“Under Israel’s hypnosis law, everyone is guilty of hypnosis—therapists, artists, religious leaders and even mothers who sing nursery rhymes to their children.” [Natalie Pik, in Even 2012]
This article presents a critical examination of the Hypnosis Law that is unique to Israel – integrating an analysis of the law’s wording, an observation of the professional struggle between licensed hypnotherapists and alternative therapists, and moral panics events revolving mind control in Israel. (By the way, since 2018 procedures have been taken in the Knesset that might lead to the law’s cancellation.)
Abstract
The 1984 Israeli Use of Hypnosis Law is the first of its kind in the world. It permits hypnosis for therapeutic purposes alone, and only by a group of licensed professionals (physicians, dentists, and psychologists who acquired a special permit). The law’s vague definition of hypnosis, in fact, gives the criminal offense wide boundaries, in a way that might incorporate a wide range of practices into it, such as guided imagery. As a result, religious freedom is endangered, especially within the alternative-religious/spiritual sphere. The article presents the clear parallels between the law’s broad definition of hypnosis and the common understanding of the mind control thesis. The heart of the argument in this article is that two aspects create the link between hypnosis and new religious movements (NRMs). The first is the phenomenological-historical resemblance between various religious techniques and hypnosis, while the other is the fact that both fields (NRM and hypnosis) evoke the same kind of fear, concerning control and manipulation of the mind. Interestingly, preoccupation with the Hypnosis Law has peaked twice—during the early 1980s, and around 2010—and both times coincided with the rise of te moral panic surrounding “cults” in Israel. In order to present these discussions within the correct contexts, the article includes a survey of NRMs’ status in Israeli society, the government’s anti-cult activity, and the Hypnosis Law. Subsequently, we present the ways in which the law was enforced, and analyze their implications for freedom of religion and worship in Israel. Finally, we end with a series of criticisms of the law, which faces today renewed calls to be revoked.
Authors
Marianna Ruah-Midbar Shapiro
Sharon Warshawski
Links
For the full volume of the journal in which the article was published – click here.
To CESNUR’s and The Journal of CESNUR‘s site – click here.
For the Israeli law on Hypnosis (1984) in Hebrew and in English.
For the site of the Advisory Committee under Hypnosis Law in the Israeli Ministry of Health – click here.
To the Hebrew Wikipedia entry on the law – click here.
Date
July-August 2018
Language
English
Academic/non-academic
Academic item
Publisher/Source
The article was published in The Journal of CESNUR, that belongs to the major international scientific body for the study of contemporary religions – Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR). It is published since 2017, and appears on the Center’s website.
Bibliographical citation
Ruah-Midbar Shapiro, Marianna, and Sharon Warshawski, “Trance, Meditation and Brainwashing – The Israeli Use of Hypnosis Law and the New Religious Movements Scene”, in The Journal of CESNUR 2.4 (July-August 2018): 61-96.
