Altered state of consciousness in which the subject is very receptive to suggestion and direction. Hypnosis has been a concern to PDD practitioners because it is thought to be a possible undetectable countermeasure. In a highly suggestible state, guilty subjects could conceivably have memories of their crimes blocked, altered, or replaced so that physiologic responsiveness would be unreliable for diagnosing deception. It could also be used to enhance desensitization training, or autonomic conditioning. The little research on hypnosis has not conclusively settled the issue. See: Weinstein, Abrams, & Gibbons (1970); Timm (1991).
