ABSTRACT
In any adequate orientation to hypnosis, it is essential to clear up the various misconceptions that are prevalent. Unfortunately, some of these misconceptions are held by experienced hypnotists. This state of affairs is hardly surprising in view of the mystical and confused attitudes of the early workers, beginning with Mesmer. As with any other scientific discipline, the weeding out of errors and misconceptions is a long-term process. Ever since Braid, there have been workers who showed an excellent grasp of hypnotic processes and phenomena. It was the insights provided by Freud, however, that have made it possible to develop clearer and more adequate bases for evaluating hypnosis and its applications.
