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History of Hypnosis: How Did It Start?
How did hypnosis exist in ancient times? Most people think that hypnosis has been used from 19-th century. But actually, hypnosis has been widely used in ancient societies by different names. In this article, I will talk about hypnosis history and discuss how hypnosis has been used in ancient times.

Hypnosis has been around for many years. In ancient civilizations, it was mainly used for healing purposes, especially in religious ceremonies. The earliest evidence of its existence was shamans.

Shaman paid special attention to the concentration while healing others. He avoided the use of any chemicals or alcoholic substances in the first 24 hours of the process. Because he needed strong concentration, so he avoided anything distracting.

During the process, shaman made himself as comfortable as possible, which allowed shaman’s subconscious mind to become strongly focused. Only after this he started the journey for healing. In this process, shaman was in a powerful process of visualization and suggestion during which he willed the sick person to be healed.

Hypnosis has been widely used in ancient places such as Egypt. The earliest written records can be found in an Egyptian medical text - Ebers Papyrus. Ebers Papyrus preserves the most voluminous record of ancient Egyptian medicine.

The Ancient Egyptians had their Temples of Sleep and the Greeks their Shrines of Healing. Sleep temples were hospitals of sorts, healing a variety of ailments. Treatment involved chanting, dancing, placing the patient into a hypnotic state and analyzing their dreams in order to determine treatment.

Hypnotic-like inductions were used to place the individual in a hypnotic state, although it is now accepted that hypnosis is different from sleep.

The elements of hypnosis are also seen in Persian Magi, Celtic Druids, Chinese teachers of religion, Hindu Fakirs and African Witch Doctors.

Avicenna (980-1037), a Persian psychologist and physician, was the earliest to make a distinction between sleep and hypnosis. In “The Book of Healing”, which he published in 1027, he referred to hypnosis in Arabic as al-Wahm al-Amil, stating that one could create conditions in another person so that he/she accepts the reality of hypnosis.

This is an ancient history of hypnosis and how people used it in the past. Learning ancient history of hypnosis helps to understand the modern hypnosis better and improve it this way.