Hypnosis is a unique phenomenon that attracts special attention and is often surrounded not only by a halo of mystery, but also by numerous prejudices.
The history of the study of hypnosis is full of drama: periods of keen interest in him numerous studies were replaced by periods of cooling and even denial of its existence.
Increased interest in hypnosis arose at the end of the XVIII century in France thanks to the Viennese doctor F. Mesmer, who created the doctrine of "animal magnetism".
The twentieth century was marked by extensive research in the field of hypnosis, the emergence of new theoretical concepts.
The following scientists, psychologists and physiologists V. M. Bekhterev, I. P. Pavlov, Z. Freud, L. Cubi and S. made a great contribution to the study of hypnosis Margolin, E. Hilgard, M. Orn, V. Rozhnov, etc.
В. M. Bekhterev, recognizing hypnosis as a clinical reality, believed that it is caused by compulsion, which "is nothing but the grafting of various mental phenomena, such as feelings, feelings, ideas or actions of another person in the distraction of his willful attention or concentration.
Pavlovsky's direction regarded hypnosis as a partial sleep, chaotic inhibition, a transient state between waking up and sleeping.
Freud considered hypnosis as a special form of transfer. He believed that a hypnotist in the process of hypnotic induction takes the place of the parents of the hypnotized face and revives the Oedipus complex with its love and fear, thus determining either soothing "maternal" or frightening "paternal" types of hypnosis.
According to Pavlov's concept, hypnosis is a natural psychological phenomenon, increased potential readiness of the psyche to receive information, it's processing and implementation inactivity. The hypnotic state is characterized by the maximum mobilization of the reserve possibilities of the human psyche, "when the altered function of consciousness and self-consciousness receives the expanded possibilities of control of the central and peripheral nervous systems, including some elements of the meaningless and, to some extent, the organism as a whole".
Phenomenon of hypnosis
In the hypnotic state practically any activity, any mental state (which took place in the subject's life experience) is reproduced, the most various clinical manifestations are modeled.
Moving sphere: Hypnotic suggestion can cause any arbitrary movement. Thus, by means of suggestion to carry out movements of arms, legs, body in any direction, and in a deep hypnotic state it is also possible to deprive the possibility of movement, to cause paralysis of hands.
Sensory sphere: In the state of hypnosis spontaneously and with the help of suggestibility there is a decrease in insensitivity to pain, touch. Hypnotic does not react with gestures or facial expressions. The way of suggestion is caused by the reduction and increase of visual acuity, complete blindness, etc.
In a hypnotic state produced a variety of hallucinations and illusions. Hypnotized is reduced from the imaginary cold with the appearance of goose skin, "weary of the heat", waving an imaginary fan. Hypnotics can be sent to the "cinema", where he will "watch" comedy and lively react, laugh.
Processes of the generation of sensory images are based on the previous experience of the subject. For example, salivation and the corresponding reaction in hypnosis to the imaginary lemon will occur only if the hypnotic know its taste.
The hypnotized person can be inferred that he or she does not see or hear the person in front of him or her and does not react to any action of this person.
Memory: In a posthypnotic state, most subjects can remember almost everything that happened in hypnosis, others forget only partially, and others do not remember anything at all.
In hypnosis there is an increased ability to restore the forgotten memories of different ages (hypermnesia), and it is also possible to call artificial amnesia, i.e. to "erase" from the memory certain perio-diodes of his life, and he, for example, forgets that he recently married, moved to another place of residence, etc.