Famous Figures Involved in Hypnosis
Many were touched upon on the history pages, but there are more that have been linked to hypnosis, truthfully or not. Take these all with a grain of salt, and see which one's you believe, if any. This page is all for fun, and mostly speculation, because clearly, websites selling hypnosis tapes are using big names to try and sell their product rather than actual testimonials.
Sigmund Freud
This one's actually true. Freud was fascinated with hypnosis, but after his studies, decided that dreams and free association were the root of getting at the subconscious, not hypnosis (Daniel Olson). It is said that in "1896, [Freud] rejected hypnotic induction ritual as unnecessary and too likely to foster unwanted amorous advances by patients" which certainly sounds like the guy (Hypnosis.com).
Tiger Woods
In his childhood and before his current mess of a personal life, it's said that Woods used hypnosis and Buddhist teachings to master the mental aspect of golf (Golf Mental Game). There are even websites dedicated to mastering your golf swing through hypnosis, using Tiger as their example (SwingHypnosis).
Mozart
Many hypnosis websites say that Mozart studied hypnotism and apparently wrote an entire opera under hypnosis (ArticleSnatch.com). But this is not true, according to clinical hypnotist Mary Elizabeth Raynes (LaughingCherub). As she explains it, "young Mozart's father was a close friend of Mesmer, who was himself an accomplished musician. The premiere performance of Wolfgang Mozart's first opera, composed when he was still a child, was given on Mesmer's palatial estate and, some believe, commissioned by Mesmer" (LaughingCherub).
Albert Einstein
Many websites cite Einstein as a man who studied and used hypnosis to develop his ideas (Hypnotherapy). According to Claudia Weber, a clinical hypnotherapist, he helped boost understanding of hypnotherapy through his studies (Hypnotherapy).
Kevin Costner
Costner, on the set of "Waterworld," developed sea sickness, and who can blame him, if you've seen it? Hypnosis helped it stop, according to Midwifery Consulting Services.
Martha Stewart
Hypnosis apparently eradicated poor Martha's recurring nightmares of jail (RealCovertHypnosis).
Ellen Degeneres
Hypnosis has been advertised as helping many celebrities stop smoking, including talk show host and comedian, Ellen. (RealCovertHypnosis).
Los Angeles Lakers
Phil Jackson, the famous and hugely successful coach of the Lakers is nicknamed the "zen master." Some people have taken this too far, and argued that the coach used hypnosis with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal to help lead them to their titles (ArticleSnatch).
Matt Damon
Like Ellen, Matt Damon has been reported as using hypnosis to quit smoking in just three sessions to end a 16-year habit, according to Hoffman Hypnosis & Healing. Curiously, Ben Affleck has also been linked to hypnosis, because when one of them is mentioned, the other isn't far behind.
There's More...
Others that are rumored or may have used hypnosis include Henry Ford, Jackie Kennedy, Brett Favre, Winona Ryder, Thomas Edison and Samuel L. Jackson.