What does it mean to hypnotise?
When you hypnotize someone, you put him in a trance-like condition where he is open to suggestions. To hypnotize means to generate a relaxed, concentrated condition in oneself or another. The state is known as hypnosis, and a hypnotist is someone who can induce it in others. The word "hypnotism" comes from two Greek words meaning "understanding" or "intellect." Hypnotists have used this method of treatment for hundreds of years. French physicians especially were famous for their knowledge and use of hypnosis in the early days of medical science. Napoleon's physician, Dominique Jean Larrey, is credited with developing modern-day anesthesia when he introduced local anesthetics into medicine. He also used hypnosis to relieve pain during military operations. Modern-day usage of the term "hypnotize" came about in the 1850s when George Elliotson published A Treatise on Hypnotism, which included descriptions of his experiments with patients at London's St. Thomas' Hospital. In this book, he used the terms "to hypnotize" and "being hypnotized" many times. This is how the word became popularized as a way to describe the act of putting someone in a deep meditative state where they are susceptible to suggestion. In today's world, people use the word "hypnotize" to describe the action of gaining control over someone's mind through suggestion.