A B C D E F-G H I-J-K L-M-N O P-Q R S T U-Z

Habit Formation: A learned process of reacting, partly conscious and partly unconscious, brought about through repetition of a certain action of some sort.

Hallucination: Sensory experience arising apart from corresponding external stimulation. Usually an indication of a psychosis, delirium or drug addiction. Sensory impression of external objects in the absence of external stimulus.

Hetroaction: A progressively increasing tendency of an individual to respond to other suggestions after being made to respond to a number of previous suggestions. A generalization of suggestibility.

Heterohypnosis: The use of words or verbal hypnosis.

Hippocampus: This area plays a crucial role in processing information involving long-term memory. Damage to the hippocampus will produce global retrograde amnesia, or the inability to store information.

Homoaction: The tendency of an ideomotor response to increase in strength if it is elicited a number of times within a certain interval of time. Homoaction accumulates with multiple repetitions of a suggestion.

Homeostasis: The tendency of organisms to maintain internal equilibrium.

Hormones: Chemical messengers secreted by endocrine glands to regulate the activity of target cells. They play a role in sexual development, calcium and bone metabolism, growth and many other activities.

Hyperaesthesia: An exaggerated heightening of the senses, especially tactile stimuli. Can sometimes be achieved under hypnosis.

Hyperhydrosis: Excessive perspiration, usually from the hands, feet and armpits.

Hypermnesia: Memory recall with retrieval of forgotten information. The brain stores everything, forgets nothing, and most memories can be recovered when the proper association pathways are stimulated.

Hyperesthesia: Heightened sensibility to touch.

Hypersuggestibility: The capacity to respond to suggestions above a norm. The subject who is readily influenced and achieves a profound level of hypnosis is said to be hypersuggestible.

Hypnagogic: The intermediate state between wakefulness and sleep.

Hypnoanalysis: The use of hypnosis in combination with psychoanalytic techniques.

Hypnodontics: The science of using hypnosis in the field of dentistry.

Hypnodial: A very light state of hypnosis. The state in which the first effects of hypnosis are felt.

Hypnology: The study of sleep or hypnosis.

Hypnonarcosis: The hypnotic state brought about through the use of certain drugs i.e., Sodium Pentothal.

Hypnos: The Greek god of sleep. Also the origin of the word hypnosis.

Hypnosis: A natural state of the nervous system that is characterized by increased suggestibility. An altered state of consciousness that can be purposefully induced in which access to subconscious material, heightened suggestibility, and focused attention take place. Webster's: A repressed state of mental functioning in which ideas are accepted by suggestion rather than logical evaluation.

Hypnotherapy: Using hypnosis is the context of therapy.

Hypothalamus: A small area at the base of the brain that regulates many aspects of motivation and emotion, particularly hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior.

Hypnotic State: The by-pass of critical factor of the subconscious mind to establish selective acceptable thinking.

Hypnotic Regression: Process, by which a subject vividly relives, under hypnosis, experiences which he has forgotten or repressed.

Hypnotist: The person conducting or aiding in the well-being of a client by means of hypnosis.

Hypnotizability: Refers to suggestibility or individual susceptibility to hypnosis.

Hypnotic Susceptibility: A personality characteristic that determines a subject's ability to be hypnotized and to attain a given depth of hypnosis.

Hysteria: An emotional state of excitability.