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HYPNOSIS
HYPNOSIS ?
Hypnosis will be optimally effective when the client is highly motivated to overcome a problem. Some individuals seem to have higher native hypnotic talent and capacity that may allow them to benefit more readily from hypnosis.
It is important to keep in mind that hypnosis is like any other therapeutic modality : It is of major benefit to some patients with some problems, and it is helpful with many other patients, but sometimes other modes of Therapy need to be applied. For this reason, we emphasize that we are not "hypnotists", but health care professionals who use hypnosis along with other tools of our professions.
Myths About Hypnosis
People often fear that being hypnotized will make them lose control, surrender their will, and result in their being dominated, but a hypnotic state is not the same thing as gullibility or weakness. Many people base their assumptions about hypnotism on stage acts but fail to take into account that stage hypnotists screen their volunteers to select those who are cooperative, with possible exhibitionist tendencies, as well as responsive to hypnosis. Stage acts help create a myth about hypnosis which discourages people from seeking legitimate hypnotherapy.
Another myth about hypnosis is that people lose consciousness and have amnesia. A small percentage of subjects, who go into very deep levels of trance will fit this stereotype and have spontaneous amnesia. The majority of people remember everything that occurs in hypnosis. This is beneficial, because the most of what we want to accomplish in hypnosis may be done in a medium depth trance, where people tend to remember everything.
In hypnosis, the patient is not under the control of the hypnotist. Hypnosis is not something imposed on people, but something they do for themselves. A hypnotist simply serves as a facilitator to guide them.
#1: Only Mentally Weak People Can Be Hypnotized
FALSE. Anybody with an IQ over 70 CAN be hypnotized.
All it takes is willingness, paired with enough concentration to follow simple instructions. If you
are capable of reading this article, YOU can be hypnotized.
While a traditional office setting offers virtually no distractions, a public Stage Hypnosis Show is
a completely different animal.
A Comedy Hypnosis Show has the volunteers up on stage, with friends looking on from the
audience. As with any group dynamic, there are lots of potential distractions.
The “best of the best” volunteers for a Stage Hypnosis Show have the following qualities:
Strong CREATIVE IMAGINATION,
Good CONCENTRATION and FOCUS,
MOTIVATED to participate, and
EXTROVERTED personality.
The first two on the list are generally accepted qualities of high intelligence!
#2: Hypnotized People Are Helpless
FALSE. Hypnotized people are NOT mindless automations subject to the bidding of the
hypnotist.
It’s extremely difficult to get a hypnotized person to do anything against their moral principles.
Example: I’ve had deeply hypnotized volunteers “sit out” a routine that involves dancing. Some
people just don’t want to have anything to do with dancing, ever!
That being said, Stage Hypnosis volunteers do become less inhibited during the performance.
The combination of being in the trance state, plus the thrill of being up on stage, is a bit like
having a few cocktails. It’s a party people!
#3: Hypnosis is Sleep
FALSE. While a hypnotized subject may have their eyes closed for an extended period of time,
they are NOT sleeping.
Hypnotized persons ARE aware of their surroundings. Despite appearances, they actually have
a HEIGHTENED sense of focus. It’s like comparing a laser beam (hypnosis) to a light bulb
(wakeful alertness).
#4: A Hypnotist Can Cure You in One Session
MAYBE. This DOES happen.
Example: People often tell me they were able to stop smoking as a result of a single hypnosis
session. Good for them!
Most behavioral change is going to require more dedication and persistence to produce lasting
results. When working with a Consulting Hypnotist, be prepared to commit to least 4-5 sessions
for a singular issue.
#5: Hypnosis Can Retrieve Lost Memories
TRUE. It is possible to use hypnosis to recover memories, but there is no guarantee of success.
Permanent memory is the realm of the subconscious mind.
The whole point of Hypnosis is to access the RESOURCES of the subconscious mind. Hypnosis
techniques are the best, if not the only way to recover lost memories!
However, memories are extremely FRAGILE, and not necessarily a representation of the “truth.”
Memories are strongly influenced by your age and emotional state at the time of the experience.
If a memory is not readily available, there may be a reason the subconscious mind is hiding it
from conscious awareness.
#6: You Can’t Lie Under Hypnosis
FALSE. You can “lie like a rug,” when hypnotized!
I don’t know why people think hypnosis can be used as a “truth serum.” This is one of those
myths about hypnosis that has no factual basis.
The enhanced creative imagination of a hypnotized person can lead them to say some
outlandish things!
Example 1:The “World’s Biggest Liar” Stage Hypnosis routine is set up as follows, “Imagine that
you are the World’s Greatest Liar. When I ask you anything, you’ll answer me back with the
biggest lie your imagination can create.”
Example 2: The hypnotized volunteer in the VIDEO below is quite randomly hallucinating that
she’s at a rock concert. Nothing was done prior to set up her “story.”
#7: You’ve Never Been Hypnotized
FALSE. If you’ve ever been married, you’ve been hypnotized!
Seriously, keeping in mind that there are different depths of hypnosis, we all enter hypnotic
trance states on a daily basis.
Examples of Daily Trance States
Daydreams = Hypnosis.
Focused attention when watching an engaging TV program.
EMOTIONAL engagement, such as having sweaty palms while watching an intense action
scene in a movie.
Brain wave cycles of deep meditation are equivalent to the theta trance state.
Hypnosis is part of your sleep cycle. You MUST enter the trance state in order to fall asleep,
and you pass through the trance state in order to wake up.