History of Hypnosis

A BRIEF HISTORY ON THERAPEUTIC HYPNOSIS

To Sociedad de Hipnoterapia Clínica

Preliterate Cultures
Preliterate culture's mainly used Drumming, Chanting and sometimes Dancing to produce many types of altered states of consciousness. Many of us in this day and age would probably call these War Dances, or even Rain Dances which were directed at some type of God.
These were the type of healing rituals used for the moral building of tightly knit communitys and were also very common rituals for healing sick individual's.
Mesmer
The Greek's and Egyptian's had used Sleep Temples for types of healing and meditation, although the basic affect achieved through those temple's were very much the same as those which were achieved by preliterate culture's.
The actual word "Hypnosis" is derived from the Greek God "Hypnos", the word Hypnos, actually meaning sleep. Modern Hypnosis goes as far back as a man called "Franz Anton Mesmer" in the eighteenth century. Around 1784 Franz was denounced as a charlatan and subsequently, the techniques of Hypnosis which he used fell into deep direpute. The techniques were then ignored until isolated Doctors began once again to explore the theorie's of Franz.
James Eskdaile
Over the decades, Hypnotism has had it's fair share of up's and downs whilst on it's way to becoming an acceptable application in therapeutic terms.
For example: A dentist in the 1820s extracted the first tooth whilst using Hypnosis to replace Anaesthesia, and the first baby was born into the world through painless childbirth using only the altered state of Hypnosis for anaesthesia.

During the 1840s, physicians were censured for using Hypnosis for that particular purpose, and a Scottish Surgeon called "James Eskdaile" reduced the common surgical morality rate from 50% (based on the fact that many people only washed their hands after surgery) to only 5% with the use of hypnosis.

Eskdailes colleagues were suspicious of the techniques he used and so he decided to resign as the head of staff at the University of London's Hospital because of the pressure he faced for using hypnotic techniques.
Modern Techniques
Modern Hypnotic Induction techniques were introduced into the western world by a man called "John Elliotson when he developed the commnly used eye fixation technique to gain clients concentration.
Hypnosis was once again the subject of investigation during the 1880s when the Nancy School in France saw Hypnosis as being a kind hysterical state which would enhance the abnormalities of a person's nervous system.

However, the Salpetriere Group, defined Hypnosis as being a normal phenomenon that attributed it's power to that of direct and indirect suggestion.

Hypnosis was due for even more bumpy rides whilst on it's long rocky road to credibility. Freud studied the works of both of the French schools, and this was a factor in his decision to drop Hypnosis as a therapeutic tool from his already developing field of psychoanalysis. By doing this, he subsequently cooled off the main interest in Hypnosis throughout a whole generation of therapists.
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Military Doctors started to use Hypnosis in the treatment of shell shock throughout both world wars. But even then, it was still regarded as being an unorthadox technique.
In 1955, the British Medical association convened an investigation into Hypnosis and it's techniques and applications and subsequently approved the use of Hypnosis as an extremly invaluable tool.

Since then, there have been countless volumes published by the scientific community in a quest to dissect and explain exactly how Hypnosis works. Despite all of this, Hypnotherapy, is today, a highly recognised, respected and sought after invaluable tool for healing, and for changing the behaviour patterns of those who may be less fortunate.

In this modern day and age, Hypnosis is therapeutically applied to help people to combat Fear's, Phobia's, Smoking and Weight Problems, addictions, Habit's, Pain and even improve upon such crippling conditions such as Arthritis

FURTHER RECOMMENDED READING

Trance Action - teach yourself master hypnotic techniques to change your life.

Author - Richard Rzymski.
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Principles of Hypnotherapy

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Hypnosis - a power program for self improvement.

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A History of Hypnotism

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