When it comes to the human mind, many things are still shrouded in mystery. Experts have discovered a lot already, but these are still but an inch of the whole painting. Moreover, some discovered concepts on the human mind are still being debated as they still have a lot of grey areas. One of these concepts is hypnosis. Hypnosis really is an interesting topic. It has been studied for decades already, but still a lot of it is shrouded in mystery. There is still much to discover about it, but the knowledge on it so far is indeed very impressive. The history of hypnosis is indeed very deep. It involves many people, theories and application. Here is a brief history of hypnosis:
The word hypnosis was first coined by brain surgeon James Braid. Hypnosis, as defined by Dr. Braid, was a state of mind where the person is in a state of nervous sleep. Dr. Braid based his studies on the mesmerism or animal magnetism theory of physicist Franz Mesmer. Later, the concept developed in to a more developed theory. Dr. Braid established hypnotism as science rather than just a random practice.
The history of hypnosis progressed as more experts developed its theories. After Dr. Braid, neurologist Jean Martin Charcot used hypnotism as treatment for hysteria. This led to several European experimentations. The studies of Dr. Charcot were carried on by his pupil, Pierre Janet. Janet further developed the practice, establishing the prototype framework for integrating hypnosis into treatment of personality dissociation.
As the theories and practices involved in hypnosis were very controversial, it met a lot of challenges. One of the biggest critics of hypnosis was the Roman Catholic Church. St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the theologians who challenged hypnosis, saying that it can skew a person's reasoning. Hypnosis and its propagators were able to eclipse issues like these after more success came from experimentations.
Hypnosis also played a role in the American Civil War. Field doctors used hypnosis as a substitute for chemical anesthesia. This was actually the first time hypnosis was practically applied in medicine. Soon after, Ambroise Auguste Liebeault found that a strong rapport between subject and hypnotizer increases effectiveness of hypnosis.
A more modern history of hypnosis started with Emile Coue. Coue declared that hypnosis was a form of conscious autosuggestion and not subconscious instructing. Boris Sidis later formulated a law for suggestion. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud also contributed to the development of hypnosis. Freud was a student of Dr. Charcot and was also a fellow of Liebeault. He developed hypnosis using abreaction therapy.
Finally, after years of criticism, the Church finally accepted the theories of hypnosis as valid. The Pope approved the practice of hypnosis in 1956, a year after it was approved by the British Medical Association as an applicable practice in psychoneuroses and hypnoanesthesia for surgery and childbirth. Currently, hypnosis is used for many causes such as for addiction and depression. Without a doubt, hypnosis will develop further in the near future.
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