For many Chinese, hypnosis is mysterious and interesting. Chinese citizens have seen Western hypnosis performances on TV shows but seldom have the chance to see the practice in China.

Hypnosis is defined by Encyclopaedia Britannica "as a special psychological state with certain physiological attributes, resembling sleep only superficially and marked by a functioning of the individual at a level of awareness other than the ordinary conscious state." There are numerous applications for hypnosis, including medical/psychotherapeutic uses, military uses, self-improvement, and even entertainment.

Professor Gesang Zeren, director of Sichuan University's psychological health education center, is a Chinese psychologist and hypnotherapist. His research covers medical psychology, hypnotherapy, religion and educational psychology.

Professor Gesang developed a style of Chinese hypnotherapy by adding in ancient religious elements, such as Tibetan Vajrayana and medicine and chakra skills. The new hypnotherapy has had excellent results in helping patients with quitting addiction, mental treatment, potential development, and crisis intervention.

Professor Gesang is engaged in psychological counseling for college students. His theories for promoting mental health have been further supported by positive results by his patients. He is often invited to speak at different universities and institutes.

"Many Chinese people pay less attention to mental health, it's important to publicizing psychological knowledge," said professor Gesang.