Hypnosis in Personal Perspective: Looking Backwards and a Glimpse Forward

Hypnosis in Personal Perspective: Looking Backwards and a Glimpse Forward
In this presentation I will trace the evolution of my understanding of the fascinating topic of hypnosis over 45 years as a clinical and forensic psychologist and via research conducted in my laboratory of Consciousness, Cognition, and Psychopathology at Ohio University and Binghamton University (SUNY). I will share personal experiences and reflections that shaped my views and convey my excitement regarding hypnosis, which continues to the present day in personally rewarding collaborations. My presentation will encompass numerous topics that include fantasy-proneness, the induction of hypnosis, the experience of nonvolition during hypnosis, the determinants and modification of hypnotic responsiveness, clinical and forensic applications, and my most recent efforts to formulate a theoretical account of hypnosis. I will conclude with thoughts regarding the future of hypnosis.

Steven Jay Lynn (Ph.D.; ABPP, Clinical, Forensic) has studied hypnosis for more than four decades and practiced and supervised clinical hypnosis during that time. He is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Binghamton University (SUNY), where he served as the past Director of both the graduate Clinical Training Program and the Psychological Clinic. He is the current Director of the Laboratory of Consciousness, Cognition, and Psychopathology; he was the Founding Editor of the journal, Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice; and he currently serves on ten editorial boards. He has published more than 400 articles, books, and chapters on the topics of hypnosis, consciousness, memory, psychopathology, psychotherapy, and science vs. pseudoscience. Professor Lynn has received numerous awards, including the Chancellor’s Award of the State University of New York for Scholarship and Creative Activities and the Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award from the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University. His work has been featured in numerous media venues including the Academy Award nominated film documentary, “Capturing the Friedmans.” He has served as an expert on many forensic cases involving hypnosis and memory on a national and international level.