View source for Unsolved:Erotic hypnosis

{{short description|Erotic practices involving hypnosis}}
[[File:The Hypnotist, 1930s stag film, screenshots.png|thumb|Frames from the 1930s stag film ''The Hypnotist'']]
'''Erotic hypnosis''' is a broad term for a variety of erotic activities involving [[Unsolved:Hypnosis|hypnosis]]. Some erotic hypnosis is practiced in the context of BDSM relationships and communities.<ref name=sloan/> In addition, for some people hypnosis is inherently erotic,<ref name=daveed/><ref name=merrill/> making it an example of a sexual fetish or paraphilia.

==Practice==
Erotic hypnosis can involve hypnotic suggestions intended to increase arousal,<ref name=griffiths/> to create or enhance sexual pleasure (which may involve "hands-free orgasms"<ref name=kohn/><ref name=kiberd1/>), to produce new sensations,<ref name=lazarus/> to freeze partners in place or simulate bondage,<ref name=kohn/><ref name=savage/> or to enhance roleplay, with popular types of hypnotic roleplay including animal transformations,<ref name=daveed/> robot play<ref name=eastmond/> and doll play.<ref name=sleepingirl/> Erotic hypnosis may be done face-to-face, over video conferencing or text chat, or through pre-recorded audio files or videos.<ref name=kiberd1/> Sessions may involve [[Unsolved:Suggestion|suggestion]]s that are to take effect during trance or afterwards, in the form of [[Unsolved:Suggestion#Temporal dimensions|post-hypnotic suggestions]], some of which might be triggered by an action or situation.<ref name=daveed/>

==Relation to BDSM==
Hypnosis is an increasingly popular practice within a dominance and submission relationship to reinforce power exchange and as a form of kinky play.<ref name="sloan"/><ref name="simone"/> 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.<ref name=moylan>{{cite web|last1=Moylan|first1=Brian|title=Erotic Hypnosis Gave Me the Most Intense Orgasm of My Life|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vdy7k4/erotic-hypnosis-gave-me-the-most-intense-orgasm-of-my-life|date=2012-04-27 |website=Vice |access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref><ref name=eastmond/> Several practitioners have compared the sensation of trance to subspace.<ref name=daugherty/><ref name=savage/><ref name=lazarus/> Major BDSM events in North America now frequently contain classes and workshops dedicated to erotic hypnosis, such as events run by Black Rose<ref name="blackrose"/> and TES.<ref name="tes"/> 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,<ref name=daveed/> as well as local meetups such as munches.

==As a fetish==
[[File:Hypnofetishism.png|thumb|Erotic hypnosis portrayed in an anime-style illustration]]
A subset of those interested in erotic hypnosis find hypnosis inherently erotic,<ref name=daveed/> therefore making it an example of a [[Medicine:Sexual fetishism|sexual fetish]]. They may be aroused by hypnotizing others, by the feeling of being hypnotized, or by seeing people being hypnotized.<ref name=griffiths/><ref name=eastmond/>

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".<ref name=merrill/> In one case study of a patient who eroticized hypnosis, he wrote

<blockquote>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.<ref name=merrill/>{{rp|140}}</blockquote>Hypnosis fetishism has a large overlap with mind control fetishism,<ref name=newitz/> which in addition to typically unrealistic, fantasy depictions of hypnotic control,<ref name=newitz/> may include magic (e.g., [[Unsolved:Telepathy|telepathy]], vampirism<ref name=eastmond/>) or fictional technology (e.g., [[Social:Brainwashing|brainwashing]] machines, robotization) as plot devices.

== Society and culture ==

=== Cinema and stag films ===
Hypnosis had a link to perceptions of erotic and criminal transgression in mainstream cinema, particularly in the early to mid-twentieth century, popularising the idea of the "evil hypnotist" and the "scientific brainwasher." These tropes were replicated in stag films at the time, such as the 1930s stag film ''The Hypnotist''.<ref name=":1" />

=== On the internet ===

==== History ====
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)".<ref name="harmon" /> Erotic hypnosis content on the internet has appeared as [[Audio file format|audio files]], videos, and literature.<ref name=":1" />

==== Modern day ====
Erotic hypnosis is now somewhat prominent as a niche on the internet. In 2019, the erotic hypnosis subreddit on [[Company:Reddit|Reddit]] had over 109,000 members.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Tonic |first1=Gina |last2=Frost |first2=Helen |date=2022-12-07 |title=I Tried to Orgasm Using Only My Mind |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7b9ae/hands-free-orgasm-using-only-my-mind |access-date=2023-11-02 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref>

Videos consisting of rapidly edited sexual clips combined with text or audio that caters to fantasies of being brainwashed, for example into feminization,<ref name="newman">{{Cite web|title=Pointing to the Trap|url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/pointing-to-the-trap/|last1= Eric|first1=Newman|date=2019-11-25|website=Los Angeles Review of Books| access-date= 2022-02-26}}</ref> have gained in popularity.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |last1= Mackay|first1= James|last2= Mackay|first2= Polina|date= November 2021|title= Hypnosis and pornography: a cultural history|url= https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23268743.2021.1978312|journal= Porn Studies|volume= 10|issue= |pages= 82–98|doi= 10.1080/23268743.2021.1978312|s2cid= 244056561}}</ref> A 2023 study in ''Sexuality & Culture'' found that "sissy hypno" content is viewed by [[Social:Cisgender|cisgender]] men, as well as transgender women who may use the media "as a tool of [[Philosophy:Sexual identity|sexual identity]] [[Philosophy:Self-affirmation|affirmation]] and further sexual exploration."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Vadapalli |first1=Sundara Kashyap |last2=Kuss |first2=Daria J. |date=2023-07-06 |title=Sissy Hypno: Conceptualisation of Autogynephilic Persuasive Pornography (AGPP) and an Investigative Exploration of the Experiences of its Consumers |journal=Sexuality & Culture |language=en |doi=10.1007/s12119-023-10113-y |issn=1936-4822|doi-access=free }}</ref> Another article in ''Transgender Studies Quarterly'' found that for transgender women, these videos "create space for viewers to experiment with gendered embodiment through imagining a future-oriented transformation into a trans* subject."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gilbert |first=Aster |date=2020-05-01 |title=Sissy Remixed: Trans* Porno Remix and Constructing the Trans* Subject |url=https://doi.org/10.1215/23289252-8143379 |journal=Transgender Studies Quarterly |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=222–236 |doi=10.1215/23289252-8143379 |s2cid=219649377 |via=Duke University Press}}</ref>

==== Controversy ====
Erotic hypnosis (sometimes branded "Hypnokink") content has been subject to restrictions on [[Social:Internet pornography|pornographic websites]] for a combination of reasons, though particularly due to concerns about sexual consent.<ref name=":0" /> In 2019, subscription platform Patreon banned erotic content depicting non-consensual hypnosis under its policy against "glorification of sexual violence," particularly what it called "coerced consent" content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valens |first=Ana |date=2019-06-12 |title=Patreon is removing erotic hypnosis content. It's a dangerous sign for porn |url=https://cashmeremag.com/patreon-hypnosis-porn-ban-sexual-violence-592952/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Cashmere |language=en-US}}</ref> Proponents of hypnosis pornography argue that it is an example of consensual non-consent, and that many examples of hypnosis in fictional media portray it as non-consensual, leading to the belief that hypnotized performers do not fully consent to the experience in real life.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Dawson |first=Brit |date=2023-07-21 |title=Erotic hypnosis: "It's just tying someone up without rope" |url=https://theface.com/life/erotic-hypnosis-sex-relationships-porn-stigma-safety |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=The Face |language=en-gb}}</ref>

In 2023, an article from BuzzFeed News alleged that a series of intense feminization recordings known as ''Bambi Sleep'' had eroded and violated the consent of their hypnotic subjects.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lucas |first=Jessica |date=2023-04-19 |title=After These People Tried Erotic Hypnosis, They Couldn't Recognize Themselves |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jessicalucas2/erotic-hypnosis-bambi-sleep |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en}}</ref> Other practitioners of erotic hypnosis criticized the article, agreeing that the files were "unsafe," but arguing that the article portrayed the community as a "monolith," and that "''Bambi Sleep'' is a tiny part of an intensely broad hypnokink space."<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-06 |title=What is erotic hypnosis? And can it ever be a safe kink for those wanting to try it? |url=https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/what-is-erotic-hypnosis |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=Glamour UK |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="tes">{{cite web|title=Hypnokink Group|url=https://www.tes.org/sig-hypnokink/ |website=TES |access-date=2020-02-18}}</ref>

<ref name="blackrose">{{cite web|title=Hypnosis SIG|url=https://br.org/br/sigs/hypnosis-sig/ |website=Black Rose |access-date=2020-02-18}}</ref>

 <ref name=merrill>{{cite journal |last1=Merrill |first1=George G. |date=1957 |title=Sexual complications of hypnosis |journal=Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=138–146 |doi=10.1080/00207145708410731 }}</ref>

<ref name=daveed>{{cite web|last1=Daveed|first1=Michal|title=What It's Like to Have a Hypnosis Fetish|url=https://narratively.com/what-its-like-to-have-a-hypnosis-fetish/ |date=2018-09-10 |website=narratively |access-date=2020-02-03}}</ref>

<ref name=lazarus>{{cite web|last1=Lazarus|first1=Molly|title=Hypnokink: A Peek Inside the Sexy World of Erotic Hypnosis
|url=https://www.kinkly.com/hypnokink-a-peek-inside-the-sexy-world-of-erotic-hypnosis/2/17698|date=2019-02-25 |website=Kinkly |access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref>

<ref name=eastmond>{{cite web|last1=Eastmond|first1=Dean|title=Talking to people that like to be hypnotised for sex|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/31105/1/talking-to-the-people-that-like-to-be-hypnotised-for-sex|date=2016-05-13 |website=Dazed |access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref>

<ref name=kohn>{{cite web|last1=Kohn|first1=Isabelle|title=The Erotic Hypnotist Who Helps Bottoms Open Up|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-erotic-hypnotist-who-helps-bottoms-open-up |date=2019 |website=Mel Magazine |access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref>

<ref name=daugherty>{{cite podcast |url=https://archive.nerdist.com/sex-nerd-sandra-159-erotic-hypnosis-part-1-with-mark-wiseman-live-in-dc/ |title=Sex Nerd Sandra #159: Erotic Hypnosis – Part 1 with Mark Wiseman, Live in DC! |website=Nerdist |host=Sandra Daugherty |date=2014-09-08 |access-date=2020-02-10 }}</ref>

<ref name=savage>{{cite podcast |url=https://www.savagelovecast.com/episodes/691 |title=Hypnokink! With Michal Daveed |website=Savage Lovecast |host=Dan Savage |date=2020-01-21 |access-date=2020-02-10 }}</ref>

<ref name=griffiths>{{cite web |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-excess/201612/hypnosis-and-sexual-health |title=Hypnosis And Sexual Health |last=Griffiths |first=Mark D. |date=2016-12-14 |website=Psychology Today |access-date=2020-02-10 }}</ref>

<ref name=kiberd1>{{cite web|last1=Kiberd|first1=Roisin|title=The Hypnosis Videos That Promise Sweet Dreams and Hands-Free Orgasms|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qkvwxd/the-hypnosis-videos-that-promise-sweet-dreams-and-hands-free-orgasms |date=2014-11-20 |website=Vice |access-date=2020-02-18}}</ref>

<ref name=harmon>{{cite journal |last1=Harmon |first1=Denna |last2=Boeringer  |first2=Scot B |date=1997 |title=A content analysis of Internet-accessible written pornographic depictions |url=https://www.sociology.org/ejs-archives/vol003.001/boeringer.html |journal=Electronic Journal of Sociology |volume=3 |issue=1| access-date=April 18, 2020 }}</ref>

<ref name=newitz>{{cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/10/04/mind_control/hypnosis-and-sexual-health |title=Imagining an orgasm |last=Newitz |first=Annalee |date=2000-10-04 |website=Salon |access-date=2020-03-19 }}</ref>

<ref name="sloan">{{cite book |first=Kate |last=Sloan |date=2021 |title=101 Kinky Things Even You Can Do |location=London |publisher=Laurence King Publishing |pages=76–77 |isbn=9781913947217}}</ref>

<ref name="simone">{{cite book |last=Mistress Simone |date=2014 |title=The Toybag Guide to Chastity Play |location=Eugene, Oregon |publisher=Greenery Press |pages=64–68 |isbn=9780937609675}}</ref>

<ref name="sleepingirl">{{cite web|last1=Sleepingirl|title=Erotic Hypnosis Turned Me Into a Living Sex Doll|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/confessions/a41109089/erotic-hypnosis-living-sex-doll/ |date=2022-09-08 |website=Cosmopolitan |access-date=2022-09-09}}</ref>

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{{Sex fetish}}
{{Paraphilia}}

[[Category:Hypnosis]]

{{Sourceattribution|Erotic hypnosis}}