Dr. Nicholas Long

Biography

Nicholas Long is an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research interests lie at the intersection of social, psychological, and medical anthropology, with particular regional focuses on Indonesia, the Malay World, and Aotearoa New Zealand. He is in the process of completing a major ethnographic study of hypnosis and hypnotherapy that is based on 18 months of fieldwork with hypnosis practitioners in Indonesia. This research is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and aims to understand how hypnopsychological discourse shapes social life in contemporary Indonesia. Long's work contributes to the anthropological understanding of symbolic healing and has been recognized in various publications including the book, 'Suggestions Power: Searching Efficacy Indonesia's Hypnosis Boom,' which was awarded the 2019 Stirling Prize for Psychological Anthropology. He has built longstanding relationships in Indonesia, conducting research since 2005, and has examined how social relations and subjectivities are influenced by political changes in the region. Additionally, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he co-founded the Care and Responsibility Under Lockdown (CARUL) Collective, focusing on the impact of pandemic control measures on communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK. His expertise includes psychological anthropology, affect, consciousness, political change, and the emerging opportunities for anthropological representation through digital media. Long actively engages with prospective graduate students and is particularly interested in work related to Indonesia, the Malay World, and the theoretical aspects of hypnosis and consciousness.

Research Interests