A Modern Hypnosis Dictionary: The Letter H
- Hallucination - A hallucination can be described as an experience of one or more senses which occurs without an external stimulation. In other words the cause of the sensory activation is internal and is common in psychosis and drug misuse. The phenomenon can be evoked in the deeper states of hypnosis and also with direct electrical stimulation of the brain. Positive hallucination describes the process of experiencing something that is not actually present. Negative hallucination describes the process of not experiencing something that is present.
- Hand Clasp Test -This test of susceptibility is common in stage hypnosis but little used in therapy. Quite simply the subject is asked to clasp his hands together by interlocking the fingers. The hypnotist might then make suggestions that the hands are sticking together, tighter and tighter. Eventually the subject is told flatly that his hands are locked together and he will not be able to separate them until the hypnotist gives that instruction. If the subject is unable to part his hands, or has some difficulty in this act, he is judged to be susceptible to hypnotic suggestion at that time.
- Hematophobia -Morbid fear of the sight of blood.
- Hetero-Hypnosis - This is simply the process of a hypnotist hypnotizing a subject or subjects, as opposed to self-hypnosis.
- Hidden Observer - An occasional phenomenon experienced in hypnosis in which a part of the mind seems to watch the proceedings in a detached and passive way, even though the rest of the body and personallity might be engaged in carrying out some hypnotic suggestion.
- Homophobia - Excessive fear of homosexuals.
- Hyperaesthesia - Vivification of the senses. Can be achieved with hypnosis.
- Hypermnesia - Where amnesia is the partial or total inability to recall memories, hypermnesia is the opposite, an increase of the ability to remember.
- Hypersuggestibility - A phenomenon of deep hypnosis characterized by the increase of suggestibility.
- Hypnogogic - Brief hypnoidal state passed through on the way to natural sleep.
- Hypnoanalysis - The process of examining the personal history of a patient using regression, which is facilitated by hypnosis.
- Hypnogenic - Describes something which produces the hypnotic state.
- Hypnoidal - A state characteristic of the light hypnotic state.
- Hypnoplasty - Similar to automatic writing under hypnosis but clay or plastacene is used by the patient to make images or objects.
- Hypnopompic - Brief hypnoidal state passed through on the way from natural sleep to wakefulness
- Hypnosis - The process of obtaining: A special condition of co-operation, acceptance and partial critical abeyance brought about through a combination of induction, motivation, expectation and trust. Results in a hypnotic state.
- Hypnotic - As relating to the process of obtaining a hypnotic state.
- Hypnotic Trance -See 'Trance'.
- Hypnotherapy - The process of carrying out therapy using hypnosis.
- Hypochondria - Excessive attention to the possibility of ill health, often manifesting in the belief that it is immanent or present.
Tom Connelly© connelly@hypnos.co.uk