The Legitimacy of Hypnosis and its Consistency with Principles of Bioethics

Although hypnosis is a controversial issue, but most of doctors and psychologists consider it an effective and powerful therapy for a wide range of conditions, such as personality disorders, anxiety and pain. The present study analyzes the legitimacy of hypnosis based on Islamic jurisprudence and four principles of bioethics.

In this analytical study, the published texts and related articles were purposefully searched and reviewed, and then the jurisprudential reasons about hypnosis as an emerging issue, and its legitimacy based on Islamic jurisprudence and consistency with four principles of bioethics were discussed and analyzed.

There are three jurisprudential views on hypnosis and its utilization. For some jurisprudents, hypnosis is classified as magic, which is forbidden to do so. Some other jurisprudents have allowed the use of hypnosis, if necessary. There is a third view that it is considered as an emerging issue, and a legal and ethical rule must be elicit about it. The principle of respect for autonomy about hypnosis are essentially in conflict with what is in Shari'a but in the three other principles of bioethics, namely, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice, these principles are consistent with what has been enshrined in the Shari'a.

Given the emergence of the issue of hypnosis, it can be concluded that, based on the rule of noharm in Islamic jurisprudence and bioethics, the use of hypnosis in medicine is permitted, if necessary