Misuse of Hypnosis in Sexual Contexts: Two Case Reports

Abstract

A military officer was accused by 2 young men of having used hypnosis to attempt homosexual relations. The officer denied the charges and claimed that the young men had imagined these events while they were in altered states of consciousness. The officer did admit to questionable practices such as consuming alcoholic beverages with the 2 young men and then using relaxation techniques with them in bedrooms. Subject motivation and nonhypnotic coercive tactics such as abuse of authority and alcohol seem important in understanding alleged cases of hypnotic coercion.