T he techniques of evoking hypnosis mainly consider, although an essential development in recent years, their origin in connection to the two doctors of Mesmer and Braid. The both of them constituted in their time such powerful portal figures that instead of talking about a common term, one talked about mesmerism and braidism, respectively. The concept of hypnosis per se was established much later. It stems from the greek Hypnos, which means sleep. The god of sleep is called Hypnos in greek mythology. It should be pointed out how mystics and shamans have strived for spiritual cataclysms and extraordinary experiences throughout history, in which the state of hypnosis has had its given place, although needless to say without any trace of scientific way of establishment. In common language, the states of hypnosis are defined more strict than states of trance. Hypnosis constitutes a regulated, and possibly a more tranquil form of trance, so to speak. The subconscious of man is considered to be expressed to a greater extent than normally during so-called trance. With the staggering professionalism of today in mind, James Braid should take credit for his definition of the hypnotic states, not as an individual state, but as an entire category of states. He implied that certain states of hypnosis is similar to sleep, while the kind of others resembles unconsciousness or deep concentration. This is worthy of consideration, as many practicing hypnotists of today falsely limits the definition of hypnosis and maintains that the act of concentration performed when reading a book or solving a mathematical problem is equal to hypnosis. Such activities may possibly be defined as a form of hypnosis in some respect, but the difference between this and between the astonishing experiences and performances which otherwise can be observed in connection to advanced hypnosis is far-reaching. To distinguish ordinary relaxation as hypnosis is not very meaningful.

F ranz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) entered into the subject as a result of his profession of curing people. The theory he developed asserted that cosmic bodies, through the force of their nature, caused magnetic fluids who had an influence on people and which could be directed over, towards these in a controlled way, with the right knowledge. In 1766 he achieved a doctors degree in Vienna through a dissertation on the subject. Mesmer eventually developed a practical program that matched his theories. The concept of animal magnetism was thereby awake. Conflicts with the establishment of Vienna made Mesmer move to Paris. While there he met with great publicity, but the interest of the common people declined after his activities were dismissed as a bluff by a scientific commission.

J ames Braid (1795-1860) established a more scientific perspective on the hypnotic phenomena. He tried to metodically map out the differences between states of hypnosia and usual sleep, among other things. He headed for Manchester after finishing his medical studies in the educational institution of Edinburgh, where he opened his reception. The direction towards hypnosia happened because he visited a performance by Lafontaine, who had a sensational and mysterious slant to his gatherings, which were based on the mesmerism of that time. Braid immediately set out to do systematical experiments and published a book on the subject merely two years later. His usual technique to initially evoke hypnosis coincided with that of Mesmer, as the subject was urged to mentally focus his mind on an object. As in the case of Braid, the object, usually his shining, favourite knife case, was held a few, three, four decimeters in front of the eyes and in an upwards angle that lead to the greatest straining for the subject, when the foci of the eyes, as well as of the mind, was to be placed thereupon. Next to that, Braid could usually witness how the pupil of the subject changed size and the eyes were closed with a shiver, after a while. The closing of the eyelids was provoked by that Braid moved the hand towards the eyes of the person. The limbs of the hypnotised should ideally be a little “stiff”, so that they unwillingly changed an taken position, after the closing of the eyes. The investigations of Braid maintained that the senses of the hypnotised, with the exception of the sense of sight, presented an increased irritability at first, something that eventually was followed by its opposite. The theories that Braid developed was predominantly moderate. Hence were they a bit too strict for the mystics of the mesmer school, while many sceptics demanded a closer investigation of the phenomen on the contrary, just the same.

S tates that by nature resembles a genuinely hypnotic state sooner or later appear spontaneously in every individual. The states can begin through contemplation, fixation, monotony, or through extraordinary physiological or chemical influence. There exists a broad selection of techniques, which throughtout history have been used to evoke hypnosis. During early centuries suggestive objects, even from a lucid point of view, such as stones of strange origins or otherwise mystical application, were often used as focusation objects. Braid consequently evoked hypnosis by holding a shining object right in front of the eyes, while Mesmer used mineral stones that the subject would relate to in various ways. When an ocular focus are used the hypnotist can observe the pupil and its, for the context typical, contraction, and after that dilatation. Even if chanting and instructions, spoken with a monotonous voice, always have been present as features in the actively, by the hypnotist, evoked hypnosis, as well, this application is still of a greater weight these days. It is usually about a psychiatrist, psychologist or doctor, educated in hypnosis, using the technique in a clinical or therapeutic purpose. The person about to be hypnotised takes a comfortable position and is through quiet instructions lead to think in controlled, suggestive terms, until the supervisor observe typical indications as to that the hypnotic state has reached a proper depth for the purpose. The procedure may involve contraction and relaxation.

S elf hypnosis or auto hypnosis is said to be when hypnosis is evoked without an assisting hypnotist. A crosspiece can be found in the use of suggestive instructions recorded on tape or record. The weakness of this procedure lies in that no one receives feedback from the subjects physiological manifestations of the changed state of consciousness and adapts the hypnosis procedure after this. Genuine self hypnosis assumes that the person who wishes to enter into hypnosis has the ability to be its own guide, as the state of consciousness is continuously noticed throughout the session. A single person has without interaction with others in general small chances to conduct this task to complete success. It usually ends in methodologies to controlled relaxation in general, which admittedly can be very valueable. Sucessful self hypnosis (deep meditation) is in most cases likely preceded by a more extensive commitment where one completely concentrates on controlling the own thoughts, morals and one´s own spiritual life and builds up a strategical elf-knowledge and an adapted way of life. This task is clearly facilitated by some form of supervision or controlled environment.

I n South America there has been attempts, to some extent, to hypnotise people with partial help from electric streams of regulated frequencies, which are led through the body. It has been said that the receptivity for this type of hypnotic induction was largely granted from subject to subject, whereas all people are not receptive to conventional hypnosis methodology. On a purely logical level it should be considered likely that a broadened fund of facilities to arrange the most favourable environment for the hypnosis increases the prospects of a successful hypnosis, as well. An other technique that has been tested in France, among others, is to let the subject listen to two tones that are of nearly identical frequency through headphones. However, by doing this one creates a small difference in frequency between the tones that are listened to, and the brain tries to bridge this inconsistency. Hereby the subject is initiated into a proper state.

   Kåre Andersson