(Picture found at http://www.deeptrancenow.com/comics3.htm)
According to the Lilienfeld textbook, hypnosis is a set of techniques that provides people with suggestions for alterations in their perceptions, thoughts feelings, and behaviors. There are several popular notions about the state of hypnosis, many of which surprised me when I learned they were false. Who would have guessed that hypnosis isn't actually a sleeplike state, but rather shows no different brain activity than that of a fully conscious individual; or that hypnotized people are actually fully aware of their surroundings? This video shows an individual being subject to hypnosis that quite clearly remembers everything that happened during the hypnosis "session."
Unfortunately, the public does not necessarily know that a lot of the things they hear about hypnosis are in fact myths. This article tries to sell the public on the idea that lost memories can be regained through hypnosis, when in fact there is no substantial evidence to support this. (Lilienfeld 183) Results showing that hypnosis increases memory have not been successfully replicated on a reliable enough basis. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that this article is advertising pseudo-science.
Just because hypnosis does not have the "power" to restore lost memories, does not mean that it isn't valuable in psychological research. Upon learning this much about the topic, my next question would be: when can we use hypnosis to modern medicine's advantage, and when can't we?
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