ABSTRACT
There is little doubt that the induction of hypnoidal states utilizing chanting and breathing exercises dates back to earliest history. The earliest clinical records of hypnosis are attributed to John Elliotson (1792 to 1869), an English surgeon, who used hypnosis for pain management in his practice. James A. Esdaile (1808 to 1859) performed more than 300 operations using hypnosis as analgesia while practicing in India (Bassman & Wester, 1992). One such operation reportedly entailed the removal of a 103-pound tumor (Jackson, 1999). Hypnosis and trance represent an age-old treatment for a variety of conditions including pain; hypnosis has been embraced as a legitimate therapy consequent to continuing research only over the past 50 years (Hrezo, 1998).
