Sexual Criminality and Hypnotizability

Thirty-three sexual offenders, 18 of whom had been convicted of rape, nine of pedophilia, and six of incest, were studied. Two thirds of the subjects had histories of "spontaneous self-hypnotic" experiences (dissociations); seven of these were DSM-III multiples and six were probable multiples. This group had very high hypnotizability scores. The other one third without histories of "spontaneous self-hypnosis" had normal scores. It was concluded that spontaneous self-hypnosis contributed to the perpetration of the crimes in many of these cases, although other factors also directed the antisocial behaviors.