My Personal Story
As a former New York City Police Department member, I was recruited as the fifth NYPD Forensic Hypnotist and became one of the ten most experienced forensic hypnotists in the United States. During my tenure with the Detective Division's Special Investigations Hypnosis Unit, I worked on police shootings, missing persons, homicides, robberies, and a wide range of other cases.
Hypnosis history traces back to the 18th century with physician Frank Mesmer (1713–1815), considered the western father of contemporary hypnosis. Sigmund Freud later studied therapeutic applications, using hypnosis to help patients recall forgotten disturbing events.
What Is Hypnosis?
Forensic hypnosis allows witnesses and victims a better environment for recalling crime details and stored memories they may have forgotten. The Mayo Clinic describes it as "a changed state of awareness and increased relaxation that allows for improved focus and concentration." A practical example is highway hypnosis — losing track of an exit while driving.
Truth or Fiction
Is it harmful? According to WebMD, hypnosis is usually safe when performed by trained professionals.
Can you harm yourself? Not in interview contexts, though driving or using power tools under hypnosis is inadvisable.
Can you lie under hypnosis? Yes, but subjects are less likely once rapport is established.
Can you get stuck in a trance? No. Sleep follows hypnosis naturally.
Do lower IQs make people more susceptible? The opposite is true. Those who follow directions, creative individuals, and first responders are good candidates.
Steps in Conducting a Forensic Hypnotic Interview
1. Develop rapport. 2. Select a quiet, comfortable location. 3. Obtain only basic case information beforehand. 4. Formulate non-influencing questions. 5. Devise efficient note-taking strategies. 6. Video record the entire session. 7. Use open-ended questions. 8. Avoid furnishing information. 9. Allow ample response time. 10. Observe body language and micro-movements. 11. Never interrupt the interviewee. 12. Listen intently for clues.
Signs of a Relaxed Hypnotic State
Change in breathing. Rapid eye movement. Listlessness. No concept of time. Age regression. Physiological changes including skin temperature. Speaking in a native language.
Recent Newsworthy Case — Haleigh Cummings
In a Florida missing person case, a forensic hypnosis interview with a voluntary witness named Misty Croslin Cummings revealed information that did not match forensic evidence or the layout of the house. The witness intentionally or unintentionally resisted relaxation.
NYPD Case Examples
### Bank Robbery Investigation
A Chase Manhattan bank witness who couldn't remember the getaway vehicle's license plate participated in a hypnosis session. Under hypnosis, the witness manifested physical signs of the original experience — shivering and arm coldness matching winter conditions. He successfully recalled and read the tag number. A subsequent computer check identified the vehicle, and fingerprint analysis and lineup identification led to the robber's apprehension.
### Etan Patz Missing Person Case
Approximately three years after Etan Patz's abduction, a cab driver came forward as a witness. Under hypnosis, he traveled back three years in time and remembered the weather, day, and neighborhood details with clarity, providing crucial information despite significant construction changes in the area.
### Civil Property Location Case
A 79-year-old woman unable to locate $250,000 in cash and coins participated in age-regression hypnosis. She methodically revisited each residence where she had hidden valuables. Upon reaching her Connecticut home in the hypnotic state, she recalled placing items in a locked storage container behind a bed headboard. The valuables were recovered.
How Investigators Can Utilize Forensic Hypnosis
Applications. Missing persons. Missing property. Missing memories. Criminal witnesses. Civil case witnesses. Violent crimes (robberies, homicides, sexual battery, terrorism).
Benefits for investigators. Recover information about persons, places, and events. Locate property and things. Support comprehensive interviews. Generate new investigative leads. Offer clients additional options for success. Close cases with results.
Conclusion
Investigative professionals should recognize that forensic hypnosis represents an underutilized investigative approach. While science provides knowledge, this technique illuminates details in uncertain situations. As investigators navigate the 21st century, forensics and justice must work together — making forensic hypnosis worth researching as a potential specialty.