ABSTRACT
In one of his lectures William James remarked that every scientific theory goes through a classical career of stages. First it is attacked as absurd. Then it is admitted to be true, but obvious and insignificant. Finally it is deemed to be so important that its adversaries claim they were the ones who discovered it. Hypnosis is at present in the second of these stages, with indications that the third stage has begun in certain areas. Some of our colleagues believe that its use should be limited to the psychiatric field. Others still feel that hypnosis is of no consequence. A few think it is absurd. Actually, none of these opinions is valid. Hypnosis has a practical application in almost all fields of medicine and its allied professions. It can and should be used by general practitioners and anesthesiologists, pediatricians, dentists, clinical psychologists and, obviously, psychiatrists.
