hypnosis
Mesmerism's altered state
Hypnosis is a trance-like state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, typically induced by another person's verbal guidance.
A subject under hypnosis may follow suggestions, recover buried memories, or experience altered perceptions.
The state has therapeutic uses—treating phobias, managing pain, breaking habits—though claims about its power vary widely.
She quit smoking through hypnosis.
Semiconscious, unresponsive condition
- deepeningBecoming more profound
- relaxationState of being unwound
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
- scriptWritten words for performance
countdown · pendulum · swinging watch · focal point · fixation · progressive relaxation · eye closure · breathing
Modified consciousness experience
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
- absorptionProcess of taking in
- somnambulismWalking during deep sleep
- catalepsySeizure with waxy rigidity
suggestibility · automatism · time distortion · amnesia · hallucination · ideomotor response · depth · light trance
Return to former state
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
- smoking cessationDiscontinuing cigarette use
- weight lossReduction in body mass
- pain managementReducing patient suffering medically
anxiety reduction · trauma processing · abreaction · age regression · hypnotherapist · behavioral change · psychotherapy · self-improvement
Mental processes beneath awareness
- repressed memoriesUnconsciously blocked past experiences
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
- autosuggestionSelf-directed mental influence
- ideomotorThought-induced involuntary movement
beliefs · habits · conditioning · free association · automatic writing
Innate power to attract
- passesGoes beyond or through
- rapportHarmonious mutual connection
- fascinationIntense absorbed interest
- entrancementState of being spellbound
Svengali · mind control · influence · charisma · spellbinding · captivation · magnetism · Victorian
Agreeable diversion of attention
- performerOne who entertains audiences
- volunteerUnpaid willing participant
- audienceGathered viewers collectively
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
act · showmanship · amnesia · hallucination · barking · clucking · mentalism · spectacle
Proving claims false
- placeboInactive therapeutic substitute
- role-playingActing out characters
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- expectationBelief about future outcomes
social influence · suggestibility · false memories · confabulation · pseudoscience · controversy · research · validity
trance
Semiconscious, unresponsive condition
- deepeningBecoming more profound
- relaxationState of being unwound
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
script · countdown · pendulum · swinging watch · focal point · fixation · progressive relaxation · eye closure · breathing · voice
altered state
Modified consciousness experience
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
- absorptionProcess of taking in
- somnambulismWalking during deep sleep
catalepsy · suggestibility · automatism · time distortion · amnesia · hallucination · ideomotor response · depth · light trance · deep trance
regression
Return to former state
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
- smoking cessationDiscontinuing cigarette use
- weight lossReduction in body mass
pain management · anxiety reduction · trauma processing · abreaction · age regression · hypnotherapist · behavioral change · psychotherapy · self-improvement · stress relief
unconscious mind
Mental processes beneath awareness
- repressed memoriesUnconsciously blocked past experiences
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
- autosuggestionSelf-directed mental influence
ideomotor · beliefs · habits · conditioning · free association · automatic writing
animal magnetism
Innate power to attract
- passesGoes beyond or through
- rapportHarmonious mutual connection
- fascinationIntense absorbed interest
entrancement · Svengali · mind control · influence · charisma · spellbinding · captivation · magnetism · Victorian · history
entertainment
Agreeable diversion of attention
- performerOne who entertains audiences
- volunteerUnpaid willing participant
- audienceGathered viewers collectively
suggestion · act · showmanship · amnesia · hallucination · barking · clucking · mentalism · spectacle · demonstration
debunking
Proving claims false
- placeboInactive therapeutic substitute
- role-playingActing out characters
- complianceAdhering to requirements
expectation · social influence · suggestibility · false memories · confabulation · pseudoscience · controversy · research · validity · efficacy
- therapypsychotherapy, therapist, session, counselor, group therapy
- sleep aidsmelatonin, sleeping pills, sleeping pill, sleep aid, Ambien
- Psychology HistoryFreud, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Jung, William James
- consciousnessconsciousness, self-awareness, awareness, wakefulness, alertness
- hidden influencessubliminal messaging, priming, suggestion, conditioning, framing effect
- holistic wellnessAyurveda, ayurveda, aromatherapy diffuser, acupressure, chakra
hypnosiswakefulness
State of being conscious
alertness · hypervigilance · lucidity · awareness · clear-headedness
hypnosishyperawareness
Excessive attentional focus
sharp focus · critical thinking · mental acuity · mindfulness · concentration
hypnosisself-determination
Control over one's fate
free will · autonomy · self-possession · independent thought · self-control
- highway hypnosisTrance from monotonous driving
- road hypnosisDrowsy trance from monotonous driving
- stage hypnosisTheatrical induction of trance
- sleep hypnosisTrance method for rest
- weight loss hypnosisTrance-based approach to slimming