Convergence in understanding hypnosis? Perhaps, but perhaps not quite so fast.
The study of hypnosis has been plagued by conflict. Although a more recent trend has been the search for convergence among disparate points of view, two highly salient issues remain contentious: the question of whether hypnosis involves alterations in consciousness, and the nature and correlates of individual differences in hypnotic response. Theoretical convergence is a laudable goal, but not at the expense of obscuring the complexity of hypnosis as a state of altered consciousness, a cognitive skill, and a social interaction. Perhaps the best prescription for convergence in hypnosis is the cautious conviction advocated by Kenneth S. Bowers and so clearly exemplified in his own research.
Kihlstrom
J F
JF
Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA. kihlstrm@cogsci.berkeley.edu
D001364:Awareness; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis / Q000379:methods*; D007206:Individuality; D010551:Personality; D013404:Suggestion