Vladimir Gheorghiu

Vladimir Aristo Gheorghiu, (January 13, 1926, Berlin – May 20, 2010, Giessen) was a Romanian-German psychologist. Founder of the Romanian School of Suggestion and Hypnotherapy, his research led to a technique to induce anesthesia through hypnosis for dental surgery, and to a scale to assess (sensory) suggestibility.
==Biography==
Vladimir Gheorghiu was born in Berlin as the youngest of the four children of Constantin and Bertha Gheorghiu. In 1936, his family decided to return to their native Romania, settling in Constanța. In 1955, Vladimir graduated the Faculty of Philosophy and Psychological Sciences at the University of Bucharest. During his years of study, Vladimir also worked as a journalist and later as a diplomat, rising to the rank of director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1957 he was a psychologist (from 1964 principal researcher) at the Institute of Psychology of the Romanian Academy. 
In 1968 he received a Alexander von Humboldt Foundation scholarship at the University of Mainz. Subsequently, he earned his doctorate magna cum laude with a thesis on Hypnosis and Memory in 1969, and Habilitation in 1973, to become a professor at the University of Mainz. In August 1973, he returned to Romania to resume his research activity at the Institute of Psychology. Between 1973 and 1982 he organized the "Hypnosis Circle", a periodic forum for advancing the field, open both to the public and researchers .
Vladimir's research covered the fields of hypnosis, suggestion and suggestibility. 
In May 1982, following the Transcendental Meditation scandal, the Institute of Psychology was dissolved, the scientific staff was banned from working and publishing, their titles were revoked and Vladimir was offered a job in a laundry.
Consequently, in 1983, at the age of 57, Vladimir relocated to Giessen, Germany as a research professor at the University .
==Contributions to psychology==
Vladimir's primary focus was the theoretical understanding of suggestion and suggestibility, not only from a psychological perspective but also from a social cognitive standpoint. Vladimir's approach extended the scope of suggestibility research into diverse fields, including social psychology, memory, sensory physiology, and medical therapy. He researched the factors influencing suggestion-related behavior and advanced instruments and procedures to measure suggestion factors and assess human suggestibility. He designed new devices for measuring suggestibility across various sensory and motor domains of human perception and reaction performance. He established the (Warmth) Suggestibility Scales, emphasizing the methodological and conceptual links between suggestion and illusion. He explored the use of hypnotic, suggestive, and imaginative techniques to alleviate anxiety and pain, showcasing the practical applications of his research, e.g. via a technique of anesthesia through hypnosis for dental surgery.
Vladimir Gheorghiu was actively involved in the establishment of international hypnosis societies, such as the International Hypnosis Society (ISH) in Uppsala in 1973, and the European Hypnosis Society (ESH) in 1978, where he served as a founding and board member. He held honorary memberships in various German hypnosis societies and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH).
Vladimir promoted the field of Suggestion and Suggestibility through a series of international meetings. In 1987, he co-organized the first International Symposium on Suggestion and Suggestibility in Giessen, which resulted in the publication of a reference book on the subject, with a foreward by Ernest Hilgard . This symposium initiated a tradition of cognitive, physiological, and socio-psychological exploration of suggestion research.
==Awards==
• The "Milton Erikson" German Society Award in 1998, for outstanding contributions to the Phenomenon of Suggestion and Suggestibility;
• The "Ernest Hilgard" Award in 2000, for Scientific Excellence awarded by the International Hypnosis Society.
Category:1926 births
Category:2010 deaths
Category:People from Berlin
Category:Romanian psychologists
Category:Romanian people