Do you believe in hypnosis?

A detailed explanation on hypnosis

You guys ready to listen to what I'm about to tell you?

Most people who say that it isn't real usually don't fully understand what it consists of.

Have you ever been so absorbed in something (like a project or whatever) and so intensely focused on it that when you look up at the clock, you realize that an hour's gone by when you could've sworn it was only twenty minutes?

Have you ever been watching TV with such intensity that you felt part of the action?

Have you ever been engrossed in a book to the extent that when someone called your name you didn't hear them? And then when you did hear, the voice seemed so far away, so unimportant, so irrelevant to the world you were in that you had to be called many times before you responded?

Have you ever driven to a destination from one point to another, but can't remember what happened in-between so you believe the trip was faster than it really was?

Believe it or not, that's what hypnosis is.

The essence of hypnosis is your intense concentration on one small thing to the exclusion of everything else. The hypnotist is there to help put the subject (what some would call "the victim") into that state of mind or what we call a trance. The instructions that a hypnotist gives is called a suggestion.

It's a common misbelief that the stronger the mind, the less likely it'll work. But it's the exact opposite that's true. If you're one of those people that has a vivid imagination, has great creativity skills or someone who thinks a lot, I've got news for you, you're more hypnotizable than you might think.

Clinical hypnotists use their craft to help people. Well, at least the moral ones do. They use such techniques such as age regression (which has the subject believing that they're reliving a moment in their life) to help a subject to get to the bottom of a problem. Let's face it, we are who we are because of what happens in our lives. Age regression sometimes allows both the subject and the hypnotist to learn why they might have a certain habit or why they act the way they do.

Another difference that clinical hypnotists have that stage hypnotists don't is that they usually tell the subjects beforehand what's about to happen. They talk the subject through the process to banish any fears the person might have before they actually begin.

Stage hypnotists use their craft for entertainment. So, they mostly use subjects that are the most likely to be put under. These people are selected mainly because of social pressure. Being up on stage can cause some people to become nervous and will feel like they're failing if they don't do what the hypnotist tells them.

The stage ones don't tell the subjects what they'll actually be going through. Some stage hypnotists put the entertainment ahead of the person's well-being. This means that the hypnotist might actually cause some mental (and sometimes physical) damage if they're not careful.

The trance state is almost completely unique to the individual going under. If a subject goes under, but remembers what's been going on, that's what we call a "light trance." However, if the subject has no recollection of what happened while they were under (unless the hypnotist tells them they will), then that's what we call a "deep trance." One sign of deep trance is subjects having the ability to move around or have their eyes open. They'll seem awake, but they're still under.

Some hypnotists use certain tests to tell how hypnotizable someone is. There's the arm rigidity test (the subject is made to believe that their arm is solid and unbendable). Usually a hypnotist will have the subject stay in that position for a few minutes with their arm out in front of them. A fake subject will usually have their arm tired and eventually drop it. A true hypnotized subject will keep their arm out there without any fatigue whatsoever. There's also the eyes stuck shut test. This involves the subject to squeeze their eyelids tight for a few minutes. Then the hypnotist will tell them that no matter how hard they try they won't be able to open their eyes. This sometimes works because the subjects will actually be using the wrong muscles to try to open their eyes. And then the hypnotist tells them that they can open them, and the subject will be able to open them just like that. And then there's the stuck hands test.

There's also the conception that you can't be hypnotized against your will. For the most part, that's true. However, it depends on the skill of the hypnotist. There's a few techniques in order to put reluctant subjects under. The process of putting someone under is called the induction.

One way they do it is the bombardment technique. Basically, the hypnotist will try to distract the conscious mind by pointing out different objects to focus on, bombarding them with information. While the subject's attention is trying to focus on the different objects, the hypnotist sneaks in a few suggestions here and there while the subject's guard is down. The suggestions begin taking effect in the subconscious mind and eventually the subject's defenses will be so worn out that they'll drop into a trance as soon the hypnotist tells them.

Another way they do it is with reversal suggestions. This is mainly used for those who refuse to go under. The hypnotist starts giving the subject suggestions in a normal manner. To prove to the hypnotist it isn't working, the subject will most likely do the opposite of what is being told to them. When the hypnotist sees this, they might start giving the opposite suggestion of what they want the subject to do. This greatly confuses the subject, because they don't know whether to follow what the hypnotist is telling them to do or to do the opposite. That's pretty much how the session will go for the reluctant ones. In the subject's mind they'll keep thinking to themselves "It's not working. It's not working." The hypnotist then uses that line of thinking as a monotonal chant, resulting in the subject to be hypnotizing themselves by saying the same thing over and over in their mind.

Yet another way is the confusion technique. It's pretty similar to the reversal. This is for the nervous types. Usually when a subject is nervous, they'll be giggling or something. The hypnotist actually uses that in their induction. If the subject isn't giggling with nervousness, the hypnotist might tell them directly to giggle. This'll confuse the subject while at the same time being conditioned to follow the suggestions of the hypnotist. Eventually, the subject'll be so conditioned to follow that they'll drop like a light.

There are terms called positive hallucinations and negative hallucinations. Positive ones are where the subject is made to believe that something is there when it really isn't. An example would be being hypnotized to believe that a friend of yours is sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. If the real friend walked in all of a sudden, the fakers would probably ignore the real one, while the truly hypnotized people will most likely be shocked that there are two of the same person right in front of them! Negative hallucinations are when the subject is made to believe that something is out of their range of reality. Basically, things can be made to disappear in front of them. If the hypnotist makes himself disappear, the subject might be shocked or start believing in ghosts when they see something move but not see who or what moved it.

There's also the belief that you can't be made to do anything that you don't want to do. Again, for the most part, that's true. And again, it depends on the skill of the hypnotist. But it also depends on how the wording of the suggestion is given.

If I (hypothetically, so please don't start kicking my ***) were to directly suggest for a subject to take off her clothes...well, use your imagination. :sweat:

However, if I suggested to the person that she's about to take a shower, that she's in the changing room, that her clothes are itching like crazy or are becoming too tight, or that she's at the beach with her swimsuit underneath her clothes...yeah, it'll most likely work. It works because the hypnotist (or in this case, me) is putting the subject in a situation where taking off their clothes isn't against their moral fiber. (Again, this is only an example, so don't assume that I would ever actually do that.)

So, yeah, there are ways to get around a person's defenses. It all depends on how the hypnotist approaches the subject.

Now, there are hypnotists out there that know what they're doing. But, it's a powerful tool of the mind, so people aren't supposed to try it unless they're actually certified to do it. It's like practicing medicine, you need a license to use it. At least that's how most of them are. However, some people learn it without official training and might use it in the wrong ways which might cause serious mental damage if they're not careful.

And yes, there are fake hypnotists out there. They are usually the ones who tell you you're under but you're perfectly aware of what's going on. Make sure that you can actually trust the person. If there's no mutual feeling of trust, then it may or may not work (unless it's stage).

And no, you cannot get accidentally stuck in a hypnotic trance. If the hypnotist keels over and dies or whatever, eventually you'll snap out of it on your own. It's like waking up from daydreaming.

If you're planning on getting hypnotized, be aware of the hypnotist's intentions. And if you're not planning on getting hypnotized (i.e. Street hypnosis), still be aware of the hypnotist's intentions. In fact, make sure you have a friend to watch your back. Just be careful, because the real good ones can take both of you out if you're not expecting it.

By the way, in case you're wondering how I know all of this...let's just say it's an interest/obsession of mine. I've been reading up on it for over a decade, but at the same time, it's caused me to fear it. I'll admit, I'm probably one of those that are hypnotizable. I don't like it, but it's most likely true. It's my greatest knowledge point, but it's my greatest weakness. So, yeah. I know a lot about the subject. If you're interested and want to know something about hypnosis, just ask. ;)

 

..Wow, Destiny's Force.

You're very educated on the subject.

Thanks for letting us know all of that stuff.


Well I guess I might be hypnotizable then. But I'd never do it willingly. Becuase I just think its weird. I wouldn't like not having a memory of something I did.
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I've been hypnotized. My friends won't tell me what I did though...
I've also seen the side effects (no memory, lost in a somewhat trance state), and it wasn't acting.
So yeah. It's entirely possible.