Hypnosis

“A hypnotist at work”

Man-kind has been preoccupied and in disagreement over hypnosis for more than 200 years, but the scientific community has yet to explain how or why it actually happens. We often see how a person acts when “under the spell” of hypnosis, but it’s not clear why he or she acts in such a way.

It is best described as a trance like state characterized by the utmost in suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination. It's not really like sleep, because the subject is alert throughout the entire process.  It is sometimes compared to daydreaming, or the feeling of “losing yourself” in a book or in a movie.

In this very special mental state, people typically feel uninhibited and relaxed. It is thought that this is because they more or less “tune out” the concerns and doubts that normally keep such a persons actions in line with the perceived norm.

In traditional hypnosis, an individual approaches the suggestions of the hypnotist, or perhaps their own ideas or thoughts, as if they were genuine. If the hypnotist suggests for example that you are drinking a cold cola, you'll taste the drink and feel it cooling your mouth and throat. If the hypnotist suggests that you are afraid of something, you may feel panicky or start to sweat. It is generally believed however that during the entire time, you realize that the whole episode is imaginary. Basically, it’s been said that the hypnotized individual is “playing pretend” on a very intense level.

Since you are also highly suggestible in this state, if the hypnotist tells you do something, you'll most likely embrace the idea completely. This reaction in its self makes stage hypnotist shows rather entertaining. A normally reserved, sensible adult is suddenly walking around the stage quacking like a duck or ever so poorly singing at the top of their lungs. Fear of embarrassment seems to have flown out the preverbal window.  However most experts insist that a hypnotist can not get a subject to do anything they don't really want to do, such as divulging some deep dark secret.

The predominant school of thought on hypnosis is that it is a method for directly accessing an individual’s subconscious mind.  The subconscious mind takes care of all the stuff you do automatically or without stopping first to think about it, body sensations such as, touch and sight, as well as your emotional feelings fall within this category. Yet another good example: an individual don't actively work through the steps of breathing second to second; that life preserving activity in handled by the subconscious mind. 

You might say that the subconscious mind is the real brains behind the operation; it performs most of your thinking, and it decides a lot of what you do from second to second. While you're awake, your conscious mind on the other hand, works to evaluate a lot of additional thoughts, making decisions and putting certain ideas into action. It also processes new information and relays or passes it on it to the subconscious mind. But when you're asleep or hypnotized, the conscious mind kind of steps aside, and your subconscious mind has free reign to take its own direction.

Psychiatrists theorize that the deep relaxation involved with hypnotism works to calm or subdue the conscious mind so that it becomes less active in the overall thinking process. Although while in this state, the individual is still aware of what's going on, the conscious mind takes a backseat to your subconscious mind.    This is the most wide spread theory that has gained acceptance in the psychiatric community, mostly because it explains all the major characteristics of the hypnotic state quite adequately.

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In addition, the subconscious is the depot for all of an individual’s memory. So when under hypnosis, a subject may be able to access past events that have otherwise been completely forgotten.

Hypnotists’ methods vary, but they all depend upon at least 3 primary aspects or basic “nuts and bolts”:

• First, the subject must want to be hypnotized.
• Second, the subject must believe he or she can be hypnotized.
• And third, the subject must eventually feel comfortable and relaxed.

If these standards are met, the hypnotist can guide the subject into a hypnotic trance by using several methods. But then (because you are special) you should know that a highly-trained hypnotist is not absolutely necessary to induce hypnosis.  In fact, with proper relaxation and by investing a few bucks, you can enter a hypnotic state without assistance. Simply click on this link “SelfHypnosis.com” to find out how to amaze your family and friends.

You probably already know that physicians and psychiatrists have used hypnosis to treat depression, anxiety, eating disorders, sleep disorders, compulsive gaming, and posttraumatic stress, and there are a large number of certified hypnotherapists who are not physicians or psychologists who often treat smoking and weight management as well. With such a wide range of treatable problems available, perhaps all of you younger readers should consider hypnosis as a favorable career alternative.

Sources ...                                                                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnosis                                                   http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/extrasensory-perceptions/hypnosis1.htm                                    http://www.wpclipart.com/cartoon/assorted/still_more/hypnosis.png.html