A Brief History of Hypnosis

Where did it all start?

Hypnotherapy has been used therapeutically for hundreds of years.

It was James Braid who ‘invented’ the word ‘Hypnotism’ It came from the Greek work hypnos which means sleep. During this period (around the 1840’s) it was thought that when people experienced hypnosis, they were asleep. It was later realised that in fact, they were not asleep, but by this time the word ‘hypnosis’ was being used widely & so it has stayed to the present day.

Hypnosis was being used for many years before it had a name. You may have heard of the term ‘mesmerised’, this comes from Dr Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) who undertook studies into what is now known as hypnosis. He believed that it was caused by a magnetic force, given off from one person to another. Jean Martin Charcot (1825-1893) continued to develop and understand hypnotherapy, broadening its therapeutic uses.

Psychologist Pierre Janet (1859 - 1947) also studied hypnotherapy closely and published several papers detailing his findings. By this time the understanding of hypnotic states had become quite comprehensive, and in 1955, the British Medical Association published a report recommending that hypnosis should be used therapeutically by psychiatrists, anesthetists and obstetricians. To do this they would have had to have undergone training in a whole new field, so understandably, few practitioners took up the suggestion. 

In the present day, hypnosis is mainly used therapeutically for life & career coaching, & by therapists in various professions such as psychology, psychotherapy and counseling.

When choosing a Hypnotherapist, it is advisable that the therapist is suitably qualified, and abides by a code of conduct and ethics.