What is hypnosis? Hypnosis is a state of consciousness
resembling sleep, but the person can still concentrate on
memories, sensations, or other things. Hypnosis is an altered,
relaxed state of mind, often used to help learn to control bad
habits, pain, and stress. About 5 percent of mentally healthy
people cannot be hypnotized and the same percentage are very
susceptible to hypnosis. However, hypnotism will not work if the
person does not want to be hypnotized, and the subject of
hypnosis can interrupt it at any time. Hypnotism requires trust
and imagination. When hypnotized, a person's heart rate
decreases, body temperature changes, and blood flow to certain
areas is reduced. The state of deep relaxation can divert
attention from pain and other negative stimuli. Hypnotism even
can be used as a pain reliever during certain surgeries, such as
dental surgery. Some uses of hypnotism include: Hypnosis and
memory retrieval Using hypnosis to extract hidden or vague
memories may not be reliable, according to a 2002