The term hypnosis grew out of the work of Franz Mesmer in the 18th century. He promoted the theory of animal magnetism and would cure illness with magnetic fluids. His successes were later attributed to the power of suggestion, which eventually gave us both the placebo effect and the concept of hypnosis. Hypnosis is based on the power of suggestion in humans, but was depicted in movies as a "power" to force people to do things they normally wouldn't, often for nerfarious pirposes. As such, it was relegated to the realm of myth, entertainment, or just plain bunk.
The truth is that hypnosis is a technique that works on some people more than others, but is not as dramatic as the movies would have us believe. It's more of an exercise in opening one's mind to new ways of thinking and behaving, and can be therapeutic for certain purposes. -via Damn Interesting
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