- "No, it is yooooou who are getting sleepier, Doctor Rosenberg!"
- ―Dracula
Hypnosis is a mental state in which the conscious mind is relaxed and the subconscious mind becomes more active. Often, people under hypnosis are able to recall memories and feelings through their subconscious mind that they cannot otherwise access through the conscious mind. In some cases, those who are hypnotized may even recall memories from a past life. The practice of putting someone under hypnosis can be tricky and is usually only conducted by a trained medical physician, a psychiatrist or in some cases, an occultist. Some dabblers of magic are also able to render people into a hypnotic state. Those under hypnosis are vulnerable to post-hypnotic suggestion, in which an individual may plant ideas into their subconscious mind to be carried out by the conscious mind at a later date.
An example of hypnosis can be found in the DC Comics character Ophidian, who is a member of the mutant sub-race known as the Un-Men. Ophidian once used his powers of mesmerism against the Swamp Thing, forcing him to remain stationary in a single spot, thus allowing the rest of the Un-Men the chance to capture him. [1]
According to Doctor Wilfred Glendon, self-hypnosis as well as post-hypnotic suggestion is what has helped perpetuate numerous superstitions over the years. [2]
In film[]
- Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein: Dracula uses vampire mesmerism several times to befuddle Wilbur Grey into keeping his existence a secret. He also uses it on Doctor Stephens for the same purpose.
- Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
- Alligator People
- Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter
- Dark Shadows
- Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari
- Dr. Terror's Gallery of Horrors
- Dracula (1931)
- Dracula 2000
- Evil of Frankenstein
- Exorcist, The
- Frankenstein 1970
- Frozen Ghost, The
- House of Dracula
- How to Make a Monster
- Leprechaun in the Hood
- Love at First Bite: Dracula gets into a battle of wills with Jeffrey Rosenberg and they each try to out-hypnotize the other.
- Mark of the Vampire
- Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, A
- Plague of the Zombies
- Poltergeist III
In television[]
- Dark Shadows: 295: Julia Hoffman hypnotizes Maggie Evans into forgetting the identity of the man who kidnapped her.
- Dark Shadows: 462
- Dark Shadows: 700
- Dark Shadows: 702
- True Blood: Bad Blood
- True Blood: It Hurts Me Too
- True Blood: 9 Crimes
- True Blood: I Got a Right to Sing the Blues
- True Blood: You're No Good - Eric glamours Willa Burrell.
In comics[]
- Swamp Thing, Volume 1 #2: Ophidian once used his powers of mesmerism against the Swamp Thing, forcing him to remain stationary in a single spot, thus allowing the rest of the Un-Men the chance to capture him.
- Tomb of Dracula