Hypnosis

A natural state of deeply relaxed focus, which allows elevated creativity, thought, and understanding. Also called a "trance state." Humans are in a trance state at least twice each day, between awake and asleep. Most Americans are in trance while driving habitual routes on freeways or watching late-night TV.

MYTHS
Many false myths about hypnosis have been established and reinforced, primarily by Hollywood.

I just saw a show on TLC about hypnosis and thought it was very interesting. Part of the show discussed the usefullness of hypnosis as a form of pain control, and even emergency medical treatment. One woman in the show, through the power of suggestion, was able to endure an entire surgical procedure (I'm not sure what the surgery was exactly but it looked complicated, might have been knee surgery) without any form of anesthetic. She was completely conscious through the whole thing and her facial expression was very calm.

There was also mention of hypnosis for emergency medical treatment, especially for burns. It suggests that a badly burned person could be given suggestions by a hypnotist on his/her way to other emergency treatments. Since a person who has experienced an intense trauma is already in a semi-hypnotized state these suggestions are made fairly easily. The results of the suggestion are quite remarkable. The patient has a much higher probability of not going into shock (because they are calmed by the hypnosis) and they actually feel much less pain than expected in their condition. The hypnosis also produces some more physical effects; there is a dramatic reduction in the ammount of swelling and tissue damage of the burn victim.


While treatments like hypnosis aren't really taken seriously in the West, I hope that with more cases like this, where hypnosis produces obvious and extroardinary results, it will catch on and gain more credit.

I am the son of a hypnotist who has been practicing for 30 years. I am also trained to perform stage hypnosis and hypnotherapy. Being such has given me some good insight into this oft considered strange phenomenon.

The truth, however is that hypnosis is far from strange. Those that experience it will usually find it familiar. You go into trance several times a day, you just probably didn't even know it. You are experiencing hypnosis when:

• waking in the morning, not quite awake yet not quite asleep.
• driving in the car, "zoning out" and missing your exit
• daydreaming in class
• having sex
• watching TV
• meditating

Hypnosis circumvents the conscious mind, allowing access to the subconscious. The subconscious. mind is very susceptible to suggestion. It's sort of a direct line to our more basic motivations. Once in the subconscious., you can implant suggestions that will remain after the trance wears off.

Some people fear hypnosis because it implies a loss of control, but I'm going to let you in on a little secret:
Hypnosis can't make you do anything you don't want to.
One cannot make hypnotic slaves out of women to bend to my every whim a la 50's horror movies (unless of course they really wanted to anyway).

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The most interesting secret I learned about hypnosis is that everyone uses it. Not always for good...

Ever thought about why the advertising agencies put jingles to their slogans? Music goes straight to the subconscious. Their taglines might as well be hypnotic suggestions, especially since zoning out watching the TV puts you in a trance anyway.

Have you noticed how much sway lovers have over each other? Have you ever met those people that manipulate their significant others? Those close to you have a more direct route to your subconscious. Be careful whom you give the keys to.

Society keeps people in line through hypnosis. Children's subconscious. minds are far more susceptible than an adult's. The pledge of allegiance, do this, don't do that, pay attention. All the basic rules are drilled in at a very early age.

Every religion I have come across uses hypnosis techniques. Taoists and Buddhists meditate. Catholics put themselves into trance counting rosaries. Muslims bow and pray 5 times a day facing Mecca. Hindus meditate on mandalas. Some cultures "trance dance" in festivals. Every religion has trance inducing hymns and chants. Religious awe-inspiring architecture is designed to access the subconscious. mind. Once there, they all attribute it to their own memes, but it's really just hypnosis. I find it very amusing when fundamentalists tell me that hypnosis is the work of the devil.

It is a very powerful tool people don't even know they are wielding. If you are aware of the programming that goes on it will help you immensely in life. You can and should be your own mental gatekeeper.

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Now, here's the cool part... you can make hypnosis work for you. Everyone else has been doing it to you, why not let it work for yourself? Anyone can hypnotize themselves. It's quite easy.

I find very sad the sheer volume of people on antidepressants. The world is constant, it is not inherently a good or bad place. What makes it so is how we perceive it. Perception is everything. You can alter at will your world, yourself, anything you want that passes through that amazing mind you have. Change your perception.

To milk a cliché, you've got a big ol' bag of rose colored glasses you can put on, and change the shade of whenever you want. Or for the geeks like me, you can alter your own firmware.

Here's how to do it:

1. Find a comfortable quiet spot, lie flat on your back, palms up.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Take deep, slow breaths. Be conscious of your breathing.
4. Let your mind focus on each and every muscle in your body, start with your feet... relax each muscle using your mind and very slowly work your way up, savoring the wonderful relaxing feeling you get from each muscle until you reach the top of your head.
5. Let your mind relax, see if you can feel your mind, the energy in the parts you are using, enjoy what that's like. (If you wish to enter a very deep trance, try and activate as many neural pathways as you can. Turn on your brain. I find it feels like an epiphany)
6. Tell yourself what the problem is, and how you can make it better. Be sure you give yourself a positive solution.
   ("Instead of eating too much when you feel sad, you would be thinner, more energetic, and happier to exercise and eat healthy fruits and vegetables instead.")
7. Tell yourself you're doing a good job.
8. Count from five to one and wake up refreshed, alert, and ready to improve your life.

Remember that you are altering the fundamental you. Giving yourself positive reinforcement is an important key to getting positive results. "Doing this is good because..." is always more powerful than a negative "Don't"

Hyp*no"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; sleep.] (Med.)

Supervention of sleep.

 

© Webster 1913

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Hyp*no"sis, n.

The condition of being hypnotized.

 

© Webster 1913