Psychological Application of Hypnosis

Hippolyte Bernheim (1837-1919), a professor of medicine at the University of Nancy regarded hypnosis as a special form of sleeping where the subject's attention is focused upon the suggestions made by the hypnotist. He therefore emphasized the psychological nature of the process of hypnosis. This revelation was a significant one in the history of hypnosis. It shifted the view of hypnosis from its physical applications to one that concentrated on the inner workings of the mind as well.