Is there such thing as hypnosis?

Answer 1

Yes Hypnosis is for real.

Some of the hypnosis you see for entertainment is a far stretch from reality. They usually pick extroverts for the show who will 'play along' with the show. The pressure of being on stage and everyone else performing usually ensures compliance. However there are hypnosis techniques which are proven by clinical hypnosis results that are valid, and are very useful in the treatment of some psychological disorders. This is very much different to the stage hypnosis.

I have learned conversational hypnosis and it is of great help to me.

Answer 2

Hypnosis is a real phenomena.

In hypnotic trance person is more open to suggestion and is less inhibited by automatic, reflexive responses. In the context of a stage show, this means that a person who is usually shy may help put on a good show for the audience by following the suggestions of the hypnotist. In the clinical sense, it often means tricking, persuading, or easing a patient out of an undesirable habit or fear.

It might have been Milton Erickson who said "there are no poor subjects, only inflexible hypnotists."

If by this question you mean "Is the person being made to do something against his or her will?" the answer is no. Subjects must be willing participants for stage hypnosis to work. Stage hypnotists purposely set a scene that implies mystery, and power over others. That is showmanship. So it could also be said that a good hypnotist is able to convince people to be willing participants!

There is some controversy on certain issues, such as the question "Are people able to do things they are not able to do in a normal state of mind?" State theorists will answer yes, while non-state theorists will say that everything that is seen in "trance" can be similarly explained as either distraction (in the case of heightened pain tolerance) or will alone.

Answer 3

Hypnosis is a state of relaxation where attention is directed in a way controlled by the hypnotist and the hypnotee. There is a heightened degree of suggestibility while under hypnosis, but nobody would do anything under hypnosis that he or she wouldn't do under any other circumstance.

Answer 4

Hypnosis happens when you are in a relaxed state, something like daydreaming, when your critical faculties are suspended and you are open to suggestion. The words 'hypnosis' and 'hypnotherapy' are derived from the Greek word hypnos, meaning 'sleep'.

Hypnotherapists induce a hypnotic trance in order to help you overcome addictions and phobias, such as fear of flying, or to relieve pain or stress contributing to illnesses like Asthma. Some therapists who practise 'modern' or 'ericksonian' hypnotherapy (a style of psychotherapy called NLP) don't even induce the trance state, having found they can rely on 'everyday trance' - the mind's ability to wander and daydream - as a basis for making effective therapeutic suggestions.

In the 18th century, the Austrian doctor Franz Anton Mesmer practised a kind of hypnotism involving magnets ('mesmerism'). His patients claimed to feel no pain while in a trance and although Mesmer was dismissed as a charlatan, a Scottish doctor, James Braid, became interested in Mesmer's approach and investigated the possibilities of trance-like states of mind as a form of anaesthesia.

Early psychoanalysts like Sigmund Freud made use of hypnosis, but the American psychotherapist Milton H Erickson developed the form of hypnotherapy commonly used today. Many practitioners are counsellors, psychotherapists or psychologists, others are doctors and dentists.

Hypnotic states can be induced in several ways (whirling Dervishes use motion, for instance) but Western hypnotherapists tend to prefer quiet relaxation. You normally see a practitioner for a course of 60-minute sessions. At your first appointment, the therapist will ask about your physical and mental health, the nature of your problem and why you have chosen hypnotherapy. A hypnosis session often starts with a relaxation procedure, such as tensing and releasing different parts of your body, as you lie on a reclining chair or couch, although a good hypnotist can hypnotise you standing up, and pretty well anywhere.

At no time do you loose control of the situation. At any time, should you wish, you could literally get up and leave the session. You will not feel aneasthetized; it's more like being half awake. Some people describe it as being slightly stoned. You are, however, perfectly able to drive after a session. It is a pleasant and relaxing process.

If you need further information have a look at http://www.VancouverHypnotherapy.Org

Answer 5

Yes, hypnosis is a real phenomenon. People have undergone operations under a state of hypnosis instead of anesthesia without pain. While hypnosis has many benefits it also has drawbacks. For example, false memories have been inadvertantly created through hypnosis that have resulted in some people being accused of things they did not do.