How Did Hypnosis Get Its Name? | A Brief & Interesting History

So how was hypnosis named hypnosis?

The word "hypnosis" comes from the Greek word "hypnos," which means "sleep." The term was coined by Scottish surgeon James Braid in the mid-1800s to describe a phenomenon that he observed in which people appeared to be in a sleep-like state, but were actually highly suggestible and responsive to certain stimuli.

Braid initially referred to this state as "nervous sleep," but later changed the name to "hypnosis" to reflect the similarities between the state he observed and natural sleep. Braid believed that hypnosis was a form of "neuro-hypnotism," a condition in which the nervous system became highly responsive to suggestion.

Since then, the term "hypnosis" has come to refer to a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, often induced by a hypnotist, that can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including anxiety, pain, and addiction.

Braid believed that hypnosis induced a state of mind similar to sleep, but with a heightened focus and susceptibility to suggestion. He was interested in exploring the potential therapeutic applications of hypnosis and was one of the first practitioners to use it as a tool for anesthesia during surgery performing thousands of surgery with hypnosis.

The term "hypnosis" has remained in use to this day to describe the state of focused attention and relaxation that can be induced through suggestion, as well as the therapeutic techniques that utilize this state.

To learn more about Dr. James Braid and the history of hypnosis, check out his Wikipedia page.