Hypnosis and False Memory
As I previously wrote this week, there has been a conspiracy theory in right wing US publications and by right wing pundits that Professor Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who first made sexual allegations against Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh. This story seems to have developed legs and is now being commented on by a number of people. Interestingly, all of those commenting are not qualified to comment on hypnosis or the idea of repressed memory therapy.
These are terms and images which will be a very uncomfortable reminders of the use of hypnosis and other techniques which led to many people experiencing false memories which led to further psychological trauma. I am disgusted by these allegations, there is a plethora of evidence from peer reviewed sources which show that the use of hypnosis as described by these commentators simply cannot be substantiated. Yet again, hypnosis gets tainted by association which has the potential to prevent people from seeking out hypnosis as a means of therapeutic change work.
Hypnosis is a tool which in the right hands can be a force for good. In incompetent hands, it has no impact at all. However, all of this plays out, I fear that hypnosis has taken an undeserved knock in the name of partisan politics.
