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By Merton M. Gill and Margaret Brennan. (New York: Internat. Univ. Press. 1959. Pp. 405. $7.50.)
Time Distortion in Hypnosis. By Linn F. Cooper and Milton H. Erickson. Second Edition. (London: Baillière, Tindall & Cox. 1959. Pp. 206.)
A Handbook of Medical Hypnosis. An Introduction for Practitioners and Students. By Gordon Ambrose and George Newbold, Second Ed. (London: Baillière, Tindall & Cox, 1959. Pp. 276. 27 s. 6 d.)
There has been a revival of interest in hypnosis since World War II. It is gratifying that psycho-analysts have been in the forefront of those who have re-examined the psychodynamics of the hypnotic state and of hypnotherapy. The book by Gill and Brenman, which has the subtitle 'Psychoanalytic Studies in Regression', is the most important comprehensive work in this field since the studies of Schilder and his associates. Hypnosis is viewed as 'a particular kind of regressive process which may be initiated either by sensory-motor-ideational deprivation or by the stimulation of an archaic relationship to the hypnotist'. In emphasizing the importance of sensory deprivation, the authors have followed Kubie and Margolin. The hypnotic state implies a reduction of ego function. The transference