Erotic hypnosis

Erotic hypnosis is the practice of hypnosis for sexual purposes, outside of a therapeutic context. Some erotic hypnosis is practiced in the context of BDSM relationships and communities.[1] In addition, for some people hypnosis is inherently erotic,[2][3] making it an example of a sexual fetish or paraphilia.

Frames from the 1930s stag film The Hypnotist

Practice

Erotic hypnosis can involve hypnotic suggestions intended to increase arousal,[4][5][6][7] to create or enhance sexual pleasure[4][6][5][8][9] - in some cases involving "hands-free orgasms"[1][10][5][6][8][2] - to produce new sensations,[6][11][9] to freeze partners in place or simulate bondage,[4][1][6][12][9] or to enhance roleplay,[6][11][9][2] with popular types of hypnotic roleplay including animal transformations,[11][9][2] robot play[11] and doll play.[6][11] Erotic hypnosis may be done face-to-face, over video conferencing or text chat, or through pre-recorded audio files or videos.[10][5] Sessions may involve suggestions that are to take effect during trance or afterwards, in the form of post-hypnotic suggestions, some of which might be triggered by an action or situation.[2]

Relation to BDSM

Hypnosis is an increasingly popular practice within a dominance and submission relationship to reinforce power exchange and as a form of play.[12][7][5][8][11][9][2] Some people report that being hypnotized produces a strong feeling of giving up control, for example the feeling that they must obey the hypnotist's commands.[4][11] Several practitioners have compared the sensation of trance to subspace.[6][12][9] Major BDSM events in North America now frequently contain classes and workshops dedicated to erotic hypnosis, such as events run by Black Rose[13] and TES.[14] In addition to a presence at these general BDSM events, since 2009 national-level erotic hypnosis conventions have been held in cities in North America and worldwide,[2] as well as local meetups such as munches.

Hypnosis fetishism and mind control fetishism

A subset of those interested in erotic hypnosis find hypnosis inherently erotic,[2] therefore making it an example of a sexual fetish. They may be aroused by hypnotizing others, by the feeling of being hypnotized, or by seeing people being hypnotized.[7][11]

Hypnosis fetishism has been recorded in the clinical literature as far back as 1957, when George Merrill noted that "to many hypnotic subjects, hypnosis has strong sexual connotations".[3] In one case study of a patient who eroticized hypnosis, he wrote

Her enthusiasm for hypnosis, her obvious enjoyment of the trance, and her relaxed, happy, 'starry-eyed' appearance after awakening from each trance suggested that she was deriving more gratification from the hypnotic experience than would be likely just from the relief of symptoms and the gaining of insight.[3]^:140

Hypnosis fetishism has a large overlap with mind control fetishism,[15] which in addition to typically unrealistic, fantasy depictions of hypnotic control,[15] may include magic (telepathy, vampires[11]) or fictional technology (brainwashing machines, robotization) as plot devices. Hypnosis and mind control fetish content has been shared on the internet since its early years, as in a 1997 survey of stories from alt.sex.stories which found that "five percent of stories involved some kind of mind control (such as hypnosis, the use of mythical mind control machines or drugs)".[16]

References

1. Kohn, Isabelle (2019). "The Erotic Hypnotist Who Helps Bottoms Open Up". Mel Magazine. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
2. Daveed, Michal (2018-09-10). "What It's Like to Have a Hypnosis Fetish". narratively. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
3. Merrill, George G. (1957). "Sexual complications of hypnosis". Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. 5 (3): 138–146. doi:10.1080/00207145708410731.
4. Moylan, Brian (2012-04-27). "Erotic Hypnosis Gave Me the Most Intense Orgasm of My Life". Vice. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
5. Cookney, Franki (2019-09-10). "Erotic hypnosis - "I tried to have a hands-free orgasm using YouTube videos"". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
6. Sandra Daugherty (2014-09-08). "Sex Nerd Sandra #159: Erotic Hypnosis – Part 1 with Mark Wiseman, Live in DC!". Nerdist (Podcast). Retrieved 2020-02-10.
7. Griffiths, Mark D. (2016-12-14). "Hypnosis And Sexual Health". Psychology Today. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
8. Cockerill, Jessica (2017-12-19). "I Tried Erotic Hypnosis and Liked it, I Think". Vice. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
9. Lazarus, Molly (2019-02-25). "Hypnokink: A Peek Inside the Sexy World of Erotic Hypnosis". Kinkly. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
10. Kiberd, Roisin (2014-11-20). "The Hypnosis Videos That Promise Sweet Dreams and Hands-Free Orgasms". Vice. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
11. Eastmond, Dean (2016-05-13). "Talking to people that like to be hypnotised for sex". Dazed. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
12. Dan Savage (2020-01-21). "Hypnokink! With Michal Daveed". Savage Lovecast (Podcast). Retrieved 2020-02-10.
13. "Hypnosis SIG". Black Rose. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
14. "Hypnokink Group". TES. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
15. Newitz, Annalee (2000-10-04). "Imagining an orgasm". Salon. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
16. Harmon, Denna; Boeringer, Scot B (1997). "A content analysis of Internet-accessible written pornographic depictions". Electronic Journal of Sociology. 3 (1). Retrieved April 18, 2020.