Short survey of what psychoanalysts thought about hypnosis

A refined list focusing on psychoanalysts and their views on hypnosis:

1. Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) – Started With Hypnosis, Then Rejected It

Freud initially used hypnosis, influenced by Charcot and Breuer, to uncover repressed memories. However, he found that:

• Not all patients could be hypnotized.
• Hypnotic effects were temporary.
• Free association worked better in exploring the unconscious.
  Freud abandoned hypnosis in favor of psychoanalysis, believing that patients needed to consciously work through their conflicts.

2. Carl Jung (1875–1961) – Skeptical, Preferred Active Engagement

Jung experimented with hypnosis early in his career but later moved away from it. His main concerns were:

• Hypnosis made patients too passive.
• He preferred active imagination to engage with the unconscious.
• He valued long-term transformation over suggestibility.
  While he didn’t completely dismiss hypnosis, he thought deeper self-awareness was best achieved through personal engagement with the unconscious.

3. Alfred Adler (1870–1937) – Rejected Hypnosis, Focused on Conscious Change

Adler, who founded Individual Psychology, disliked hypnosis because:

• He believed in conscious self-improvement.
• Hypnosis could make patients overly dependent on the therapist.
• He preferred empowering people to actively shape their own lives.

4. Sandor Ferenczi (1873–1933) – Supported Hypnosis for Trauma Therapy

Ferenczi, a close colleague of Freud, actually reintroduced hypnosis into psychoanalysis for trauma treatment. He believed:

• Hypnosis could help patients access deeply repressed memories.
• It was useful for cases of early childhood trauma.
• It worked well in creating a strong emotional connection between therapist and patient.
  Unlike Freud, who moved away from hypnosis, Ferenczi saw its potential for healing.

5. Otto Rank (1884–1939) – Used Hypnosis in His Therapy

Rank, another early psychoanalyst, kept using hypnosis even after Freud abandoned it. He believed:

• Hypnosis could be useful in dealing with deep-seated fears.
• It allowed patients to relive and work through early traumas.
• He combined it with his own theories of birth trauma and anxiety.

Conclusion:

Among psychoanalysts, Freud, Jung, and Adler moved away from hypnosis, seeing it as either ineffective or too passive. Ferenczi and Rank, however, continued to use it, particularly for trauma treatment. Hypnosis remained controversial in psychoanalysis but later found new life in clinical psychology.