[Comments on contemporary concepts of hypnosis and its application in psychiatry].

This paper is an overview of the concepts of hypnosis from the first descriptive accounts until the present, from a phenomenological and practical perspective. The authors described this phenomenon as a specific state of consciousness, which is engendered by a therapist. It is very important to note the difference among hypnosis, sleeping and wakefulness. This paper discusses the basic hypothesis of the origins of hypnosis e.g. "suggestive acting", theories of neodissociation, psychoanalytical, multidimensional and behavioural. The authors emphasizes the meaning of reducing the sphere of the consciousness in this state and it's limitation in case of suggestions, which are contradictory to the ethics and instinct of self-preservation represented by the patient. The essence of hypnosis is a specific state of rapport between the therapist and the passive patient. The authors remove from hypnosis any hint of mystery emphasising the methodological difficulties in reliable researches on this subject. Hypnosis is an useful instrument in the hands of a qualified and experienced therapist. It is particularly valuable in the therapy of drug dependences, some kinds of neurotic states, an anxiety and phobias, as in treating disturbances of personality.