Definition of Hypnotism
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, hypnotism is the practice of causing a person to enter a state in which he responds very readily to suggestions or commands.
According to experts, this increases the focus of the individual and enables them to concentrate on a particular memory. Hypnotism aims at healing a person and is used for changing negative patterns and/or behaviors with positive suggestions.
In hypnotism, the sounds and words play a key role as they are used to make suggestions to the person under hypnosis. It is believed that although mesmerism does not rely on words much, magnetic energy inspired the technique of hypnotism. Dr. James Braid is considered an important figure in this endeavor.