hypnotism

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The theory or practice of inducing hypnosis.
2. n. The act of inducing hypnosis.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. An abnormal mental condition characterized by insensibility to most impressions of sense, with excessive sensibility to some impressions, and an appearance of total unconsciousness; especially, that variety of this condition which is artificially induced, usually by concentrating the attention of the subject upon some object of vision, as a bright bit of glass, or upon the operator, who generally aids in producing the result by making a few light passes with his hands. When in this condition, the mental action and the volition of the subject are to a large extent under the control of the operator. See mesmerism. Also called braidism.

Wiktionary

1. n. The art of inducing hypnosis.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A form of sleep or trance, in some respects resembling somnambulism, but brought on by artificial means, in which there is an unusual suspension of some powers, and an unusual activity of others, especially a heightened susceptibility to suggestion. It is induced by an action upon the nerves, through the medium of the senses, by causing the subject to gaze steadily at a very bright object held before the eyes, or on an oscillating object, or by pressure upon certain points of the surface of the body, usually accompanied by the speaking of the hypnotist in quiet soothing tones. Called also hypnosis.
2. n. The science which deals with the induction and properties of the hypnotic state.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the act of inducing hypnosis