Contributor. Beginning with Mesmer's advancement that a magnetic ether explained the effects he observed, theorists have put forward mechanisms to explain the phenomenon observed in hypnosis. printdisabled; internetarchivebooks. ix, pcm. English. Theories of hypnosis. It is now generally accepted that any adequate theory of hypnosis must use concepts compatible with general psychological models of consciousness Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press. Hypnosis is a process in which one person