What is Hypnosis?
• Altered state of consciousness characterised by relaxation, heightened
responsiveness to suggestion and increase in concentration (being
focused) – Goldenson, 1984
• Heightened state of consciousness is related to the subconscious mind
• Self of the person being hypnotized plays a major role
o Co-operation
o Imagination
o Preconceived notion about hypnosis
Theories of Hypnosis
• Hypnotic Trance Theory: A special state of consciousness that promotes a high
level of suggestibility and changes in bodily experiences. Under this special
state, the theory maintains, the hypnotized person may be able to do things
that he or she could not do under a normal state of consciousness.
• Cognitive Behavioral Viewpoint: hypnosis is a product of certain attitudes,
motivations, and expectancies toward the “hypnotic state”—not a “true”
alteration of consciousness. According to the cognitive-behavioral viewpoint,
people who have a positive attitude toward hypnosis and are highly motivated
to be hypnotized actually role-play the “trance” by closely following many of
the suggestions provided by the hypnotist.
Forensic Hypnosis
• Subconscious mind is able to store much more information and recall than the
conscious mind.
• Investigative memory retrieval technique used to enhance recall in legally relevant
situations like civil & criminal cases.
• Can be applied on the victim, witness, &/or accused in the criminal justice system
• Compared with efforts to detect deception, efforts to obtain information by means of
hypnosis are quite rare.
• Typically used more with victims of crimes than with suspects.
• Accurate recall of memory depends upon time taken by IO, fear, shock, PTSD, child
abuse, or violent attack resulting in dissociative amnesia.
Aim-utility
• Forensic hypnosis to produce hypermnesia
• Further investigation based on the leads/evidences obtained through
hypnosis
• When other options are exhausted used for major crimes
• Delink trauma attached to the event & retrieve the accurate memory –
vehicle number, phone number, face identification, voice, smell etc.
Factors to considers the
effectiveness
Susceptibility to hypnosis varies depending upon;
• The level of trust the participant has in the hypnotist
• The participant’s motivation and desire to cooperate
• Preconceived notions the participant has about hypnosis
• The context and reasons for the hypnosis (e.g., entertainment or
critical information gathering).
Procedure/Method
• Hypnosis is usually established by what is commonly referred to as an induction
procedure.
• Induction instructions usually include asking the participant to imagine or think
about pleasant experiences or things (guided imagery).
• During the induction, the participant may be sitting comfortably or lying down
while concentrating on a “target” (such as a lit candle) and listening to the
hypnotist’s voice.
• The participant is usually encouraged to drift into a sleep-like state while always
hearing the hypnotist’s voice.
• Overall, most people who do become hypnotized find the experience very
pleasant and relaxing.
• Dr. Andrew Huberman is Hypnotized by Dr. David Spiegel | Huberman Lab Clips - YouTube
Procedure
Guidelines (New Jersey Supreme Court in 1981, State
v. Hurd)
• A psychiatrist or psychologist experienced & licensed in the use of hypnosis must
conduct the session.
• The professional conducting the hypnotic session should be independent of and not
regularly employed by the prosecutor, investigator or defense
• Any information given to the hypnotist by law enforcement personnel or the
defense prior to the hypnotic session must be recorded, either in writing or another
suitable form
• Before inducing hypnosis the hypnotist should obtain from the subject a detailed
description of the facts as the subject remembers them
• All contacts between the hypnotist and the subject must be recorded
• Only the hypnotist and the subject should be present during any phase of the
hypnotic session, including the pre-hypnotic testing and the post-hypnotic interview
Additional points to note
• Video tape the whole session
• Informed consent of the participant
• Avoid leading question or adding false memories into their mind
• Do not touch the subject and have a witness of the same sex as the
participant
• Subject shouldn’t be below the age of 5 years and/or have cognitive
difficulties
Indian context
• Not been in use
• Ongoing debate – false acquisition
• There's a bill seeking to ban the use of Hypnosis in criminal trials (yout
ube.com)
