An Ego-Psychological Theory of Hypnosis

Of the many functions of the ego (4), (2), (1) that relatively most recently discussed and least generally understood is the function of 'self-exclusion' (5), (6), (7). Under certain circumstances, the ego is able to exclude or to decrease some or nearly all of its functions. The cognitive function needs to be excluded in the process of falling asleep. In hypnagogic phenomena, especially in Silberer's functional phenomenon (10), we deal with a self-observation of the process of falling asleep and, as it were, a self-observation of the decrease and exclusion of perception. Varendonck (11) has cited a number of interesting examples which occurred to him when he was struggling to stay awake. A patient of mine, following a small operation, was nightly given codeine as a sedative and experienced a vision of a window being closed as the last thing before falling asleep. I have myself experienced the image of a closet door closing and darkness ensuing. Such phenomena are easily recalled either if one trains oneself, as Varendonck did, to awaken again, or when circumstances bring about a chance noise that penetrates the perceptual field and reverses the process.

Not infrequently, people report a final awareness of muscular relaxation as the feeling of falling in going to sleep, only to awaken with a start if they happen to be anxious and the muscular relaxation is incomplete, and if passivity is a threat. Similarly, the process of awakening from a deep slumber frequently involves a temporary disorientation with only gradual perception of the entire field.

I suggest that the hypnotic state—in the past frequently described as a 'state of narrowed consciousness'—can be better understood as a state of partial self-exclusion of the ego similar to the process of falling asleep, but not identical with it. In enumerating the differences, I hope also to contribute to a clarification of the longstanding discussion of comparisons between sleep and hypnosis.

Consciousness, and th