Psychological research in the area of hypnosis has done much to dispel the popular stereotype of the hypnotised person as someone possessed of paranormal and transcendent powers, a person who is under the control of the hypnotist with little idea of what is going on. Hypnotic subjects actually tend to be active, cognising agents, who are conscious of their actions. Moreover, it has long been recognised that suitably instructed and motivated non-hypnotic subjects can equal and sometimes surpass hypnotic groups on a variety of performance tasks.
Nevertheless, many supporters of what is known as the ‘state’ approach to hypnosis continue to argue that, although the hypnotised subjects do not actually lose control of their actions, hypnosis does involve profound alterations in the subject’s state or condition. For example, according to various versions of what is known as ‘dissociated control theory’, hypnosis is an altered state in which those parts of the brain involved in critically analysing and planning one’s actions and experiences are inhibited. One result of this is that behaviour may be experienced as more automatic and less subject to critical control and monitoring.
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