Untoward effects associated with hypnosis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Medical Hypnotherapy

Background:

• Numerous untoward effects are reported with hypnosis.
• Hypnosis per se has not been reported to cause serious untoward effects.
• Context and manipulations differ across hypnosis settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze untoward effects of hypnosis in various settings.
• To determine the safety of hypnosis based on its application.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of untoward effects in stage, amateur, clinical, and research hypnosis.
• Assessment of incidence and risk-benefit balance in different hypnosis contexts.

Main Results:

• Incidence of untoward effects is well-studied in research but difficult to assess in stage and amateur hypnosis.
• Untoward effects in the clinical setting are not adequately assessed.
• Amateur and stage hypnosis present risks not balanced by benefits.

Conclusions:

• Amateur and stage hypnosis should be avoided due to unfavorable risk-benefit ratios.
• Clinical and research hypnosis are safe when conducted by well-trained practitioners following guidelines.