When he asked them later, they had no memory of the operation.
Then this is indeed like a coma, even if they were in a blissful state, and even if they heard the command/request to emerge.
When he asked them later, they had no memory of the operation.
Then this is indeed like a coma, even if they were in a blissful state, and even if they heard the command/request to emerge.
People who are in a true coma cannot emerge at will. That is a critical difference. Also, amnesia of the hypnotic experience is frequently part of hypnosis. So, it was incorrectly labeled a coma due to lack of medical/scientific knowledge, but now we know better. Unfortunately, because so many aspects of hypnosis have been so poorly understood, even many people in modern times are afraid of it when it is actually an amazing resource that we can use to help us in our lives.
This is true. But if someone is not remembering the events in the physical world, then that state is very similar to a coma, even if they willingly came out of that state.
You could say the same about sleep, but it is also not a coma.