Remembering André Weitzenhoffer, Ph.D.

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Jul 2005 by Frischholz, Edward J

André M. Weitzenhoffer, Ph.D., died peacefully at his Reno home on February 24, 2005, with his wife Mildred by his side. He was 84 years old...

André was preceded in death by his first wife, Geneva and his younger sister Roselyn. His legacy lives on through his wife Mildred, son Mark (Beverly), daughter Janet Laxalt (Paul), stepson Tom Childers (Jane), stepdaughter Ann Nealson (Dennis), sister Jackie (John) and numerous grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends (obituary written by Mildred Hinson Weitzenhoffer and published in the Reno Journal Gazette, Reno, NV, March 6, 2005).

Dr. Weitzenhoffer was one of the most eminent scholars on the study of hypnosis in the twentieth and twenty-first century. His first paper, "The Production of Anti-Social Acts Under Hypnosis" (Weitzenhoffer, 1949), published in the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, was the beginning of over 100 eventual journal publications, books, and papers on the topic of hypnosis. However, André's early work also focused on applied biological and mathematical topics (Gerheim, Floyd, Weitzenhoffer & Okubo, 1953; Gerheim, Floyd, Weitzenhoffer, Okubo & Spring, 1953; Gerheim, Logwood, Andrews & Weitzenhoffer, 1951 ; Gerheim & Weitzenhoffer, 1950; Weitzenhoffer & Gerheim, 1950; Weitzenhoffer, 195 Ic) appearing in such prestigious journals as Science, Nature, the American Journal of Physiology, and Psychometrika.

Before receiving his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1956, André had already been a first author or co-author on 14 scientific publications and his first book. In 1957, he moved to the Laboratory for Human Development and Department of Psychology at Stanford University. During his tenure there, he collaborated with Ernest Hilgard in developing the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales (Weitzenhoffer & Hilgard, 1959, 1962) and the Stanford Profile Scales of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Forms I and II (Weitzenhoffer & Hilgard, 1963) which have since become the most widely used measures of individual differences in hypnotic responsivity in the field. After leaving Stanford in 1962, André moved to the University of Oklahoma where he continued to do research and provide clinical services at the university affiliated Veterans Administration Medical Center. After retiring, André moved first to Colorado, and then to Reno, Nevada to be closer to family. He will be missed by all who knew him.

I first met André Weitzenhoffer at the 34th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) in Las Vegas in 1992.

As scientific program chair, I had arranged for André to give an invited address during the scientific program. However, when it came time for me to supervise beginning students in the individual practice sessions during the basic clinical workshops, both André and Professor Nicholas Spanos also accepted an invitation to join me in providing such supervision. Although André and Nick had vastly different conceptions about the nature of hypnosis (e.g., Spanos & Barber, 1974; Weitzenhoffer, 1989; 1999), it was amazing how effectively the two worked together with me, supervising students who were learning induction skills and techniques. Nevertheless, it was clear to both Nick and me who was the master of the "General Techniques of Hypnotism" (Weitzenhoffer, 1957a). This experience was the beginning of a warm personal and professional relationship between André, Nick and me (and I suspect an improved theoretical rapprochement between André and Nick).

Over the next few years, I had the opportunity to interview André about his career and his ideas about the nature of hypnosis. I had read most of his publications, and was surprised how much his views had evolved over the years. Furthermore, T had read other interviews he had given (e.g., Yapko, 2005) and was struck by both the common themes which consistently appeared and the variety of stories which I had never heard.

After his death, I contacted Mildred Hinson Weitzenhoffer who generously provided me with her obituary of André and a copy of his curriculum vitae. I discovered that André had been a seminal figure in the beginning of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and was one of the first associate editors of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. I decided to ask the Editor, Stephen Lankton, if he would consider publishing a summary of Weitzenhoffer's views and career to appear as a tribute in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. Steve agreed and what follows is the result of this endeavor.

André M. Weitzenhoffer (1921-2005)

André was born on January 16, 1921 in Paris, France to Henry and Germaine Weitzenhoffer who preceded him in death. He had two younger, twin sisters. His father was an American World War I veteran, and his mother was French, so André had dual citizenship in both countries. André's father worked in the printing and publishing business. When André was about eight years old, he came to live with his paternal grandparents who were farmers in McAlester, Oklahoma. He stayed with them for two years and claimed that this was how he learned to speak English.