Hypnosis Theory, Research and Application

Modern hypnosis can be traced back to the 18th century and during this period mesmerism, as it was then known, was a healing practice which spread throughout Europe and North America. Since then hypnosis has been treated primarily as a psychological phenomenon and theories about hypnosis are grounded in mainstream psychology and its related disciplines. Most recently it has been subject to extensive clinical trials to investigate its therapeutic effectiveness. In their comprehensive introduction to this invaluable collection the editors trace the historical development of hypnosis, providing an excellent review of the theories that have tried to explain how hypnosis works and reflecting on the cultural and scientific attitudes and practices that prevailed at various times. They have selected the most important previously published papers that reveal how a scientific approach to understanding hypnosis as a psychological phenomenon has emerged over the last 70 years. They have also included a selection of reports on clinical applications and on legal and forensic issues. As such this volume will prove an invaluable reference resource for researchers and students already in the field and new scholars interested in learning more about hypnosis.

Contents: Series preface; Introduction. Part I The Birth of Modern Hypnosis: Quantitative methods of investigating hypnotic suggestion, Clark L. Hull; A preface to a theory of hypnotism, Robert W. White. Part II Theories of Hypnosis: The Altered State Debate: Contributions to role-taking theory: I hypnotic behaviour, Theodore R. Sarbin; The nature of hypnosis: artefact and essence, Marin T. Orne; Towards a scientific explanation of 'hypnotic' behaviour, Theodore X. Barber; Altered states of awareness, Ernest R. Hilgard; A frontal assault in dissociated control, Kenneth S. Bowers. Part III Theories of Hypnosis: Divergence and Convergence: Toward a neo-dissociation theory: multiple cognitive controls in human functioning, Ernest R. Hilgard; Hypnotic behaviour: a cognitive social psychological perspective, Nicholas P. Spanos; Response expectancy as a determinant of experience and behaviour, Irving Kirsch. Part IV Individual Differences in Hypnotic Suggestibility: The heritability of hypnotic susceptibility in twins, Arlene H. Morgan; Openness to absorbing and self-altering experiences ('absorption'), a trait related to hypnotic susceptibility, Auke Tellegen and Gilbert Atkinson; A social-cognitive skills approach to the successful modification of hypnotic susceptibility, Donald R. Gorassini and Nicholas P. Spanos Fantasy-proneness: hypnosis, developmental antecedents and psychopathology, Steven Jay Lynn and Judith W. Rhue; On the degree of stability of measured hypnotisability over a 25-year period, Carlo Piccione, Ernest R. Hilgard and Philip G. Zimbardo; Imaginative suggestibility and hypnotisability, Irving Kirsch and Wayne Braffman. Part V Investigating Hypnotic Phenomena: Pain and dissociation in the cold pressor test a study of hypnotic analgesia with 'hidden reports' through automatic key pressing and automatic talking, Ernest R. Hilgard, Arlene H. Morgan and Hugh Macdonald; Contextual demands, negative hallucinations, and hidden observer responding: 3 hidden observers observed, Nicholas P. Spanos, Deborah M. Flynn and Maxwell I. Gwynn; Increasing contextual pressures to breach posthypnotic amnesia, William C. Coe and Anne S.E. Sluis; Hypnotic and posthypnotic suggestion: finding meaning in the message of the hypnotist, Amanda J. Barnier and Kevin M. McConkey. Part VI Neuropsychological and Neurophysiological Research and Theories: Brain dynamics and hypnosis: attentional and disattentional processes, Helen J. Crawford; Pain affect encoded in human anterior cingulate but not somatosensory cortex, Pierre Rainville, Gary H. Duncan, Donald D. Price, Benoît Carrier and M. Catherine Bushnell; A working model of the neuropsychophysiology of hypnosis: a review of evidence, John Gruzelier; Psychphysiological correlates of hypnosis and hypnotic susceptibility, Vilfredo de Pascalis. Part VII Clinical Applications: Hypnosis: practical applications and theoretical considerations in normal labour, Mary W. Jenkins and M.H. Pritchard; Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive behavioural psychotherapy: a meta-analysis, Irving Kirsch, Guy Montgomery and Guy Sapirstein; Long term benefits of hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome, W.M. Gonsalkorale, V. Miller, A. Afzal and P.J. Whorwell; Hypnosis and clinical pain, David R. Patterson and Mark P. Jensen. Part VIII Professional and Legal Issues: Scientific status of refreshing recollection by the use of hypnosis, American Medical Association; Recalling the unrecallable: should hypnosis be used to recover memories in psychotherapy?, Steven Jay Lynn, Timothy G. Lock, Bryan Myers and David G. Payne; The alleged dangers of stage hypnosis, Michael Heap; Immediate and persisting effects of misleading questions and hypnosis on memory reports, Alan Scoboria, Guiliana Mazzoni, Irving Kirsch and Leonard S. Milling; Name index; Name Index.

Dr Michael Heap is Clinical Forensic Psychologist at Wathwood Hospital, Rotherham, UK. Dr Irving Kirsch is Professor of Psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, USA and the School of Clinical Psychology, University of Plymouth, UK.