EDUCATION

Hypnosis is a state of mind which manifests a high degree of suggestibility. Advertising, political campaigning, and religious contemplation are all areas in which hypotism is employed, usually without knowledge on the part of either the "hypnotist " or the subject. Because of its association with entertainment, magic, manipulation, and danger, hypnosis and suggestion have not yet been accepted or practiced in educational institutions even thought the evidence is clear that they offer the promise of immeasurable reward for education. Nine possible uses of hypnosis and suggestion in education are a) to reinforce positive habits and relinquish negative ones, b) to expand consciousness by increasing sensory and sensual response, c) to improve concentration, d) to aid memory, e) to increase motivation, f) to diminish "mental blocks, " g) to reduce anxiety, h) to encourage original thinking, and i) to develop self-confidence. These nine uses of hypnosis and suggestion in education are, for the most part, still confined to theory and the research laboratory. Educational institutions have not yet availed themselves of the benefits that can be derived from the use of these techniques. (HMD