Hypnosis — Its Use and Limitations in Police and Criminal Investigations
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8005300303 |
| Published date | 01 July 1980 |
| Date | 01 July 1980 |
| Author | J. R. Jaffe |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DR.
J. R.
JAFFE,
M.B., Ch.B., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., (A).M.R.C.
Psy.
Physician in charge
or
Hypnotherapy Clinic. Dept.
or
Psychaitry,
North Manchester General Hospital.
Following the article bv Mr.
Sam
Napier in Issue No. 1/80. we
now
present the professional viewpoint based on the writer's regular
lectures to (i) The
Chief
Officers Seminar. Greater Manchester
Police
and
(ii) The Detective Training Course, Merseyside Police.
HYPNOSIS
- ITS USE
AND
LIMITATIONS
IN POLICE
AND
CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS
The
possibility of using hypnosis in criminology work is now
receiving attention from many workers in this field. The reactions of
specialists involved in the field of criminal detection and law
enforcement have varied from the absolute astonishment and
ridicule to those who see in it one of the most fascinating innovations
of this century. The purpose of this article is to try and assess its
potential role away from the over exaggerated claims of success
and
highly emotive response of the prejudiced and the biased.
After over twenty years of experience in the use of hypnosis in
clinical medicine and psychiatry I am
not
at all surprised by the
response of all sections of professional workers. This is in no small
measure due to the fact
that
so little is understood and even
that
portion is highly coloured by the press and the media.
What is hypnosis? I) Hypnosis is best described as a state of hyper-
suggestability, which means that during the hypnotic trance the
person is far from suggestable to instructions which in the normal
waking state he would not accept without reservations, in other
words the critical faculty of the conscious mind is dulled or put in
abeyance during the hypnotic trance. 2) There is a complete physical
and mental relaxation. 3) In addition the hypnotised person is only
aware of the voice of the hypnotist and his suggestions, and his
mind is focused entirely on carrying out any such suggestions or
commands; his ability to concentrate utterly and entirely to
that
act
or thought is absolute. Unfortunately in most peoples minds the
hypnotic trance means going into astate akin to a deep sleep where
the person is oblivious to everything
that
is going on, where they are
forced by the suggestion of the hypnotist to do all kinds of bizzare
things and at the end of the trance they have no recollection of what
has actually transpired. It is the trance which people have seen or
heard
about
or read
about
but
this is a trance state which only occurs
in 10% of the population known as deep trance subjects
or
233 Police Journal Ju(1' 1980
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