hypnosis

/hɪpˈnoʊsəs/

/hɪpˈnʌʊsɪs/

Other forms: hypnoses

Hypnosis is a trance-like state induced by a hypnotist in which the subject becomes highly open to suggestions by others. In movies, hypnosis usually starts with the phrase, "You are feeling very sleepy..."

Thanks to a million bad TV shows and stage hypnotists — "look into my eyes, you are feeling sleepy..." — we tend to think of hypnosis as making its unfortunate subjects think they're birds and run around flapping their arms for our amusement. In fact, modern day hypnosis is more commonly used by therapists to help people modify undesirable behaviors such as smoking or anxiety. Helpful, if not as much fun.

Definitions of hypnosis

1. noun

   a state that resembles sleep but that is induced by suggestion
   types:

   self-hypnosis

   hypnosis induced by yourself

   type of:

   mental condition, mental state, psychological condition, psychological state

   (psychology) a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic