Brain

Brain

The controversy concerning hypnosis lies in attempts to explain it. One argument notes that what we label hypnotic behavior is simply a person following what he or she believes is the role of a hypnotized person. Thus, this cognitive-social explanation argues that hypnosis does not involve an alteration in consciousness; it is simply acting out a role. As Ernest Hilgard (1991) noted, “I would be more comfortable for the investigator if there were some precise indicator of the establishment of a hypnotic condition” (p. 30). An alternative explanation, offered by E. R. Hilgard (1904-2001), posits a process of dissociation in which ...