Customer Reviews

They Call It Hypnosis

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is an excellent summary of theories of hypnosis with an emphasis on criticisms of state theories. The author argues for social/cognitive non-state theories. The book is marred only by the fact that many passages are lifted directly from the authors being summarized, without being noted as such.

Robert Allen Baker Jr. (1921-2005) was an American psychologist, skeptic, author, and investigator of ghosts, UFO abductions, lake monsters and other paranormal phenomena; he was also a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and has written other books such as Mind Games: Are We Obessed With Therapy?, Missing Pieces: How to Investigate Ghosts, Ufos, Psychics, & Other Mysteries, and Child Sexual Abuse and False Memory Syndrome.

Here are some representative quotations from the book:

"Strictly speaking, every time the word 'hypnosis' is used it could be placed in quotation marks. This is because there is no such thing as hypnosis. The point and purpose of this book is to convince the reader that the phenomenon called 'hypnosis' does not exist, has never existed in the past, and will not exist in the future. What is commonly called and referred to today as 'hypnosis' is a fallacy, that is, a false and mistaken idea handed down from generation to generation..." (Pg. 17)
"Since sleep-learning or unconscious learning has received a lot of attention in the past, and for a while was a multi-million dollar business, it is important to know whether or not such a thing is possible... It is now generally agreed that sleep learning is overrated, and if any learning does occur, it happens while we are awake." (Pg. 173)
"In general, fantasy-prone personalities are 'normal' people who function as well as others and who are as well-adjusted, competent, and content or discontent as anyone else. Anyone familiar with the fantasy-prone personality who reads Streiber's Communion: A True Story will suffer an immediate shock of recognition!" (PG. 247)

Contrary to the previous reviewer, the book is extensively documented with references to the work of leading hypnosis researchers (especially ch. 3, "Hypnosis: Recent and Contemporary Views"). The book has its flaws (search for "Robert Baker" on the web to find some of them), but this is an excellent introduction to the subject.

If you are looking for a book that shows the history and development of hypnosis this book will prove to be frustrating and boring. The author informs us at length of how erroneous the thinking has been about hypnisis throughout the history of the civilized world. But there are no case studies, no facts, no scientific data in this book. If you are looking to be informed about hypnosis through facts and not opinions this is not the book for you. I suspect that the author has spent a lot of time in lecturing and giving opinions without ever being challenged.

I learned more about Hypnosis from this book than any other that I have read. A completely different approach than most.

Some of the book is enjoyable and insightful. However, much of it seems to merely argue semantics. Makes some good points, but is mostly lacking in substance.

Better not to spend your money on this one. If you really want it try your local library for free.