Hypnosis: a journey into the world of the imagination

Hypnosis has long been viewed with suspicion, and hypnotists are often regarded, even today, as manipulators who abuse the trust of their "victims". To be hypnotized, you have to let go, and our society abhors loss of control. Yet hypnosis shows are becoming increasingly popular. Used since time immemorial as part of religious rituals, hypnosis is now part of medical techniques to treat phobias, addictions and pain in particular. But how does it work?