HYPNOSIS

The Encarta Encyclopedia defines hypnosis as,"altered state of consciousness and heightened responsiveness to suggestion; it may be induced by normal persons by a variety of methods and has been used occasionally in medical and psychiatric treatment. Most frequently brought about through actions of an operator, or "hypnotist", who engages the attention of a subject and assigns certain tasks to him or her while uttering monotonous, repetitive verbal commands; such tasks may include muscle relaxation, …

…The major use of hypnotism in modern days, is entertainment. Performed as a sort of "Magic Show" it is used to cause some people to laugh, and some people to be amazed. Hypnotism has come a long way since 1734 and who knows what future developments will be made in this field? It may become a commonly used medical tool, or it may come to be thought of as a completely useless "magic trick". ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**