An approach toward isolating factors that influence antisocial conduct in hypnosis

Misuse of Hypnosis in Sexual Contexts: Two Case Reports

“…Subjects in experiments have known they were in controlled situations, so they have been willing to perform unusual behaviors like grasping snakes and throwing acid (Orne & Evans, 1965). An attempt by Coe, Kobayashi, and Howard (1972) to deceive subjects in a field experiment did not succeed: subjects perceived that they were part of an experiment. Even accurate data would be open to interpretation; as Orne (1972) observed, A refusal to carry out antisocial actions can be ascribed to insufficient depth of hypnosis .…”

Hypnosis and the Law

“…Significantly, whereas five of six participants carried out the acts when hypnotized, only two of the same participants carried out the acts when not hypnotized; however, all six nonhypnotic simulators carried out the tasks. Other studies have shown that nonhypnotic participants are just as likely as (and sometimes slightly more likely than) hypnotic participants to perform a variety of antisocial or repugnant acts including mutilating the bible, cutting up the national flag (Levitt, Aronoff, Morgan, Overley, & Parrish, 1975), signing derogatory-slanderous statements about a superior (Calverley & Barber, 1965, cited in Barber, 1969, and even dealing heroin (Coe et al, 1972(Coe et al, , 1973. These results fit in with a variety of other evidence that indicates that participants, regardless of whether hypnosis is used, are highly motivated to respond to the demands of the particular context (Orne, 1962(Orne, , 1970Wagstaff, 1981) and will readily perform what appear to be dangerous and antisocial acts if required to do so (see, for example, Milgram, 1974;Sheridan & King, 1972).…”

“…However, a number of reviewers of these studies have concluded that the notion of a hypnotic state is not necessary to explain these effects; rather, they occurred because either, contrary to outward appearances, participants perceived the situation to be safe or they considered that someone else would take responsibility for their actions (Barber, 1961(Barber, , 1969Coe, Kobayashi, & Howard, 1972, 1973Orne & Evans, 1965;Udolf, 1983).…”

Some Conditions of Compliance and Resistance among Hypnotic Subjects

“…Investigations in which hypnotized LEVITI, BAKER, AND FISH subjects were requestedto perform selfinjurious or unlawful behaviors in circumstances which did not permit the behavior to be self-injurious or unlawful (see Barber, 1961, andOrne, 1972, for reviews of the findings of such investigations); 3. Experiments in which unlawful behavior was requested and could actually have been carried out (Coe, Kobayashi, & Howard, 1972, 1973; 4. Experiments in which hypnotized subjects were requested to perform acts that were disagreeable or in bad taste (Levitt, Overley, & Rubinstein, 1975;Levitt, Aronoff, Morgan, Overley, & Parrish, 1975); 5.…”