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

Pacing: The ability to match or pace another person's state of being. Can take the form of breath, body, language, energy level, or feeling tone pacing.

Pain: An uncomfortable to distressing sensation perceived either somatically or mentally.

Panic Disorder: Persistently high levels of anxiety coupled with sudden episodes of intense, but unfocused panic.

Parasympathetic Nervous System: The division of the autonomic nervous system associated with production of relaxation, bodily sensations, and conservation of energy. That portion of the ANS that controls most of the ordinary vital functions of life, such as digestion. Its action is antithetic to that of the sympathetic division in most cases.

Parietal Lobe: One of the four subdivisions of the cerebral cortex. It plays a role in sensory processes, attention and language.

Perception: The interpretation of sensation. Process of becoming aware of objects, events, and qualities that stimulate the sense organs and of determining the relationship between them.

Peripheral Nervous System: All portions of the nervous system lying outside the brain and spinal cord, including the autonomic nervous system. A division of the nervous system consisting of all nerves not part of the brain or spinal cord.

Permissive: This approach to hypnotic induction is the opposite of authoritarian. A permissive suggestion is made in such a manner as to give the subject the option of responding. The subject, no the hypnotist, is made the perceived source of the response. Permissive suggestions never have an intonation of authority or command.

Persona: In Jung's system, an archetype representing the "mask" or public self presented to others.

Personality: An individual's unique and enduring traits and psychological characteristics and the dynamic relationship among them.

Personality Disorder: Disturbances involving maladaptive and long-standing distortions of personality characteristics.

Placebo: A sham drug having no physiological effect, used in research to avoid the factor of suggestion.

Placebo Effect: Changes in behavior due to one's expectations that a drug or action will have some beneficial effect on them.

Phobia: An intense or unrealistic fear of some specific object or situation.

Physical Cues: The signs the body displays when in the hypnotic state.

Physiology of Hypnosis: According to medical authorities, all of the associated conditions that occur in hypnosis are basically identical with that of the waking rather than the sleeping state.

Positive Hallucination: Any perceptions that have no external cause or stimulus.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Psychological and emotional disturbance following exposure to stresses outside the range of normal human experience, such as natural disasters or wars.

Post-Hypnotic Response: Acts carried out after the termination of hypnosis in response to specific suggestions are called posthypnotic. A suggestion given during hypnosis serves as the stimulus and the act becomes the response.

Post Hypnotic Suggestion: A suggestion given in the hypnotic state that is to be carried out after returning to normal, active awareness. Suggestion that becomes or remains active after the hypnotic session is over.

Projection: Attributing one's own feelings, or unacceptable impulses onto another person as a means of defending against anxiety.

Pseudo-memories: False or dubious memories that a person believes to be true or accurate.

Psi Events: Paranormal events falling outside the traditional bounds of psychology and science. Includes clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition, psychokinesis, astral projection, out of body experiences, and the like.

Pyramiding: Same as fractionation except subject is not yet emerged.

Psychoactive Drugs: Any of a large number of substances capable of altering sensation, perception, cognition, memory, or other psychological events.

Psychoanalysis: A Freudian approach for evaluating subconscious patterns, conditions and behavior through free association, dream interpretation and transference.

Psychodrama: A technique of psychotherapy in which people act out personal conflicts in the presence of other people who play supporting parts.

Psychology: The scientific study of behavior and conscious experience.

Psychosomatic: Pertaining to bodily changes stimulated or depressed through mental influence.

Psychosomatic disorder: A physical disorder believed to be of psychogenic origin.

Psychosomatic Illness: Disorders in which actual physical damage occurs as the result of psychological stress.

Pyramiding: Strengthening of suggestions by stacking them on top of another by repetition.