o b.

h.