The Use Of Hypnosis In History
Hypnosis Throughout History The beginning of hypnosis can be traced back through the history of man. All major cultures around the world have some form of hypnosis in their history, though it was not recognized as hypnosis until the beginning of the last century. The chant of Ohm by Hindus produced hypnotic trances in devotees. Witch doctors in the middle ages and mass faith healing sessions mistook the trance of hypnosis as a sign of ultimate spiritual attainment. Other religious groups would use herbs to enhance the experiences of the devout. In more modern times, political leaders have put their listeners into hypnotic trances using their oratory skill. Hitler and Saddam, for example, have manipulated this suggestive state of their followers to achieve their personal goals. The concept of hypnosis was started by Austrian healer Franz Anton Mesmer in the 18th century. He believed he could store animal magnetism in inanimate objects such as magnets and transfer it to patients. Later on he started to use his own body as the store of the healing force. His success in inducing a trance become popular around the world, and was the forerunner of hypnosis. Marquis de Puysegur, a student of Mesmer, believed that it was not magnetic but electric and present in all living beings. He held his healing sessions in a natural environment. In the mid 1800s, John Elliotson used the trance state to perform over 1800 surgeries without pain. James Esdaile performed major surgeries in India around the same time using the trance as the only form of anesthesia. In the 19th century, James Braid gave the trance a scientific explanation, and recognized hypnosis as a state of exaggerated suggestibility. The fact that hypnosis is accepted by medicine today is mostly because of the efforts of researchers starting in the early 20th century. At the top of the list are Clark Hull and his student Milton Erickson. Hulls 1933 discussion Hypnosis and Suggestibility is still considered a classic of hypnosis scientific literature. In 1935, Milton Erickson started using medical hypnotherapy
on a large scale with his patients. He established many of the
successful induction techniques that are still
used.
In 1950, Theodore Sarbinin started the skeptical modern concept of hypnosis. Hypnosis was considered as an alternative to the views that a single neurological and psychological state underlies all hypnotic phenomena and that suggestion could produce responses without the help or participation of the subject. Currently, hypnosis is becoming more and more widely used as an alternative to traditional therapies. It has been shown to alleviate pain and other symptoms of chronic diseases, to be successful in eliminating the patient of a bad and unwanted habit, and even been useful in addressing certain mental disorders.
As studies continue to validate the efficacy of hypnosis, its use will certainly become more commonplace. More and more people will be able to find relaxation and relief from their problems without the use of drugs and medication and in the comfort of their own homes. With time, disorders that are currently commonplace may fade into oblivion. |