ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview and brief discussion of some of the more influential theoretical perspectives of hypnosis informing clinicians and researchers. They are presented in a highly abbreviated form as single, discrete theoretical perspectives in order to highlight the essential tenets of the model under consideration. However, there is a broad consensus in the field that no one theory fully explains all the facets of hypnosis and models can easily blend. In the late 19th century, French neurologist and hypnosis expert Pierre Janet developed a model of hypnosis that emphasized the role of dissociation in producing hypnotic phenomena. Janet’s work with individuals suffering hysteria was considered state-ofthe-art and even influenced the work of Sigmund Freud who came to study with him and later translated his work into German. The newly emerging and increasingly sophisticated scanning technologies for studying the brain and nervous system have not escaped the notice of the hypnosis community.
