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Avicenna, otherwise known as Abu Ali Sina, was not only a Persian polymath and the author of a hypothesized 450 works, but furthermore was regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the Islamic Golden Age, living from 980-1037₄. Of the 240 of his works that have survived, his most influential was The Book of Healing, AKA The Cure, AKA Assepha-- two pages of which are pictured above₃-- which is both a scientific and a philosophical encyclopedia published in 1027₂. Along with his discussion of the relationship between the body and the mind, sensation, perception and the five senses, emotions, etc., he also includes the first known mention of hypnosis and its distinction from sleep₁. He referred to hypnosis in Arabic as al-Wahm al-Amil, and stated that a strong soul could influence others and create conditions within which another would accept the reality of hypnosis₅.

Citations :
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_hypnosis#Early_history
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Healing
(3) https://hipersia.com/en/news.cfm?id=43
(4) https://hipersia.com/en/news.cfm?id=43
(5)
https://khalilcenter.com/avicennas-influence-on-science-and-psychology/

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Franz Anton Mesmer, alive between 1734 and 1815, was an Austrian physician practicing in obscure 'magnetic treatments' in Vienna₁. Having been heavily influenced by the practices of British physician Richard Mead, Mesmer was under the impression that the gravitational attraction between the planets was the greatest influence upon human health as it affected the invisible fluid flowing throughout the human body, and that stoppages or obstacles to the fluid's course were the cause of disease₂. Furthermore, he speculated the existence of an intangible force, dubbed "Animal Magnetism", that could be activated and manipulated by magnetized objects -- through a hypnotic procedure -- to impact the flow of this invisible substance within the body and even to cure disease by "restoring harmony to personal fluid flow"₂.  He postulated nearly his entire theory upon one patient experience in 1774, after having allowed her to bleed freely from one of her veins, passing magnets over her wound appeared to make her bleeding subside₁.
The treatments of Mesmer gained traction for around two years following this initial observation, as pictured above₃, where he is shown in the midst of one of his therapy sessions. These often took place in an apartment, dimly lit and filled with mirrors, with  numerous patients of patients at once who were "placed in relation by means of cords, or jointed rods, or by holding hands"₄ surrounding a large tub of magnetized water, as Mesmer moved amongst them slowly 'affecting' each with either either his hand, his wand, or even a simply glance₃. Each interaction Mesmer had with one of his patients would cause them to experience seemingly intense physiological and psychological responses, ranging from hysterical cries to cataplectic attacks. Mesmer claimed that the Animal Magnetism therapies caused the exact actions needed by the ill for their recovery₃.
By 1784, Mesmer was not only fleeing to France from accusations of fraud in Vienna, but King Louis XVI had appointed a commission of scientists to investigate his therapies, causing the invalidation of his claims due to his inability to provide scientific evidence to support them, and subsequently, the decline of the mesmerist movement he had sparked₂.

Citations :
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_hypnosis#Early_history
(2)
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franz-Anton-Mesmer
(3)
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history/2019/03/was-hypnotic-health-craze-elaborate-hoax-or-medical-breakthrough
(4)
https://hypnosis.edu/history/the-birth-of-mesmerism

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Despite the seeing disproving of the scientific basis of the practice of Mesmerism by the commission of King Louis XVI of Paris in 1784, the movement continued to persist well into the 1800s. James Braid, a Scottish Surgeon, became interested in the theory  on November 13th, 1841., upon witnessing  a mesmerist exhibition by Charles Lafontaine in Manchester. The theatrical performance involving the shocking of his patients with a live battery or shocking them with candles, and their being impervious to pain through the use of mesmerism₁. Braid was skeptical, recounting the inability of the mesmerized subjects to open their eyes, and launching his experimental investigation in efforts to discover the true psychological and physiological basis to this practice1.
Following a series of experiments with friends, family, patients and servants-- shown in practice in the etching by Alexandre Laurent Gsell above₃--  Braid came to a number of conclusions on the topic of the practice thus far known to the populace as Animal Magnetism and Mesmerism. He recognized that eye fixation or attention was the key to mesmerism, and that the practice truly had no basis in the Franz Mesmer's "universal fluid". Though initially incorrectly attributing the phenomenon to sleep-- "neuro-hypnotism" after Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep-- Braid soon realized the immense difference between sleep and being mesmerized, attempting to popularize the new label of "monoideism" (meaning "fixation of attention") for the term, though he had little success in this endeavor.
Braid went on to publish the book Neurypnology -- meaning "nervous sleep", the initial term he had coined for the phenomenon of hypnosis -- in 1843₂, which contained his accounts of 25 cases utilizing hypnotherapeutic treatments.

Citations :
(1) http://www.historyofhypnosis.org/james-braid.html
(2)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_hypnosis#Early_history
(3)
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Braids-hypnosis-method-Etching-by-Alexandre-Laurent-Gsell-1860-1944-in-Lhypnotisme_fig5_266566493

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In the late 19th century, two schools -- the first being the Nancy School (founded in 1860) and the second being the Salpetriere School of Hypnosis or the Paris School (founded in 1882)-- with completely opposite perspectives of the applications of hypnosis opened in France₁. Jean Martin Charcot -- the founder of The Paris School -- had been demonstrating "experimental neuroses" there between 1882-1892, utilizing hypnosis as an investigative method and putting his patients suffering from hysteria into such an 'experimental state' --hypnotized-- in order to reproduce and interpret their symptoms₂. The students at The Paris School were taught that hypnosis was actually a symptom of hysteria, and that this mental state should never be induced in an ordinary individual as it is disturbed and destabilizing, but through the induction of hypnosis in hysterical patients, it could work upon remedying itself from within₃.
On the other hand, Ambroise-Auguste Liebeault and Hippolyte Bernheim -- the founders of the Nancy School -- disagreed completely with the theories and practices being undertaken at the Paris School. Their students were taught that hypnosis is a condition that can be induced in healthy individuals, not simply those suffering from hysteria, and that being in a hypnotic state artificially increases one's tendency to respond to suggestion₄.
The two schools existed as rivals in academia until around 1891, when the proponents of the Paris School, including Charcot himself, admitted that there had been error in their ways₄. Charcot confessed to the hiring of artist-physician Paul Richer -- the man shown to be collapsed on the right beside Charcot in the painting above₅-- to reproduce the poses of afflicted patients during his carefully prepared lectures. Nearing the end of Charcot's reign within academia, his assistant, Pierre Janet, exposed him for designing his lectures to attract attention and captivate his audience through visual impressions₅, ultimately proving the accusations made toward Charcot of his operation as a showman as opposed to a teacher.

Citations :
(1) https://chicago.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.7208/chicago/9780226058009.001.0001/upso-9780226057958-chapter-3
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salp%C3%AAtri%C3%A8re_School_of_Hypnosis
(3)
https://hypnosis.edu/history/charcots-salpetriere-school
(4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_School
(5)
https://lithub.com/in-search-of-hysteria-the-man-who-thought-he-could-define-madness/

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In 1892, the British Medical Association unanimously voted to endorse hypnotherapy₁. This was following the BMA had appointed a committee of nine doctors to investigate the validity of hypnotism as a therapeutic agent,  specifically scrutinizing the methods introduced by James Braid, and those employed at The Paris and Nancy schools₂. Not only did the BMA's 1892 Report on Hypnotism -- the PDF of which is included above₃ -- not only solidified hypnotherapy as an effective medical practice, but likewise rejected the theory of Animal Magnetism proposed by Franz Anton Mesmer in the 18th century, finally providing an official and written document of repudiation of the mesmerist theory and leading to the complete deposition of the mesmerist movement₂.

Citations :
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_hypnosis#Early_history
(2)
https://achilleshealing.com/2012/12/15/1892-bma-report-on-hypnosis/
(3)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673601862103

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Today, the uses of hypnotherapy are extremely widespread, ranging from the treatment of pain, to that of gastro-intestinal disorders, to relief from nausea, to aid with childbirth, and even treatment of hemophilia1. It does so by creating an exceptionally relaxed state of focused attention, allowing its therapeutic uses to be tailored to an abundance of unique cases and situations₂. Despite the all-encompassing reach of hypnotic treatments being utilized by patients every single day, there are some uses that are being attempted, but have shown inconclusive results, as described in the article shown above₂ in a review from the year 2000 of 59 studies deriving mixed results about whether hypnotism can be utilized in smoking cessation. In this literature review --published in Volume 48 of The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis-- it was recognized that "while hypnosis was more successful than no treatment, it was generally equivalent to other smoking-cessation methods"₂. Similarly to this, the article states that though research on the benefits of hypnosis is being conducted, and the positive effects are widely known and recognized, graduate schools are not generally seizing the opportunity to incorporate the practice into psychology programs, not seriously considering it as truly effective psychotherapy.

Citations :
(1)
https://www.apa.org/topics/hypnosis/media#:~:text=Hypnosis%20has%20been%20used%20in,hemophilia%20and%20many%20other%20conditions.
(2)
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/01/hypnosis

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The first task for many psychologists who use hypnosis is telling patients what hypnosis is and what it isn't.

"If you watch hypnosis on TV, the subject always ends up clucking like a chicken, being naked or assassinating a president," says Eric Willmarth, PhD, founder of Michigan Behavioral Consultants and past president of APA Div. 30 (Society of Psychological Hypnosis).

Even though stage hypnotists and TV shows have damaged the public image of hypnosis, a growing body of scientific research supports its benefits in treating a wide range of conditions, including pain, depression, anxiety and phobias.

"Hypnosis works and the empirical support is unequivocal in that regard. It really does help people," says Michael Yapko, PhD, a psychologist and fellow of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. "But hypnosis isn't a therapy in and of itself. Most people wouldn't regard it that way."

Hypnosis can create a highly relaxed state of inner concentration and focused attention for patients, and the technique can be tailored to different treatment methods, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. Patients also can become more empowered by learning to hypnotize themselves at home to reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, or alleviate some symptoms of depression or anxiety.

Hypnosis has been used for centuries for pain control, including during the Civil War when Army surgeons hypnotized injured soldiers before amputations. Recent studies have confirmed its effectiveness as a tool to reduce pain. Among the leading researchers in the field is Guy H. Montgomery, PhD, a psychologist who has conducted extensive research on hypnosis and pain management at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he is director of the Integrative Behavioral Medicine Program.

In one study, Montgomery and colleagues tested the effectiveness of a 15-minute pre-surgery hypnosis session versus an empathic listening session in a clinical trial with 200 breast cancer patients. In a 2007 article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (Vol. 99, No. 17), the team reported that patients who received hypnosis reported less post-surgical pain, nausea, fatigue and discomfort. The study also found that the hospital saved $772 per patient in the hypnosis group, mainly due to reduced surgical time. Patients who were hypnotized required less of the analgesic lidocaine and the sedative propofol during surgery.

"Hypnosis helps patients to reduce their distress and have positive expectations about the outcomes of surgery," Montgomery says. "I don't think there is any magic or mind control."

In a 2009 article in Health Psychology (Vol. 28, No. 3), Montgomery and colleagues reported on another study, which found that a combination of hypnosis and cognitive-behavioral therapy could reduce fatigue for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Research has also shown the benefits of hypnosis for burn victims. In a 2007 report in Rehabilitation Psychology (Vol. 52, No. 3), Shelley Wiechman Askay, PhD, David R. Patterson, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Washington Medical School found that hypnosis before wound debridements significantly reduced pain reported by patients on one pain rating questionnaire.

No cure-all

People vary widely in their ability to respond to hypnotic suggestions, a trait which can be measured by standardized scales. But it isn't well understood what causes the varying levels of "hypnotizability" or their significance.

Yapko says few clinicians use hypnotizability scales because responses to a structured test don't predict how a patient will respond to hypnosis in treatment. He served as guest editor for a recent special issue of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (Vol. 58, No. 2) that examined research on hypnosis and depression. In an editorial, Yapko urged more research and a rejection of outdated views that hypnosis can precipitate suicide or psychosis in depressed patients. Other articles examined how hypnosis can be integrated with cognitive-behavioral therapy or used with depressed patients and their families.

Willmarth says he doesn't always use hypnotizibility scales with his patients, but will try a hypnosis session and measure the patient's response to see if it is effective. "You have to be a little bit willing to fail in order to do it often enough to succeed," he says.

Hypnosis may not succeed in all cases and can actually be detrimental in some instances, especially in the realm of retrieving memories.

Joseph P. Green, PhD, a psychology professor at Ohio State University at Lima, has researched how hypnotic suggestions can produce distorted or false memories. He also found that people may believe hypnotically induced memories are more reliable, mirroring a mistaken cultural belief that hypnosis acts like a truth serum. Hypnosis is "on thin ice" when used to recover memories, as is the case with most other memory retrieval techniques, Green says.

Hypnosis got a bad name in the 1990s when some therapists convinced patients they had been molested or abused as children because of hypnotically induced memories, which often had no evidence to support them. As a result, many innocent people were wrongly accused of abuse in hundreds of court cases, Yapko says.

"People didn't really understand the suggestibility of memory," he says. "That whole issue has pretty much fallen by the wayside now" because of advances in research.

In a 2007 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada established a precedent that post-hypnosis evidence is inadmissible in court because of its unreliability. In R. v. Trochym, the court overturned a murder conviction after a witness changed her timeline of events following a hypnosis session that was requested by detectives. The jury wasn't told that the witness had been hypnotized or that she had changed her recollection.

"In sum, while it is not generally accepted that hypnosis always produces unreliable memories, neither is it clear when hypnosis results in pseudo-memories or how a witness, scientist or trier of fact might distinguish between fabricated and accurate memories," the decision stated.

Up in smoke

Smokers also should be wary of the plethora of hypnosis programs and tapes peddled online with guarantees of instant success. "Despite the widespread use, the science warranting that popularity is suspect," Green says.

Green began studying hypnosis and smoking cessation more than 25 years ago after seeing overblown claims from itinerant hypnotists who held weekend sessions in hotels before moving on to the next town. In a January article in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis (Vol. 52, No. 3), Green and Binghamton University psychology professor Steven Jay Lynn, PhD, wrote about the body of research on hypnosis and smoking cessation and found mixed results.

In a literature review published in 2000 ( International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Vol. 48, No. 2), Green and Lynn analyzed 59 studies on hypnosis and smoking cessation. While hypnosis was more successful than no treatment, it was generally equivalent to other smoking-cessation methods. However, many studies had combined hypnosis with cognitive-behavioral therapy or other treatment methods, so it was impossible to determine the effectiveness of hypnosis alone. Green says hypnosis may help smokers quit, but more research needs to be done. In a 2008 report published by the Cochrane Library, Neil C. Abbot, operations director for ME Research UK, and colleagues examined nine randomized trials and also found insufficient evidence to recommend hypnosis as a specific treatment for smoking cessation.

Learning the ropes

While more research is being conducted on the benefits of hypnosis, graduate schools are lagging behind in incorporating hypnosis training into psychology programs, say Yapko, Willmarth and Montgomery. "The universities have really dropped the ball by thinking hypnosis is a sideshow rather than being relevant to effective psychotherapy," Yapko says.

Some graduate schools may not be convinced of the effectiveness of hypnosis or the research supporting its use, but other schools have developed clinical hypnosis classes, including Saybrook University's Graduate College of Mind-Body Medicine in San Francisco, where Willmarth teaches a hypnosis course. At Washington State University, psychology professor Arreed Barabasz, PhD, directs the hypnosis laboratory and teaches graduate-level hypnosis courses and research seminars. He also is editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.

Since many psychologists have never taken a hypnosis class as part of their education, they often seek training later in their careers. It can be bewildering to find a class, though, since a search for "hypnosis training" generates more than 600,000 hits on Google.

"You can go anyplace on the weekend and get a hypnosis certification," Willmarth says. "You have thousands of lay hypnosis schools that are willing to train anyone who will pay the tuition."

To make sure psychologists don't end up with charlatan teachers, Willmarth recommends courses approved by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. ASCH also offers a certification in clinical hypnosis for licensed health-care professionals with at least a master's degree. Certification requires at least 40 hours of ASCH-approved workshop training, 20 hours of individualized training and two years of independent practice using clinical hypnosis.

Willmarth says interest in clinical hypnosis is growing and more psychologists are learning how hypnosis can help their patients.

"It goes in waves," he says. "Right now, we're on an upswing."
Brendan L. Smith is a writer in Washington, D.C.

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The first task for many psychologists who use hypnosis is telling patients what hypnosis is and what it isn't. "If you watch hypnosis on TV, the subject always ends up clucking like a chicken, being naked or assassinating a president," says Eric Willmarth, PhD, founder of Michigan Behavioral Consultants and past president of APA Div.

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Dave Hills : The World's Greatest Hypnotist

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Dave Hills : The World's Greatest Hypnotist

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I believe the most qualified docent for my presentation is Dave Hills, also known as 'The World's Greatest Hypnotist'. While he does partake in some hypnotic endeavors on the sillier side -- including over 6000 Comedy Hypnosis shows that he has performed in the past two and a half decades -- he likewise is a certified Master Hypnotist, having earned his Doctorate in Clinical Hypnotherapy, having aided more than 3000 individuals improve their quality of life using his treatment methods₁. I likewise  trust that Hill is best suited to convey this information as he appeared on a MythBusters episode in 2015 -- as shown in the artifact above₂ -- and actually proved to improve the hosts' memory through the use of hypnosis (he hypnotized them all-- Grant, Tory, and Kari-- in less than 15 seconds), causing them to confirm the myth to be true₁! Dave Hill offers services such as medical, dental, forensic, sports, education, and regression hypnosis, and thus, his knowledge upon the subject would surely be enough to not only understand the historical basis around which his craft was formed, but in what ways previous hypnotists have been incorrect in their procedures and theories to get to what hypnotism has become in practice today.

Citations :
(1)
https://www.briality.com/read-5-best-modern-hypnotists/
(2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wLP7fHpuNk

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Hypnotist Dave Hill - Comedy Hypnosis Shows

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Dr. Dave Hill's Mythbusters TV Appearance