Hypnosis
Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI),[2] reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.[3]
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| Hypnosis | |
|---|---|
 Charcot demonstrating hypnosis on a "hysterical" Salpêtrière patient, "Blanche" (Marie Wittman), who is supported by Joseph Babiński.[1] | |
| MeSH | D006990 |
| Hypnosis |
|---|
There are competing theories explaining hypnosis and related phenomena. Altered state theories see hypnosis as an altered state of mind or trance, marked by a level of awareness different from the ordinary state of consciousness.[4][5] In contrast, non-state theories see hypnosis as, variously, a type of placebo effect,[6][7] a redefinition of an interaction with a therapist[8] or a form of imaginative role enactment.[9][10][11]
During hypnosis, a person is said to have heightened focus and concentration[12] and an increased response to suggestions.[13] Hypnosis usually begins with a hypnotic induction involving a series of preliminary instructions and suggestions. The use of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes is referred to as "hypnotherapy", while its use as a form of entertainment for an audience is known as "stage hypnosis," a form of mentalism.
Hypnosis-based therapies for the management of irritable bowel syndrome and menopause is supported by evidence.[14][15][16][17] Use of hypnosis for treatment of other problems has produced mixed results, such as with smoking cessation.[18][19][20] The use of hypnosis as a form of therapy to retrieve and integrate early trauma is controversial within the scientific mainstream. Research indicates that hypnotising an individual may aid the formation of false memories,[21] and that hypnosis "does not help people recall events more accurately".[22]