Free Hypnosis in History Course
Login or Register to watch the video, take the online quiz, and receive your free Hypnosis in History eBook and CEU Certificate.
The American Hypnosis Association (AHA) in conjunction with HMI’s Nationally Accredited College of Hypnotherapy is proud to present this FREE online course, Hypnosis in History.
This 45-minute video documentary presents the revealing and fascinating history of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Starting with the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, our story guides you through the pivotal pioneers of Mesmerism and Hypnosis in Europe, and then into the 21st Century.
This illuminating story is a must see for any student of Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy.
Hypnosis in History – Introduction
Hello, and welcome to…
Hypnosis in History
Produced by the American Hypnosis Association, this short but fact filled documentary, is the first step in your HMI College of Hypnotherapy journey.
This online course also includes a workbook, and online quiz which serves as a prerequisite, for your application to HMI’s Accredited Hypnotherapy Training.
It is recommended to have your workbook open for reference, while taking the online quiz.
We thank you for your interest in Hypnotherapy and hope you enjoy your journey through Hypnosis in History.
HMI Student Comments
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-17 at 10:02 AM Pacific Time
Very interesting, and I am excited to learn more.
B.M. from West Haven, Utah, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-17 at 1:42 AM Pacific Time
It was good information, and very interesting. HMI website videos are top notch.
Z.A. from Dublin, California, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-14 at 1:47 PM Pacific Time
It made me think deeply about the history of hypnosis.
C.K. from Lutz, Florida, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-14 at 8:24 AM Pacific Time
Very interesting, loved this lesson!
L.N. from Colby, Kansas, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-14 at 12:28 AM Pacific Time
It was informative and very well put together.
A.M. from New Rochelle, New York, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-13 at 5:11 PM Pacific Time
It was pretty interesting, especially finding very popular names tied to Hypnotism like Sigmund Freud and King Louis XVI. It's also a plus that the workbook had images that correlate with the text that's different from the video, gave me more to look at and understand.
A.W. from Sebring, Florida, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-12 at 5:42 PM Pacific Time
I enjoy learning so I loved it!
T.R. from Garner, North Carolina, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-12 at 4:26 PM Pacific Time
Great synopsis of the evolution of hypnosis.
R.M. from Limerick, IE
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-12 at 3:19 PM Pacific Time
It was excellent! I learned quite a bit.
T.J. from Keller, Texas, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-12 at 1:20 PM Pacific Time
I feel like it was great to learn.
A.J. from Columbia, South Carolina, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-12 at 10:02 AM Pacific Time
I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot. It was easy to understand, interesting, and informative.
L.L. from Monroe, New York, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-11 at 5:37 PM Pacific Time
Learned a lot of interesting information, got a deeper insight of hypnosis and how it evolved.
L.I. from Brooklyn, New York, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-11 at 2:24 PM Pacific Time
This lesson was very informative, I enjoyed watching it.
R.F. from San Francisco, California, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-11 at 11:51 AM Pacific Time
Great class, loved it! Awesome!
N.H. from Albany, New York, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-10 at 8:32 PM Pacific Time
I love how educational this course was.
A.C. from Lowmansville, Kentucky, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-09 at 6:09 PM Pacific Time
I loved it. It was very informing and could define easily what hypnosis has been through time.
M.H. from Ocala, Florida, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-09 at 5:44 PM Pacific Time
I very much enjoyed the history lesson!
S.G. from Kenosha, Wisconsin, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-08 at 5:48 PM Pacific Time
Informative lesson. Thank you.
D.U. from Loveland, Colorado, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-08 at 2:58 AM Pacific Time
I have been interested in hypnosis for over 15 years and got a clinical degree in psychology hoping that this would be included as a recognized study at the time but it was not. I learned so much about the science in this brief film, fascinating and informative, I am certain that this school will further my practice and make me into the therapist I’d always wished I could be.
B.L. from San Diego, California, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-07 at 4:58 PM Pacific Time
This was great and informative.
S.L. from Columbia, South Carolina, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-07 at 4:24 PM Pacific Time
Hypnosis is often misunderstood as a mysterious state where someone loses control of their mind, but it may be better understood as an unusual shift in attention and awareness. Under hypnosis, a person can become so deeply absorbed in an idea, memory, or suggestion that their ordinary sense of surroundings temporarily fades into the background. In that sense, hypnosis is not necessarily about surrendering control—it can be about focusing control so intensely that the mind experiences thoughts and suggestions in a surprisingly vivid way. The fascinating part is that the boundary between imagination and perception can become remarkably flexible: simply believing or vividly imagining something can sometimes produce sensations that feel almost completely real.
M.A. from Roxbury, Massachusetts, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-07 at 11:46 AM Pacific Time
I loved it very much, traveling in history, thanks.
I.U. from Canoga Park, California, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-07 at 9:56 AM Pacific Time
The information in the video was very informative.
E.M. from Fort Meade, Maryland, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-06 at 11:40 PM Pacific Time
I'm not sure why but I cried at the end of the video. Like imagining all the possibilities.
J.M. from Dong He Township, Taitung County, TW
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-06 at 7:26 PM Pacific Time
Very informative and interesting.
S.E. from Tulare, California, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-06 at 11:24 AM Pacific Time
I liked it very much. I think it encourages review of your highlights very specifically, and it reinforced things in my own memory that needed reinforcing.
P.M. from Knoxville, Tennessee, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-06 at 7:38 AM Pacific Time
It was fun and informative.
A.S. from Fort Myers, Florida, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-05 at 9:33 PM Pacific Time
It was very informative! I was able to learn a lot about the history of hypnosis. I did find myself wishing it was more in depth. I do think the topic would have benefited from being a series of videos, since I have to imagine there's so much to the many stories included in the lesson that we only got to scratch the surface of. There's some truly remarkable facts though, and I found the video to be well produced and the PDF to be well-made and navigable.
Z.B. from New Bern, North Carolina, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-05 at 8:52 PM Pacific Time
I found this lesson much more interesting than I expected. Rather than just presenting names and dates, it showed how ideas about hypnosis evolved over thousands of years into techniques that are still relevant today. I could easily connect historical practices like Temple Sleep, the Oracle of Delphi, Mesmer's experiments, and Coué's autosuggestion to modern situations such as reducing anxiety before surgery, helping veterans process traumatic memories, improving athletic performance, managing chronic pain, and building confidence before public speaking or job interviews. Seeing how hypnosis developed from spiritual rituals into an evidence-informed therapeutic tool made the subject feel practical rather than just historical. This course gave me a much greater appreciation for the origins of hypnotherapy and how its principles continue to influence psychology, medicine, and personal development today.
R.W. from San Diego, California, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-05 at 7:19 PM Pacific Time
I loved it. Can’t wait to learn more!
B.H. from Spartanburg, South Carolina, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-05 at 12:00 PM Pacific Time
The History of Hypnosis is very fascinating.
L.B. from Blanding, Utah, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-05 at 10:11 AM Pacific Time
I thoroughly enjoyed learning the background and history of hypnosis and how it has evolved through thousands of years!
A.H. from Glenside, Pennsylvania, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-04 at 8:10 PM Pacific Time
It was very interesting and informative.
A.K. from Calgary, CA
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-04 at 6:31 PM Pacific Time
I enjoyed the history lesson, it was informative.
J.H. from Manchester, Tennessee, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-04 at 5:18 PM Pacific Time
I really enjoyed learning how Hypnotherapy has come to where it is today. Very Informative information.
R.R. from Clermont, Florida, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-04 at 3:05 PM Pacific Time
It was very interesting to see the progression of hypnotism. I find the early stages, where people are only beginning to discover it, the most exciting. Seeing it form from a perceived magical practice to something that is documented and can be learned by anyone is very cool to see.
C.C. from Bennington, Nebraska, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-04 at 2:02 PM Pacific Time
Informative and well researched. I enjoyed it.
H.M. from Puyallup, Washington, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-04 at 1:55 PM Pacific Time
I liked the history lesson quite a lot.
C.H. from Austin, Texas, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-04 at 9:56 AM Pacific Time
It was great. I enjoyed it.
M.B. from Oak Harbor, Washington, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-04 at 12:41 AM Pacific Time
The lesson was presented in a way we could understand. The layout of this course was easy to follow and also check our answers.
B.M. from Butte, Montana, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-03 at 9:17 PM Pacific Time
I think the lesson was very informative!
C.A. from Excelsior Springs, Missouri, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-03 at 4:23 PM Pacific Time
Interesting and thought provoking. Going to research some things that piqued my interest.
S.P. from Ionia, Michigan, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-03 at 11:21 AM Pacific Time
Very informative! It touches on all of the important background information in the development of modern hypnosis and how it emerged.
K.O. from Frankfort, Kentucky, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-03 at 11:05 AM Pacific Time
Loved it! I learned so much historical information that was all new to me and very validating!
E.G. from New Albany, Indiana, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-03 at 7:24 AM Pacific Time
I loved the lesson, it was extremely interesting to read through the entire thing! There were a lot of names thrown out and my other page with my open book collapsed so I had to do the best by sheer memory but if it wasn’t for that I love it and would give this a 10/10!
K.J. from Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-03 at 2:16 AM Pacific Time
I loved how informative the lesson was. I also liked the fact that the use of a voice was given to each person that made a statement, I very much liked having the workbook. I also love the fact that I was allowed to download it and save it on my computer so I can reference it anytime I want. I learned a great deal. However, I feel like some topics like the treatment of soldiers that was on the test, could have been expounded more on. I could not recall what had been said, and struggled to locate the answer in the workbook. I love learning new things. I always have room for growth and learning improvements. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this amazing and still trailblazing career. I am 46 and your lesson confirmed that I need to stop procrastinating and do what I enjoy and start my career helping others through hypnosis. I also see that I do not have to limit myself to one technique.
S.H. from Hot Springs, Arkansas, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-02 at 10:45 PM Pacific Time
I enjoyed it. I found it very knowledgeable and interesting to learn how it changed throughout the years.
A.D. from Ridgecrest, California, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-02 at 11:20 AM Pacific Time
I liked the lesson very well. I learned a lot about how hypnosis came to be.
M.T. from Sherman Oaks, California, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-02 at 12:23 AM Pacific Time
I believe that the video did an excellent job of explaining the history of hypnosis without going too deep into it. The video explained it well.
C.S. from Tonasket, Washington, US
Hypnosis in History
2026-08-01 at 6:49 PM Pacific Time
Fascinating! I really enjoyed the music and design too.
A.K. from Seattle, Washington, US