[John Bjorkhem and hypnosis]. / Hypnos i svensk 1900-tals medicin speglad genom John Björkhems liv och verksamhet.

ABSTRACT

Hypnosis has been recognised for thousands of years and is believed to have originated from shamanic trance methods. It has always been controversial in medical science. The biography of the Swedish physician John Björkhem and the history of hypnosis in Swedish medicine during the 20th century is intimately related to each other. Björkhem devoted most of his professional life to the phenomenon of hypnosis. He had a unique background for his studies as a priest, physician and psychologist. He always regarded hypnosis to have a great potential both as a therapeutical and as a diagnostic tool. He was fascinated by the mysteric undertones in his results from the hypnotic experiments and he devoted great time to parapsychology. In this essay we describe an outsider in medicine, both with respect to person and topic. In the case of Björkhem the situation was particular complicated because of his multidisciplinary activities with three different faculties involved. Finally the essay deals with the condition of a pioneer, and his struggle for acceptance and understanding. Only future can tell if the visions that Björkhem had about hypnosis as an efficient therapeutic tool in medicine will come true.