hypnosis

hypnosis — noun

1. A condition resembling sleep, created deliberately, during which a person become

1.nounB2
Definition

A condition resembling sleep, created deliberately, during which a person becomes unusually receptive to another person's suggestions about what to think or do.

Example

Hypnosis helped Renata recall details of the accident she had witnessed the previous month.

hypnosis + recall past events under suggestion

The therapist used hypnosis to help Christopher overcome his fear of flying on airplanes.

Common collocations
  • under hypnosis
  • during hypnosis
  • in a state of hypnosis
  • deep hypnosis
  • light hypnosis
Synonyms
  • trance

    broader term; can be spontaneous or induced, while hypnosis is always deliberately induced

  • hypnotic state

    more clinical or technical term for the same condition

Antonyms
  • wakefulness

    the normal alert state, opposite of the hypnotic trance

  • consciousness

    ordinary awareness, contrasted with the altered awareness of hypnosis

Grammar Patterns

under hypnosis

during hypnosis

in a state of hypnosis

Usage Note

Frequently used with the prepositions 'under' or 'during' (e.g. under hypnosis, during hypnosis). A person under hypnosis remains partly aware of their surroundings, unlike actual sleep.

Common Mistakes

She was unconscious during hypnosis.
She was in a relaxed trance state during hypnosis.
hypnosis is not the same as unconsciousness; the person can still hear and respond.
The patient fell asleep under hypnosis.
The patient entered a trance-like state under hypnosis.
hypnosis is a distinct state, not ordinary sleep.

2. The practice or method of guiding a person into a trance-like state, typically t

2.nounB2
Definition

The practice or method of guiding a person into a trance-like state, typically through focused attention and relaxation techniques, in order to influence their thoughts or behaviour.

Example

The clinic offers hypnosis as a treatment for people who want to stop smoking.

hypnosis as a treatment for [habit]

Hypnosis involves guiding a person into a relaxed state where they are open to suggestions.

hypnosis involves + gerund phrase

Common collocations
  • practice hypnosis
  • use hypnosis
  • undergo hypnosis
  • study hypnosis
  • clinical hypnosis
  • stage hypnosis
Synonyms
  • hypnotism

    essentially identical in meaning; hypnotism is slightly more formal or academic

  • hypnotherapy

    refers specifically to the therapeutic or medical use of hypnosis, not stage performance

Grammar Patterns

practice hypnosis

use hypnosis

undergo hypnosis

hypnosis + as a treatment for

Usage Note

Subject is often a practitioner or institution (therapist, clinic, doctor). Frequently appears in the pattern 'hypnosis + as a treatment for [condition]' (e.g. hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety).

Common Mistakes

I did hypnosis to myself at home.
I practised self-hypnosis using an audio guide.
the standard technique is performed by a trained hypnotist; self-hypnosis is a separate, specific practice.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe altered mental states, but they differ in cause and control. Hypnosis is a deliberately induced trance in which another person (the hypnotist) gives suggestions — the subject is unusually receptive. Trance is a broader term: it can be spontaneous (daydreaming), induced by music or dance, or result from trauma; it does not require a second person. Meditation is a self-directed practice: the person actively focuses their own attention (e.g. on breathing or a mantra) to reach a calm, clear state, rather than receiving suggestions from outside. For example: 'The witness recalled the car number plate under hypnosis', 'She fell into a trance while listening to the drumming', and 'He meditates for twenty minutes each morning to reduce stress.'

hypnosis ↗trance ↗meditation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • state of hypnosis
  • form of hypnosis
  • course of hypnosis

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Coined in the 1840s by Scottish surgeon James Braid, who combined the Greek word 'hypnos' (sleep, also the name of the Greek god of sleep) with the suffix '-osis' (denoting a condition or process). Braid used the term to describe the sleep-like trance he induced in patients, though he later argued it was not true sleep. The word entered general English usage through the growing interest in mesmerism and psychological therapy.