For oneself or through others Up to now, hypnosis in the Western world has been induced by someone else, largely in therapy or for entertainment purposes. In the East, "self-induced hypnosis" has been practiced by Eastern religious devotees uninterrupted for more than 1000 years. This makes for an interesting contrast. Psychologist Yu Chien-kuei believes that it all stems from basic cultural differences.
催眠的歷史發展至今，西方世界形成以「他力催眠」治療或娛樂大眾為主的催眠文化；在東方，「自我催眠」的宗教靈修則歷經千年而不衰，形成東西方一個有趣的歧異。