Psychologist Baker traces the history and current status of hypnosis, reviewing the role played by suggestion and examining the major contemporary theories and misconceptions regarding the phenomenon. Current research points to the conclusion that there is no state of altered consciousness produced by hypnosis and that what we term hypnosis is in fact a complex hybrid of social compliance, relaxation, and suggestibility that can account for many esoteric behavioral manifestations, including such occult behavior as past-life regression, UFO "abduction," channeling, and glossolalia (speaking in "tongues").