The current status of hypnosis in Spain

Abstract

While Spanish academic researchers have actively attempted to disengage hypnosis from its traditional links with altered states and automatism, and to promote it by linking hypnotic phenomena with other everyday psychological processes, in the legal field there seems to have been little activity. Among jurists, opinion is divided regarding the exact influence of hypnosis on conscious will, although some maintain that hypnosis can override will, and most that being in a state of hypnosis at the time of committing a criminal act can be used as a defence, depending on knowledge of the prior personality of the individual and the kind of suggestions given. Consequently, because of its alleged influence on will, hypnosis is forbidden by law in Spain as an investigative procedure. Likewise, the practice of hypnosis has been removed from Spanish public health system services, and it cannot be subsidized by private insurance companies. We conclude that traditional notions of hypnosis may be holding back its practical acceptance in Spain. Copyright © 2000 British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis