A look at the History of Hypnosis

We are living in a world of technology but at the same time the world is also looking for different ways to help people help themselves. We are starting to question if prescription drugs always are the answer, or if there is another way. Can we look after our body and mind? We are beginning to understand more and more how the power of the mind is incredible and if we work with it we can achieve the most amazing things. As this awareness grows so does the understanding of hypnotherapy. Hypnosis is no longer just what you see on the stage, almost like magic where the hypnotist seems to have power over people. It is now becoming recognised its abilities to help people to work with their own minds. The NHS now offers hypnotherapy; for some treatments like IBS it is one of the first treatment they recommend.

"The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitude of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." William James

So where did it all start? How long has hypnosis really been about? Here's a few of the people and organisations that have influenced hypnosis and hypnotherapy over the years:

Sleep Temples (2000 BC)

Ancient India, Hindus cure sick in sleep temples. This ideology was adopted by Imhotep, who was an Egyptian priest. Also by the Greeks – Hypnos means sleep

Paracelsus (1493‐1541)

Swiss physician. First to pass magnets over bodies. Claims of healing, as it was thoughtbody’s magnetism went out of balance with disorders and magnets could restore the equilibrium

Father Maximilian Hell (1720‐1792)

1771 Took up earlier theories about the body’s polarity and used magnets over naked bodies to heal. A Viennese doctor named Mesmer was one of his students

Dr Franz Anton Mesmer (1734‐1815)

Austrian physician investigated effects of using magnets and brought concept of Animal Magnetism to attention of Western scientists – also known as Mesmerism

James Braid (1795‐1860)

Scottish surgeon. Braid put forward the concept of “protracted ocular fixation” –prolonged gazing at an object, which he claimed fatigued certain parts of brain, causing trance. He coined it neuro‐hypnotism meaning “sleep of the nerves”. He later named it hypnotism

Sigmund Freud (1856‐1939)

Founder of psychoanalysis. Employed hypnosis in his early career but abandoned it, due in the main to being a poor practitioner of it and focused more on psychoanalysis. Defined sexual desire as being a prime behavioural driver

Carl Jung (1875‐1961)

Student of Freud but went on to disagree with much of his theories on psychoanalysis. Utilised hypnosis. Founder of analytical psychology, dream analysis and the concept of the archetypes, as well as synchronicity and collective conscious. Myers Briggs psychometric testis principally based on Jung’s philosophies

British Medical Association 1892

BMA unanimously endorse therapeutic use of Hypnosis, although they reject the theory of Mesmerism (animal magnetism)

Dave Elman (1900‐1967)

Helped promote medical use of hypnosis. His definition of hypnosis is still used today. No medical education, but trained the greatest number of physicians and psychotherapists in USA in hypnosis. Known for introducing and eliciting rapid inductions

Milton Erickson (1901‐1980)

Developed many ideas and techniques in hypnosis that differed from previous practice. His style, commonly referred to as Ericksonian Hypnosis, has greatly influenced many modern schools of hypnosis

British Medical Association 1955

23 April BMA approved use of hypnosis for psychoneuroses and also for hypnoanaesthesia, where it was accepted as beneficial for pain management in surgery and childbirth. BMA advised all physicians and medical students to receive fundamental training in hypnosis

UK National Occupational Standards (NOS) 2002 & 2010

2002 Department for Education and Skills first developed NOS for Hypnotherapy. Revised by Skills for Health and Hypnotherapy Regulatory Forum in 2010 Dave Elman’s definition. Hypnosis is a state of mind in which the critical faculty of the human mind is by passed and selective thinking established

Hypnotherapy today

Largely based on work of Milton Erickson ‐ regarded as “Godfather of modern day hypnotherapy”.  Erickson made use of the informal conversational approach, along with complex language patterns and therapeutic strategies. His  style was ‘modelled’ by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, founders of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)

So as you can see Hypnotherapy has been around a long time. I work using a combination of Hypnotherapy, CBT & NLP. These three therapies work well individually, and extremely well together. Click here to see what kind of things these fantastic therapies can help you with.

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