6.7 - Hypnosis

Summary

A variety of evidence indicates that hypnotic subjects tend to be active cognizing agents; moreover, suitably instructed nonhypnotic control groups can even surpass hypnotic groups on various performance measures. These findings have obvious implications for how we view the two main points of contact between hypnosis and the law: that is, the use of hypnosis as a coercive tool, and the use of hypnosis as a possible memory enhancement procedure. There are a number of procedures that so-called 'hypnoinvestigators' have employed in forensic investigations that might produce better results than routine police interviewing. Attempts have also been made to direct the police towards nonhypnotic means of memory enhancement that share the kinds of techniques developed by hypnoinvestigators, but divorced from the troublesome context of 'hypnosis'. The most popular of these is the cognitive interview, which uses techniques such as rapport building, open 'report everything' instructions, focused attention and context reinstatement.