Neasha Prince
PHI 4938
18 October 2019
Senior Seminar Proposal
Research Question: How did Freud influence hypnotism?
Thesis: Freud’s stance on hypnosis did not benefit the overall study of hypnotism.
Synthesize Sources: My proposal on Freud is based on his stance and influence on hypnotism. I
have placed my sources into literature groups that will discuss on how each literature group will
either benefit or not benefit my thesis statement and research question. Literature group 1
highlights Freud’s rejection of hypnosis and the mistake he made in this rejection. Author
Richard Kluft emphasizes the disengagement between hypnosis and psychoanalysis to which is
the reason why Kluft provides twelve different perspectives of individuals that utilize hypnosis
and/or psychoanalysis within their therapeutic work. John O’Neil on the other hand, believes that
Freud made a mistake when he rejected hypnosis because O’Neil believes that Freud “neglected
conditions afflicting a significant portion of the mentally ill, and restricting the therapeutic
repertoire of psychoanalysis” (O’Neil, 2018). Literature group 1 benefits my thesis because it
rests on the same notion that Freud rejection on hypnosis did not benefit the study of hypnotism.
Literature group 2 is used as a resource within my research question and thesis. Author William
Ballen applies the works of hypnotism to enhance therapy within a psychoanalytic framework by
the service of the ego. This article shows how important the ego is and how it impacts the
hypnotism. This helps my thesis by identifying missing elements within Freud’s rejection of
hypnotism that wasn’t mentioned. Author Rachel Bachner-Melman reevaluated Freud’s
relevance to hypnosis. It is her belief that although Freud’s stance on hypnosis was exaggerated,
“his insights concerning attention, social expectation, group dynamics, reality testing, and the
relationship between hypnosis and sleep have been borne out by empirical investigations”
(Bachner-Melman, 2001). This also helps my thesis by identifying missing elements within
Freud’s rejection of hypnotism that wasn’t mentioned. Author Mark Jensen provides a wealth of
information on the study of hypnotism and how hypnotism can be used for chronic pain
management. This helps my thesis because it provides background information on the topic of
hypnotism. Lastly, author George Drinka provides a book review of Freud’s encounter with a
patient that encountered hypnotism. This helps my thesis because it provides background
information on Freud’s stance on hypnotism.
Bibliography:
Bachner-Melman, R., & Lichtenberg, P. (2001). Freud’s relevance to hypnosis: a
reevaluation. The American Journal Of Clinical Hypnosis, 44(1), 37–50. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,uid&db=cm
edm&AN=11417146&site=eds-live&scope=site
Drinka, G. (n.d.). Before Freud: Hysteria and Hypnosis in Later Nineteenth-Century Psychiatric
Cases. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION, 57(5),
1274–1279. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003065109343927
Freud, S., & Gay, P. (1999). The Freud Reader. New York: Norton.
Jensen, M. P. (2011). Hypnosis for Chronic Pain Management : Workbook. New York: Oxford
University Press. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,uid&db=nle
bk&AN=365590&site=eds-live&scope=site
Kluft, R. P. (n.d.). Freud’s Rejection of Hypnosis: Perspectives Old and New:Part III of IIIToward Healing the Rift: Enriching Both Hypnosis and Psychoanalysis. AMERICAN
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS, 61(3), 208–226.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2018.1544432
O’Neil, J. A. (2018). Hypnosis and Psychoanalysis: Toward Undoing Freud’s Primal Category
Mistake. The American Journal Of Clinical Hypnosis, 60(3), 262–278.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2018.1400841
William, B. (1997). Freudʼs Views and the Contemporary Application of Hypnosis: Enhancing
Therapy Within a Psychoanalytic Framework. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy,
(3), 201. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,uid&db=ed
sovi&AN=edsovi.00011203.199727030.00003&site=eds-live&scope=site
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