Classical Rhetoric in Modern Therapy
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This short article outlines a variety of classical rhetorical figures of speech and how they relate to the use of language in psychological therapies and hypnotism. Continue reading
Category Archives: Suggestion
Classical Psychoanalytic Theories of Hypnosis
An old article from 1998 describing the early Freudian psychoanalytic theory of hypnotism in some technical detail. Continue reading
Hypnotism versus Homoeopathy in the Writings of James Braid
Excerpts from the writings of James Braid showing the founder of hypnotherapy highlighting the contradictions between hypnotism and homoeopathy, which he attacks as a pseudoscientific and nostrum (“quack”) remedy. Continue reading
Excerpt: On Autosuggestion from The Philosophy of CBT
This is a brief excerpt from the new book, The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which describes the relationship between Émile Coué’s emthod of “conscious autosuggestion” and the maxims of ancient philosophical traditions. Continue reading
Comparison of Hypnotised and Non-hypnotised Subjects
A brief snippet explaining some basic research findings which have consistently provided support for cognitive-behavioural hypnosis researchers’ rejection of the notion of “hypnotic trance” and the emphasis on ordinary cognitive factors in hypnosis instead. Continue reading
The Rules of Hypnotic Suggestion
This article outlines the basic rules of suggestion employed in traditional hypnotherapy and explains the rationale for using them in plain English. Continue reading
Muscular Suggestion in Hypnosis and the James-Lange Theory of Emotion
The influential James-Lange theory of emotion has a precursor in the “muscular suggestion” technique of James Braid, the founder of hypnotherapy. This article explores how Braid used hypnosis “from the outside in” to evoke subjective responses to physical manipulation. Continue reading
Braid’s Theory of Hypnotic Suggestion
This is an excerpt from The Discovery of Hypnosis: The Complete Writings of James Braid (2009) which provides a brief outline of Braid’s original theory of hypnotic suggestion. Continue reading
The Hypnotic Symbol Suggestion Technique
This short piece outlines the self-hypnosis method of “symbol suggestion” as found in hypnotherapy and developed by the followers of Emile Coue. Continue reading
The Original Theory of Hypnotism & Suggestion
This is a short excerpt from the writings of James Braid, the founder of hypnotherapy, explaining his theory of hypnotism and suggestion, with a brief introduction explaining his role in the history of hypnotherapy and the recent republication of his collected works. Continue reading