What the... hypnosis

Dear reader,

hypnosis is when someone is swinging a pocket watch back and forth in front of you, counting and telling you that at some point, you won't be able to keep your eyes open and sleep. That is at best how many think about stage-hypnosis.

This was supposed to be a post to introduce you to some hypnosis-people, especially hypnotherapists, meaning people, who use hypnosis for therapy, combined with a bit of history of hypnosis. That's what I had planned for February. As you can see, as a result I didn't write anything at all in February.

The truth is that I have barely any knowledge about the history of hypnosis. I have read two or three general books on hypnosis. Of course they had bits about the history and names of famous people of the past, thanks to YouTube I was able to watch interviews with hypnotists and hypnotherapists and see demonstrations or seminars. But apart from Dr. Milton Erickson, I hardly know more than the name of most people.

In addition to that I noticed during the past couple of months that I forgot now things I knew quite well, say half a year ago or so. Including terms I was able to explain or at least use without any problems back then. Am I getting old? Or am I becoming like Sherlock Holmes, who doesn't know that the earth goes around the sun, because it's irrelevant for his life?

Here comes what I'd like to share with you, for which I don't have to consult (my) books: my history of hypnosis. (Confession: I didn't use a book, but I did look up the dates on wikipedia.)

The name used very often as the sort of father of hypnosis or hypnotherapy is Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815). Years ago I liked the actor Alan Rickman a lot. I like him still today, but I'm not that much familiar with his more recent works now as I was years ago. In any case, he was in the movie “Mesmer” playing him in 1994. The frame story of the movie is a court hearing, which Mesmer has to go through. The treatment method of the doctor are so unconventional for his time that many thought he was a charlatan. That's why he was in court for. Later I read a couple of books about Mesmer to find out, what parts of the story in the movie had really happened. Without knowing it, this was my introduction to hypnosis, I guess. Although Mesmer didn't call what he did hypnosis. At first he worked with magnets. In one book I read that story that he was taking part in a sort of parade, when someone came up to him asking for help, because no other doctor was so close and available. He went and was lead to the ill person and only realised when he was there, that he had left the magnets in the coach at the parade. If lifeless stones and magnets were able to help, surely he, Mesmer, a warm living being full of energy, must be able to help with touch and strokes with his hands. Indeed he was able to help, so he didn't use the magnets anymore after that experience. He called what he did “animal magnetism”. Today it's also known as “mesmerism”. His name even became an adjective in English as “mesmerising” (to describe something as being fascinating or hypnotising).

Independently from Mesmer back then, also the Chinese medicine assumes an energy, known as chi or qi. Reiki is a method practised to this day, in which the hands are used to heal.

But Mesmer wasn't quite the beginning. Even the Egypts and Greeks knew sleep temples. Priests, who at that time were also functioning as doctors, healed a variety of illnesses through rites with putting the sick into a healing sleep.

The miracle healings of Jesus, his apostles and the early Christians came most likely often with hypnosis, too. Imposition of hands and fixation of the eyes (fixation) e. g. with a shining metal plate, are typical practices.

Another surgeon one should know is the Scotsman James Braid (1795-1860). He too studied magnetism and coined the term “neurypnology”, so still not “hypnosis” as a term. In Braid's time anaesthesia was still in its infancy. His book is called: Neurypnology; Or, the Rationale of Nervous Sleep Considered in Relation with Animal Magnetism.

James Esdaile (1808-1859) on the other hand reminds me a bit of Erickson. Esdaile had asthma and he moved from Great Britain to India in the hope that the climate there would be better for him. Erickson got vaccinated after a bike accident, but he got an anaphylactic shock from the vaccination, which nearly killed him and as a result he developed allergies. Therefore he moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Anyway, it shouldn't surprise you that Esdailes book title is: Mesmerism in India and Its Practical Application in Surgery and Medicine.

Another doctor, who should be mentioned is the psychiatrist and neurologist Hippolyte Bernheim (1840-1919), who studied the reactions to suggestions. Suggestions are also an important aspect with hypnosis and hypnotherapy. Consequently his form of therapy was the “suggestive therapy”, on which he wrote several books, for example: Suggestive Therapeutics: A Treatise on the Nature and Uses of Hypnotism.

By the way, the so called Russian miracle healer Rasputin (1869-1916) also used hypnosis to help especially the tsar son, when he had one of his bleedings again. I find it inappropriate, to call the treatments of the tsar son miracle healings though. Because Rasputin didn't heal him from hemophilia. He only stopped the immediate bleedings. More on Rasputin in another entry later.

Many people certainly don't know that Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) studied with the neurologist Jean-Martin Charco (1825-1893) and used hypnosis before he invented his psychoanalysis. Later he turned away from hypnosis. Surely in part to spend more time with his own ideas and psychoanalysis. I could also imagine that in part he also didn't like being close to clients and maybe even touch them, since one aspect with psychoanalysis is precisely that of keeping distance and interfering as little as possible.

If I had to write more detailed, I could write a book and would have to look up things more after all. For now this should be enough with the people mentioned to start with. Should hypnotists, hypnotherapists or hypnosis-enthusiasts read this post, I'd be happy to read your additional names and comments.

Until next blog,

sarah