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

Abreaction: An action whereby emotionally charged material/feelings, etc. is released from the mind and psyche through reliving an incident; bringing to consciousness that which was formerly unconscious or repressed.

Absorption of attention: Necessary for successful trance, the client’s attention is focused on a spot on the ceiling, a story, a physical feeling. Eye fixation, eye closure, hypnotic mask, diminished movement are signs indicating absorption of attention.
Abstraction: Process of developing concepts; that is, grouping objects in terms of some distinguishing common property.

Acetylcholine: A neurotransmitter. In the brain it helps regulate memory. In the peripheral nervous system, controls the actions of skeletal and smooth muscle.

Action Potential: An electrical potential that occurs when a neuron is activated and temporarily reverses the electrical state of its interior membrane from negative to positive. This electrical charge travels along the axon to the neuron's terminal where it triggers or inhibits the release of a neurotransmitter.

Addiction: Development of physical or psychological dependence on a drug, event, or action that craving and physical/psychological discomfort or pain occurs in its absence.

Affect Bridge: A technique by which significant memories are to be recovered by inducing an intense emotional state in a client and asking him or her to remember a past instance when he or she felt the same way.

Afferent Neuron: Neuron that carries messages toward the central nervous system from a receptor cell. Also known as a sensory neuron.

Age Progression: Simulated time orientation. The hypnotic subject hallucinates, living in the future while retaining his / her chronological age.

Age Regression: the phenomenon of returning in one's mind, as well as one's behavior to an earlier, subsequent period.

Afferent Neuron: Neuron that carries messages toward the central nervous system from a receptor cell. Also known as a sensory neuron.

Altered State of Consciousness: Any non-ordinary mental states, including meditation, hypnosis, and drug induced states.

All-Or-Nothing Law: Principle that if a nerve fiber responds at all, it responds with full strength.

Alpha Rhythms: The electrical rhythm typical of the brain during normal wakefulness. About 8 to 12 oscillations per second.

Alpha State: A light to medium state of hypnosis which can be used inter actively with a client. Also associated with the dream state and REM.

Alternate Life Progression: The ability to project one's consciousness into a future time line.

Alternate Life Regression: The ability to return in ones imagination to an earlier time and place in another time line.

Amnesia: A inability to recall past memories or experiences. Hypnotic amnesia can either happen spontaneously or be produced by suggestion. Loss of memory; it can be total or partial.

Amnesia - Posthypnotic: loss of memory for happenings occurring during hypnosis for whatever the hypnotist suggested to forget.

Amnesia - Spontaneous: form of amnesia occurring in subject without receiving any suggestion to this effect. Spontaneous amnesia is often a simple psychological defense mechanism. Allows subconscious processing to go on without conscious interference: “Will you forget to remember or just remember to forget?”

Analgesia: The insensitivity to pain either locally or widespread. Can be brought on by suggestion. Absence of the sense of pain.

Anchor: An anchor is the action of tying in a new ending/response to an existing or constant stimulus.

And: A word that leads and links. Following a pacing statement You feel the comfort of that one deep breath, the word then leads, “and” you can use that one deep breath to allow yourself sink deeper and deeper.

Anesthesia: The loss of all sensory modalities. An agent that causes insensitivity to pain.

Anima: In Carl Jung's theory, an archetype representing femaleness or the female principal within the psyche.

Animal Magnetism: Anton Mesmer's name for hypnotism based on his assumption that hypnosis is related to the state of ordinary magnetism.

Animus: In Jung's theory, an archetype representing maleness or the male principal within the psyche.

Anxiety: A feeling of painful or apprehensive uneasiness closely related to fear, especially that is characterized by dread or anticipation of some unclear threat.

Apposition of Opposites: An example of hypnotic language, this technique juxtaposes polarities or opposites: As the right hand becomes light, your body can sink even deeper into heaviness and relaxation experiment with warm/cold, up/down, light/heavy, right/ left, float/sink, etc.

Aphasia: Disturbance in language comprehension or production.

Archetype: An original pattern, prototype, or idea on which others are modeled. In Jung's theory, universal primordial images found in the collective unconscious.

Arm Catalepsy: A suspension of movement, is an effective, rapid and highly directive means for trance induction.

Arm Levitation: A technique of raising a subject's arm by giving a suggestion of weightlessness.

Auditory Nerve: A bundle of nerve fibers extending from the cochlea of the ear to the brain, which contains two branches: the cochlear nerve that transmits sound information and the vestibular nerve that relays information related to balance.

Authoritarian: The approach of hypnotic suggestion that is commanding and forceful in nature. A suggestion that conveys it is being imposed by the hypnotist.

Auto Hypnosis: synonymous with Self-hypnosis. A procedure where a person develops into a good subject, thoroughly trained in proper instruction allowed to be carried out by himself.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): A branch of the peripheral nervous system concerned with involuntary functions of the body. That part of the nervous system that regulates bodily activities not ordinarily subject to voluntary control. Its activities are divided between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.

Auditory Nerve: A bundle of nerve fibers extending from the cochlea of the ear to the brain, which contains two branches: the cochlear nerve that transmits sound information and the vestibular nerve that relays information related to balance.

Automatic Writing: The unconscious action of writing, performed in a state of trance.

Auto Rotatory Movements: The impossibility to stop a rotatory movement (generally of the forearms) once it has been started by the hypnotist.

Auto Suggestion: Suggestions made to oneself through affirmations, obsessive thoughts, wishful thinking, etc. The action of giving oneself suggestions.

Aversive Conditioning: Use of an unpleasant or painful stimulus to reinforce learning.

Axon: The fiber like extension of a neuron by which the cell sends information to target cells.