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| A depiction of Hypnos in action |
Hypnos is the Roman God of sleep. His Latin name is Somnus, which gives us the english word insomnia as well as other words we use to describe various sleeping disorders. He is the son of Nyx or the night. He is the twin brother of Thanatos, the god of a peaceful death. In mythology, dreams were often depicted as his sons or siblings.
He was usually depicted as a young man with wings who carried one or more of his horn full of opium, a poppy-stem, an inverted torch or a branch dripping water from the river of forgetfulness.
The medical term "Hypnosis" is derived from this mythology. Hypnosis is a state of trance in which you are vulnerable to most suggestions, however, you still have control over your actions. During this state, you have intense focus and concentration. Hypnosis is most often performed for therapeutic purposes such as; coping with various pains, relieving hot flashes, correcting bad habits, easing side effects of cancer treatment and treating mental health conditions.
I believe that this is a very appropriate name for the practice if you understand what it is. Contrary to popular belief, Hypnosis is not simply mind-control. Though it is entertaining to take it this way when you see it depicted in movies or sci-fi episodes. However, it is more or less achieving a guided mind over matter state, in which you allow someone to help you achieve a goal mentally. It is sort of similar to how outside noises can affect what you experience in dreams but, you have more control over what you choose to experience in hypnosis. This name was chosen most likely because Hypnos was someone who put people to sleep and such is the role of the person who performs hypnosis by guiding a patient into a powerful state of mind.
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| Mogli being hypnotized by Kaa in the Jungle book |
-Vincent Gaddis II
sources:
https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Hypnos.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hypnosis/about/pac-20394405
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