Hypnotic Myths & Mysteries

Hello and Welcome to "Myths & Mysteries of Hypnosis and Forensic Investigative Hypnosis".
 Hello, my name is Donny Harland

I have developed this site for educational information on the subject and various uses of hypnosis today. I focus my own professional applications of course, to Law Enforcement. I am currently serving as the Chief of Police for a Technical College in Texas and the president and co-owner of Classen Buck Seminars, a police distance education company.   Click below to visit our web site and view our online courses.

Police Training

The history of hypnosis has been around as long as man has been able to communicate. It was used by early tribal medicine men and religious practitioners to influence behavior and achieve cures.  Some of the ancient civilizations using hypnosis were the Greeks and Romans. The earliest medical records of the use of hypnosis were those describing the Aesculapian sleep temples in Egypt and Greece. Of course the term "hypnosis" had not been coined yet, but the rituals and practices were basically techniques guiding individuals into the these altered states. Franz Anton Mesmer, often is referred to as the "Father of Modern Day Hypnosis". He used a theory of "animal magnetism", which was eventually debunked by an investigating French commission in which Benjamin Franklin was serving on at the time. The commissions statement: If these people get well at all it was the result of their own imaginations". Although Mesmer was reportedly seeing over 3000 patients a day and achieving remarkable results, the commission concluded their was no validity to the theory of animal magnetism, and Mesmer's career began to quickly diminish.

James Braid, a Scottish physician, introduced the term "neurohypnosis" which was later shortened to "hypnosis", in the 1800's.

Many other individuals who have contributed to the study of Hypnosis :

Sigmund Freud,  Carl Jung,  Dr. Josef Breuer,  Dr. Jacob Conn,  David Cheek, M.D.,  Dr. Clark Hull, Dr. Milton Erickson  Herbert Spiegel, M.D., David Spiegel, M.D.,  Dr. Martin Orne,  Dr. George Estabrooks, Dr. John G. Watkins, Dr. William Kroger, Dr. Carl Simonton and Dr. Barnard Diamond

Down through history, the subject of hypnosis has always been controversial, whether we are talking about clinical, law enforcement use, stage hypnosis, or self-hypnosis.  There has always been a mystique surrounding hypnosis, a sense of mystery that is both intriguing and fascinating.  But through research, and a long history of rejection and of skepticism by medical professions, the British Medical Association endorsed the teaching of hypnosis in 1955, and in 1958 the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association followed suit. In the Law Enforcement setting, Hypnosis (for memory refreshment) has been more readily accepted in the courtroom in recent years, largely because of a wider acceptance by the medical profession.

Although stage performers have kept the subject of hypnosis alive as well as public and professional interest down through the years, stage hypnosis has also contributed many of the common myths surrounding hypnosis. Some individuals in the mental health profession have perpetuated these myths as dangers in their quest to proclaim "hypnosis" an exclusive tool for their profession, even to the exclusion of forensic police use in investigations.

Is Hypnosis a Magic Pill when used in Self Help or Therapeutic Applications?

With the increased utilization of hypnosis in both medical and scientific communities, police investigators have continued to incorporate hypnosis as part of their arsenal in the investigative process.  In crimes where investigative leads have be exhausted, hypnosis is utilized to retrieve memories of potential witnesses and victims.  Information retrieved through hypnosis and corroborated through further investigation can be used in the investigation and introduced in court proceedings in some states.

Structured Law Enforcement Use

In 1975, the Los Angeles Police Department, with the guidance of staff  psychologist Martin Reiser, approved a 1-year pilot program (for police use of forensic hypnosis).  Police and outside consultants prepared a hypnosis training course that included lectures and practice sessions.  Participation was limited to specially selected officers.  The program was deemed a success.   The program received professional recognition by winning the 1977 American Express/International Association of Chiefs of Police Award as the most "outstanding advancement in police science and technology".

To satisfy the growing interest in and demand for forensic hypnosis, Dr. Reiser founded the Society for Investigative and Forensic Hypnosis in 1977.  Dr. Reiser also established the Law Enforcement Hypnosis Institute, Inc. (LEHI).  The law enforcement response to this program was positive.  From 1976 to 1984, over 1000 police officers received training at LEHI.

Investigative Hypnosis in Texas ( article by: Inspector Marx Howell)

On September 13, 1979, Leo E. Gossett, Assistant Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, by memorandum, established a seven-member committee responsible for studying available data concerning law enforcement uses of hypnosis; developing recommended guidelines and criteria to be used in the selection and training of DPS personnel in the use of hypnosis; and developing recommended guidelines relative to such use.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) hypnosis program was implemented in 1980 after the committee reviewed numerous articles, training material, books on hypnosis; and met or consulted with numerous experts in the field. The committee then developed self-imposed guidelines and selected a 50-hour training course.  The training course consisted of various lectures, demonstrations, and applications as related to the history of hypnosis; basic psychodynamics; emotional development; the nature, theories, and laws of hypnosis; principles of suggestion, criminological versus psychotherapeutic use of hypnosis; myths, misconceptions, induction's, and deepening techniques; and information eliciting techniques; just to name a few.

Personnel selected to receive this training were veteran law enforcement officers with many years of experience and numerous hours of classroom instructions in criminal investigation and interviewing techniques.  The initial basic training for our investigators was conducted in the DPS Academy by the Therapeutic and Forensic Hypnosis Institute of Houston, Texas, after an evaluation of the availability and adequacy of various training courses.

From July 1, 1980 through December 31, 1990, 1187 investigative hypnosis sessions were conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety investigators resulting in additional information reported in 876 sessions (73.8%) and no additional information in 311 sessions (26.20%).  The additional information gained in 876 of the hypnosis interviews varied from minimal information in some cases to additional information which led to the identification and arrest of the perpetrator. The cases in which hypnosis was used included a wide variety of offenses such as hit and run traffic fatalities, rapes, assaults, robberies, kidnappings and murders.

The Texas Department of Public Safety stresses that hypnosis should be used as an aid to investigations, not a substitute.  Investigators have been cautioned to assure that standard investigative methods have been fully utilized before hypnosis is used.

Some of the controversy involving Police Use of Investigative Hypnosis

The ethical question today of "who is qualified" to use hypnosis has vigorously continued between some opponents in the medical and mental health professions and the criminal justice arena.  Actually, each have very different purposes for the use of hypnosis, so each should be properly trained in their perspective areas. Doctor Bernard Diamond has made the sweeping statement that "once a witness has been hypnotized for the purpose of enhancing memory, his recollection has been so contaminated that he is effectively rendered incompetent to testify." David B. Cheek, M.D., speaks in opposition to Doctor Diamond's statement.

 POLICE USE OF INVESTIGATIVE HYPNOSIS (article by Martin Reiser, Ed.D)

Being a law enforcement officer myself, trained in applications of investigative hypnosis, as well as a study in applications of hypnotherapy and analytical hypnosis, I have yet to find evidence of any of the dangers a few of these mental health opponents and associations claim are caused by the use of police investigative hypnosis when adequately trained and proper techniques are used.  I personally find it humorous that some of those in the licensed mental health profession vigorously lay claim on the tool they once rejected, and then accepted only after recognizing valuable results produced by lay hypnotist.  Early on, most of their initial training in its techniques were obtained from some of these successful lay hypnotists such as Dave Elman, Harry Arrons Gerald Kein, Gil Boyne, Richard Bandler, and John Grinder.

Important Criminal Cases & Law Involving Hypnosis
Testimony by Dr. Reiser in N. Dakota Criminal Case

Diogenes & Associates

Please feel free to send comments - My email