Forensic hypnosis is the use of hypnosis in the investigative process and as evidence in court which became increasingly popular from the 1950s to the early 1980s with its use being debated into the 1990s when its popular use mostly diminished.[1] Forensic hypnosis's uses are hindered by concerns with its reliability and accuracy. The United States Department of Justice states that hypnosis may be occasionally used in investigation, but that the method faces "serious objections" and that information from hypnosis may be considered inadmissible.[2] Forensic hypnosis has been considered for several uses including: hypnotic memory enhancement, evaluating a defendant's mental state, determining if a subject is telling the truth, preparing a witness for trial, determining if one is feigning trauma or a mental injury, and supporting the defense in a criminal case.[3] Some of these uses have found more support than others as academic psychologists have reviewed these. While psychologists may find it appropriate to use memory enhancement to help in finding leads in the investigation process which should lead to uncovering more concrete evidence, its use in determining if a subject is telling the truth has been widely criticized.[3]
The historical use of forensic hypnosis was catalyzed by analogies made between emerging recording technologies and forensic hypnosis techniques such as hypnotic age regression, a technique that supposedly reveals a hypnotized person's experiences and feelings at a certain point in the past. While this comparison was popular with the public, it caused concern for academic psychologists who went on to research hypnosis and attempt to determine its appropriate uses in law enforcement and whether the mind was analogous to a recording device.[1]