Hypnosis is a word which generates instant reaction from those who hear it. Some associate the word with the entertainment of the stage hypnotist, while others think of something evil or dark. Still others may think of hypnosis as something wonderful but mysterious. Clark Hull (1933) acknowledged this problem when he wrote “All sciences alike have descended from magic and superstition, but none have been so slow as hypnosis in shaking off the evil association of its origin” (p. 18).
Clinical hypnosis has a well-established role in pain management, psychotherapy, and many other medical and psychological applications. Still, difficulties agreeing on a precise definition, multiple theoretical orientations, and a history of misuse have limited this treatment from reaching its full potential.
The debate about the good or evil of hypnosis has a long history and exists both within the scientific world and the religious world. Pentecostal pastor Dr. Lester Sumrall (1988), an outspoken critic...
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Willmarth, E.K. (2019). Hypnosis. In: Leeming, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27771-9_200066-1
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