Hypnotized

/ˈhɪpnətaɪzd/ adjective

Definition

In a trance-like state where someone is deeply focused and responsive to suggestion, or unable to look away from something fascinating.

Etymology

From Greek 'hypnos' meaning 'sleep' plus the suffix '-ize'. The term was coined in the 1840s by Scottish surgeon James Braid to describe induced trance states.

Kelly Says

Despite all the Hollywood dramatization, neuroscience shows hypnosis is real but works more like extreme focused attention than mind control—your brain actually lights up in specific ways during hypnosis that we can measure with brain scans.

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