A Crash Course on Hypnosis

[Arnox]

After doing a bit of reading on this fascinating subject, I've decided to post the more interesting things I found in my research in a nice thread. First, let's get some of the most popular myths about it out of the way.

1. When you're hypnotized, you still retain your morals and values, even considering that your suggestibility increases.

So, for example, if I hypnotized you, gave you a gun, and told you to shoot me in the head, unless you had no problem with killing when you were not hypnotized, you will still refuse to shoot me and may even very probably wake up out of hypnosis for me even giving you such a suggestion. Nevertheless, as said above, suggestibility DOES increase. So while you may not do anything morally wrong by your standards, you can still be suggested to do some crazy things like jump on a table or act like a chicken.

2. When you're hypnotized, you're actually much more conscious instead of less.

So no, you don't fall unconscious or into any sort of sleep state at all. However, all the hypnotized person's worries and doubts do vanish away completely as they focus on a subject completely in their relaxed state.

3. Hypnotherapy sessions needed range anywhere from 1 to 9 to 19

It really depends on the person, the problem, and how long the problem has existed, not including several external factors that may need to be worked through altogether such as a hard home life.

4. Self hypnotism is the same thing as meditation.

You see, hypnotism can be best described as coming into a very, very focused state that's also characterized by increased suggestibility. The difference between normal hypnosis and self hypnosis though is that the latter is guided by a third party while the former is guided simply by yourself.

5. When used properly, any hypnosis can be quite powerful.

People that are under feel incredibly relaxed, have their power over their imagination increased greatly, and can immerse themselves in and focus on certain subjects to the exclusion of most all else.

And that's about it. Let me know if you guys have any questions.

[Mayberry]

Perhaps the most important thing to know about hypnosis is that it only works if you believe that it works (i.e. you want it to work or you are gullible). It's basically a state of relaxation and unfocussing attention from the world around you, so unless you are willing to 'play along', you will be much harder to hypnotise.

[Arnox]

Perhaps the most important thing to know about hypnosis is that it only works if you believe that it works (i.e. you want it to work or you are gullible). It's basically a state of relaxation and unfocussing attention from the world around you, so unless you are willing to 'play along', you will be much harder to hypnotise.

If not impossible to.

[Σ]

As an avid enthusiast of observing mental states the subject of hynosis is one that I find extraordinarily fascinating. Theory behind hypnosis varies from from source to source but I will provide a simple breakdown of a few techniques I have researched. I appologize if the information is disorganized or hard to follow.

Neuro-linguistic programming is a wide field of study that looks into how one can use language to manipulate neural function. It is the most organized theory and practice behind what would be called modern day hypnotism. Most of us think of hypnotists and their craft as akin to at best a party clown and at worst a mind control conspiracy nutjob. In the modern day hypnotism is not just a source of entertainment but a widely used tool for a variety of reasons from behavioral therapy to enhancing athletic performance and even to writers who want to draw readers further into their work.

Use as a behavioral therapy tool can be demonstrated by a hypnotist who assists smokers to stop smoking by bringing them to a very relaxed and calm state and when the though of smoking cigarettes arises there is a disturbance in that state. Essentially what is happening here is the hypnotist is using the relaxed state as a positive and the disturbance thereof at the idea of smoking as a negative. Theoretically the positive eventually overcomes the negative and the impression is left on the conscious level that by smoking or merely the though of smoking the subject will feel some sort of anxiety or disturbance that inhibits them from the behavior they care to change. This exercise can be used for other sorts of behavioral therapy.

When using hypnotism to enhance an athletes performance the hypnotist will bring the subject to a relaxed state. They will then give the subject sort of guide through mental exercises. These can be things like imagining inside of you a faucet. That faucet can be thought of as a sort of control device for a number of functions. The functions may be something like feeling bursts of energy by turning the faucet or even controlling your heart rate. When athletes use hypnosis it isn't a state of unconsciousness (which, as arnox said, is the opposite of what your brain is doing when in a hypnotic state) or even rest. They are exerting their full will into their mental faculties in order to gain control of themselves as a runner, or lifter or ball player. Other techniques include taking the subject into trance and do a sort of "practice" race/game/event in which the subject is guided through a mental course. The hypnotist will use language to create a "reality" that the athlete practices in and guides the athlete through an event in a way that causes the athlete to push their limits. Even if it is only going on inside the subjects head it still has very real implications on performance.

Other techniques of NLP are visual linguistic cues. This is done by someone writing with certain patterns and using logic with and against logic. Unfortunately I don't have too much information on the way this is done but I know it has a lot to do with. The most simple and effective method of employing NLP and hypnosis that I can really present goes something like this:

The following is a starters guide to certain hypnotic techniques. I did not make it but I do think it has more information than i can give since I am not a hypnotist.