New name for hypnosis?

Comment

Comment by Celeste Hackett, CH on July 26, 2011 at 3:33pm

Good question Debbie.  I'll stick with hypnosis.  But here are some other name ideas:  Inner Work, Deeper Work, Inner Mind work, Awareness Therapy, Inner Awareness Therapy or work, (work is for those who can't use the word "therapy"), Deep Consciousness Therapy. 

Comment by Patricia V. Scott on July 25, 2011 at 5:59am

 

You touched on one of my "buttons" with this one and I'm actually working on an article about "THE "H" WORD!".  When hypnotists change their attitudes about the "H" word, perhaps the general public will, as well.  I think people keep finding new ways to package these techniques so they can "claim" them as their own creation.  It’s a personal choice and that's fine, and I created the term "Pivotal Response Conditioning", aka PRC, for my dissertation.  This technique is a re-invention of the "Anchor & Trigger" technique from NLP.

 

Bottom line, I'll say what I tell my classes, "I don't care what you call it, as long as you get the desired results."  Having said that, I am proud to call myself a Hypnotherapist and to tell everyone I meet that I do "Hypnosis",  As far as people having "fears" about the "H" word, I believe it is our responsibility to educate people so they understand what this marvelous field really is and what it has to offer.

Comment by Jonathan Chase on July 24, 2011 at 6:14am

Suggestionism

 

Comment by Lisa on July 23, 2011 at 8:05pm

Hi Saul,

    I cast my vote for "syggignoscism" that just looks like a fun word to try to say without giggling.

"mesmeriade" looks like kid's summer drink.

"Look, ma-the mesmeraide is swirling again...Ma? ... Ma?"

gentle day,

Lisa

 

Comment by Saul Rosenfeld on July 23, 2011 at 12:41pm

Here is a partial list of some historical synonyms for what we now refer to as "hypnosis" (as well as several dating long before Mesmer's day and age):

 

Attributed to Mesmer:

"Animal electricity"

"Animal gravitation"

"Animal magnetism"

 

Del Rio (1599):

"Somnia supernaturalia"

"Diabolica somnia"

 

Porta (1670's):

"Somnia clara"

 

Abbe Faria (1819):

"Somneil lucide",

"epopte" (hypnotised subject)

 

In the journal "Light" c. 1889: "Charcoterie"

 

Puyseguer (c. 1810)

"Lucid Somnambulism"

 

In Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth:

"Lunambulism"

 

Meurs (c. 1880):

"Noctambulism"

 

Hennings (1788):

"Noctambulatio"

"Mania Somni"

"Nocturna Insania"

"Sopor Vigilans"

 

Colquhoun (1836):

"Somniloquist (hypnotised subject)

"Crisoloque" ; "crisiaque"   ( "  )

 

Poyen St. Sauveur (1836):

"Oneiropoles", "Inspirers".  ( " )

 

Newnham (1845):

"human magnetism"

 

Bakker (1814):

"Life-magnetism"

 

Dods (1850)

"Mental electricity", "electro-biology"

 

Debay (1843):

"Oniroscopism", "onirobatism", "onirexism"

 

Tholuck (1846):

"sleep-waking"

 

in Kluge (1784)

"mesmeriade"

 

Hammond (1897):

"syggignoscism"

 

in Kingsbury (1891):

"hypnogenesis" (Moll); "hypnogeny" (Myers)

 

in Bjornstrom (1887):

"the Hansen game" (after infamous stage hypnotist Hansen)

 

Du Prel (1890):

(sarcastically) "bestial magnetism"

 

Ashburner (1867):

"sub-mesmerism"

 

anonymous (in "A Magnetic Physician",1871):

"vital magnetism"

 

Hammond (1876):

"fictitious somnambulism"

 

Kircher (1663) as reported in Paulet (1784):

"zoo-magnetismos"

 

Delandine (1785):

"phlogistique"

 

Lombard (1819):

"hypnomantie"

 

Countess St. Dominique (1874):

"magnetic fascination"

 

Mack (1879):

"Greatrakesism", "Gassnerism", "Bostockism"

 

Moutin (1887):

"vigilambulism"

 

Boirac (1918):

"biactinism"; "crypropsychism", "ectenic state"

 

in Moss (1952):

"sensepsyche" (Sloan)

 

and here are various other 19th century names that all failed to catch on:

"electrical psychology", "Donatism", "tellurism", "statuvolism", "pathetism", "sophrology", "Siderismus", "etheropathy",

etc., etc.

 

Needless to say, no one was fooled by ANY of these attempts to whitewash it's image by distancing the phenomenon from its rampant misuse and crass exploitation by incompetent and/or unethical operators with such linguistic sleight of hand...

And so it goes....; - )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comment by Lisa on July 23, 2011 at 12:28pm

Hi Ann,

      I agree that subliminal has negative connotations that will do hypnosis no favors. It is true in the US as well. It is considered manipulative and underhanded by people here too. Resistance can be useful but I don't think I want to risk increasing it in general with a term like subliminal.  

gentle day,

Lisa

Comment by Lisa on July 23, 2011 at 10:44am

Hi,

      A name change can sometimes be useful. In this case I don't think it is a good idea and won't give the supporters of a name change what they hope it will.

  I understand that James Braid, the person who created the name "Hypnosis" to distance it from mesmerism and animal magnetism which he felt wasn't valid, later regretted coming up with the term hypnosis because he found his earlier association of the phenomena with sleep was an error (Hypnos-Greek God of sleep). He tried to change the name to "monoideism" but it was too late and the new name didn't come into use. 

 

     Hypnosis has had a rather unfortunate history that resulted in producing fear and distrust in people. I don't think that it was necessary but it happened and continues to. Popular media-exploitive, movies, books, unethical, poorly trained, and unprofessional practitioners, all kinds of frauds and cons had a hand in dragging down hypnosis. 

      Some terms are used interchangeably with hypnosis because the practices either share characteristics with hypnosis like meditation, and or have greater acceptance and credibility like guided meditation, guided imagery, guided visualization. 

   While there may be some advantages to using a term like subliminal I think that the disadvantages don't really make it a better choice to take away the fears some people have regarding hypnosis. The term subliminal technically can be correct. Subliminal meaning below the threshold of conscious perception wouldn't  completely violate what or possibly how hypnosis is but feels imprecise to me. It seems to not cover enough, to not be general enough to allow for current or future changes in definition of the phenomena of hypnosis. There is a lot of focus on hypnosis and suggestion that deals with the subconscious mind but that may not be valid or the only part of the mind that hypnosis acts upon. Our entire concept of subconscious and conscious parts of the mind could be wrong or not entirely complete. From my perspective it does appear to be the best map of our minds and how it works so far. That could change at any time. Subliminal is too specific for me to feel comfortable with as ever evolving as theory of mind and hypnosis has been. 

   Subliminal comes with it's own baggage.  There is controversy about it scientifically-there are troublesome research method inconsistencies and errors in studies on both sides of the question including the original movie theater subliminal study that most people are familiar with. James Vicary-the person responsible for the famous movie theater subliminal message research, admitted to lying about and falsifying his results. This and subsequent research problems has resulted in the reputation of anything using the term subliminal to be suspect even if the term subliminal is technically possibly correct when applied to hypnosis-whole or in part. Hypnosis on the other hand has enjoyed through the efforts of good and skilled practitioners and researchers increased credibility and general improvement in reputation. It definitely has it's problems still but instead of a name change, I think that we and the field of hypnotherapy are better off continuing to educate and demonstrate to people why they need not fear hypnosis. Changing attitudes towards hypnosis and hypnotherapy from within it. It is slower but I think that is the better path. 

   From a personal standpoint-I associate a change in name with deception. I associate a name change with trying to hide something.  I am aware that sometimes a change in name becomes necessary because the old name doesn't really fit anymore with what a thing has evolved through changes to it and greater understanding into it's nature.  Subliminal therapy isn't describing new characteristics or substantial change in hypnosis to support the need to change the name of hypnosis work. It is only a name change.  I think that changing the name of hypn

Comment by Seth-Deborah Roth on July 23, 2011 at 9:51am

I agree with everyone's thoughts. This is absolutely ridiculous to call it "Subliminal Therapy" I sure hope it doesn't catch on.

Comment by Hugh Cole on July 23, 2011 at 9:41am

The short answer is No. The long answer is "who trains subliminal therapists? and the right answer is Hypnotherapy is already recognized as a vocation, Why would you want to rename it?

Comment by Kelley Woods on July 23, 2011 at 9:11am

Very interesting, Seth-Deborah. I personally find the term Subliminal Therapy itself puts up a red flag as it is associated with subliminal advertising, not something most people welcome. It probably needs as much, if not more, explanation than hypnosis.

Frankly, I don't worry much over people's "fears" about using hypnosis. It seems that my clients are attracted by the "magical" appeal of it and once they interact with me any fear quickly dissipates. Then, the results helps bring in their friends and families...I love referrals!

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