Pseudoscience Dictionary: Hypnosis

Pseudoscience: Consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that are claimed to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method (unproven, not testable, or opposed to the consensus of traditional science).

Hypnosis

Definition: Hypnosis is a psychological state characterized by focused attention, reduced awareness of surrounding distractions, and increased responsiveness to suggestion. It is sometimes used clinically to help manage pain, anxiety, and certain medical symptoms. However, pseudoscientific claims surrounding hypnosis include the belief that hypnotists can control another person’s mind, recover completely accurate repressed memories, reveal past lives, or cure serious illnesses through suggestion alone. These extraordinary claims go beyond what scientific research supports.

Reasoning: Scientific evidence supports certain clinical applications of hypnosis but contradicts many of its more extraordinary claims. According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, hypnosis may help manage some types of pain and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), although evidence for other conditions remains limited or inconsistent. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that gut-directed hypnotherapy may improve IBS symptoms, particularly abdominal pain. However, hypnosis does not reliably recover accurate hidden memories. According to research published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, hypnotic suggestions intended to enhance memory can increase false recollections and confidence in inaccurate memories. Similarly, a 2025 review published in Frontiers in Psychology highlights the risks of false memories associated with hypnotic regression. Further, the American Psychological Association recognizes hypnosis as a legitimate subject of scientific research while distinguishing its documented psychological effects from sensationalized claims. There is no credible scientific evidence that hypnosis provides supernatural abilities, reveals past lives, or allows a hypnotist to exercise irresistible control over another person’s actions.

More Information

• Hypnosis: What You Need to Know – National Institutes of Health
• Uncovering the New Science of Clinical Hypnosis – American Psychological Association
• Remembering What Did Not Happen: The Role of Hypnosis in Memory Recall and False Memories Formation – Frontiers in Psychology
• Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Conclusion: Hypnosis itself is not pseudoscience, as research supports some legitimate therapeutic applications, particularly for pain management and certain gastrointestinal symptoms. However, claims that hypnosis can recover perfectly accurate memories, reveal past lives, control unwilling individuals, or cure serious diseases lack credible scientific evidence. These exaggerated claims are pseudoscientific and can be harmful when used to create false memories or replace appropriate medical treatment.