Were the Three Witnesses Hypnotized?
From FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research

Were the Witnesses Deluded?

All three men were charged at different times with being deluded into thinking they had seen an angel and the plates. All three men denied the possibility.

One observer remembers when David Whitmer was so accused, and recounted the event:

How well and distinctly I remember the manner in which Elder Whitmer arose and drew himself up to his full height — a little over six feet — and said in solemn and impressive tones: “No sir! I was not under any hallucination, nor was I deceived! I saw with these eyes, and I heard with these ears! I know whereof I speak!”

Martin Harris described his experience to a group of men in 1829:

In introducing us, Mr. Godfrey said, “Brother Harris, I have brought these young men to hear your statement as to whether or not you believe the Book of Mormon to be true.” His face was turned to the wall. He turned and faced us and said, “Now I don’t believe, but I know it to be true, for with these eyes I saw the angel and with these ears (pointing to them) I heard him say it was a true and correct record of an ancient people that dwelt upon this the American continent.”

Oliver Cowdery was asked, “Was your testimony based on a dream, was it the imagination of your mind, was it an illusion?” He responded with the exact same qualifying statements as the other two Witnesses.

“My eyes saw, my ears heard, and my understanding was touched, and I know that whereof I testified is true. It was no dream, no vain imagination of the mind — it was real.”

The Character of the Three Witnesses

Richard Lloyd Anderson wrote in To All the World: The Book of Mormon Articles from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

Skeptics have discounted the "Testimony of the Three Witnesses" on the ground of collusion or deception. Yet each of the three was a respected and independent member of non-Mormon society, active in his community. Their lives, fully documented, clearly demonstrate their honesty and intelligence.

What Can We Say about the Witnesses?

The Three Witnesses were always accepted as stable, upright members of their communities, competent in their business and professional lives. In addition, each of them had the opportunity to qualify their testimony, but all of them insisted that their vision was literal and unmistakable.

In addition, they each verified the literalness of the event by stating that their physical ears heard a heavenly voice. Critics twist the historical record in their effort to eliminate the troublesome witnesses but their testimonies cannot be convincingly dismissed.

The full FAIR wiki article, including all scriptural and academic references, may be accessed at http://en.fairmormon.org/index.php/.

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