“Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Imagine all your muscles slowly relaxing one by one. As you close your eyes imagine yourself on the beach listening to the rhythmic beat of the waves against the shore. The salty breeze is the most relaxing thing on earth and makes you want to lie down and not think about your worries, but just how peaceful it is by the ocean.” The hypnotist says these things as you slowly enter the hypnotic trance. This is one of the ways modern hypnotists use to put someone into a hypnotic trance. Although many think that hypnosis is used solely for entertainment; it's not like that. It is also used in various situations for psychological therapy and has proven to be successful. Let's take a closer look at this intriguing technique. Originally considered witchcraft, hypnosis did not get off to a flying start among people who rejected its validity. What we call hypnotists today were called witches, and later, charlatans who were mere entertainers (Temes 3). Franz Anton Mesmer, considered the father of hypnosis, began practicing magnetic healing in the eighteenth century (Castleman 395). Magnetic healing later evolved into mesmerizing, a term that comes from his last name and means entrance (Castleman 395). His practices were discredited but his followers continued in his footsteps. The Marquis de Puysegur discovered that patients could enter a sleep-like state but continue to communicate and be responsive. (Hadley 10) While John Elliotson used hypnotic trance in his medical practice to perform one thousand eight hundred and thirty-four painless surgeries (Hadley 10). Sigmund Freud chose not to believe that hypnosis could bring out repressed memories and used the technology ... middle of paper ... used on many social occasions for harmless entertainment when a stage hypnotist comes to make people do funny actions. . Fraternities and sororities sometimes hire one for socializing and entertainment. Over the years it is easy to see how hypnosis has progressed. What started out as regular entertainment now has the potential to actually change habits and thought processes. If anyone is looking for a natural way to relieve a phobia, pain, behavior, etc. Without serious harmful side effects, hypnosis is a powerful solution. It is important to remember, however, that only those who want and believe they can help will receive the best results. Although it can be used for more serious aspects, hypnosis is still used today for creative entertainment. Anyone can and should take advantage of its useful influences to overcome or improve whatever it is, because it is a natural remedy.