“Hypnosis is a built-in ability which we can ‘turn on’ through psychological suggestion alone. We have conscious control over hypnosis. The placebo response, in contrast, is general, automatic and is ‘turned on’ by belief in a physical treatment.

“A sick individual given a harmless, medically-inactive pill but told it is very powerful will often recover from what ails him. That’s the placebo effect. A belief in something outside of oneself. This conscious belief positively galvanizes the health potential of the body.

“A sick individual who chooses to use hypnosis will often recover from what ails him. That’s the hypnotic effect. Conscious control within oneself. This positively activates the subconscious and galvanizes the health potential of the body.

“Hypnosis is not something one person ‘does’ to another. It is an inborn talent. Its use, deliberate or unwitting, varies from person to person. An individual’s development of this skill can be enhanced with the guidance of an experienced hypnotist. Then the talent can subsequently be even more useful and enjoyable when employed by the person on his own. Actually, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis because it is the client who uses his or her abilities, including concentration and imagination, to produce what we recognize as ‘hypnotic’ effects.”