Cam Perry, Heraclitus, and hypnosis: an appreciative understanding

The authors summarize personal, intellectual, and social influences on Campbell Perry's (1937-2003) life and research on hypnosis. His education in Australia reflected the influences of a public primary school, a prestigious private high school, and undergraduate and graduate work at Australia's oldest university. His approach to hypnosis was influenced initially by Gordon Hammer and Philip Sutcliffe, and his life generally was influenced by John Anderson, the leader of the Libertarian Society, the intellectual core of a broader group known as the Push. This group reflected in part the thinking of the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, who taught that change was the only reality. The article summarizes Perry's work on hypnosis and memory, and his contributions concerning uncancelled hypnotic suggestions, pain and surgery, and imagery and hypnotizability are summarized.