HYPNOSIS AS A THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUE: A HISTORICAL EXAMINATION OF CONTRASTED PERSPECTIVES AND DOMAINS

This paper will examine the state and cognitive-behavioral theories of hypnosis while emphasizing the historical shift made by the cognitive-behavioral perspective from the traditional perspective. The historical shift has been accompanied by a corresponding shift in numerous hypnotic concepts and has important implications for specific hypnotic domains. Specifically, the concepts of methodology, consciousness, volition, posthypnotic responding, and treatment of distant history will be examined. These concepts will be examined in terms of their understanding from a cognitive-behavioral perspective and subsequent historical split from the traditional hypnotic perspective. Implications for the application of the cognitive-behavioral perspective to hypnotherapy will be discussed