Hypnosis 2

Hypnosis: a highly controversial topic in the medical field. Capable of changing a person's behavior, modifying daily routines, causing odd reactions to normal things, plus countless other phenomena's. Many people believe that the mystic of hypnosis does not exist and is just a simple stage routine used for entertainment. But, in this report, I will prove that on the stage, in the therapy office, and in the mass public, Hypnosis does exist and is capable of changing our behavior and that it is a very delicate process and not a power to be taken lightly.

First I will start with a brief history of the art of Hypnosis and what it is. Hypnosis is the term for a state of the body where the mind is subconsciously active but the conscious mind and the body are in a sleep like state (although many consider it sleep, it actually isn't) (Hunter). The change in these states is from ?Beta? into ?Alpha?. Beta and Alpha are different terms used to describe the brain waves given off during these states. When the subconscious (subcon) or ?Alpha? mind is responding, different commands, or suggestions, can be implemented into the mind. The subcon mind can then execute these imbedded commands without any intervening of the conscious mind and body (Hunter).

Hypnosis was first confirmed to be real by a Swedish therapist named Anton Mesmer around 1775. After publishing papers describing the Alpha Mind State, he named the entire process ?Mesmerism?. When a person was hypnotized, they were considered ?Mesmerized? (Hyde 84). He would mesmerize them by swinging a watch in front of them while implementing the suggestions that send someone into a hypnotic sleep. More on this will be explained later on. It wasn't until 1841 that a doctor name James Baird gave the process the name ?hypnotism?. ?Prior to the time of Mesmer, any practice of hypnosis would have qualified? as witchcraft or blackmagic? (Hyde 85).

What most people don't understand is how hypnosis works. Hypnosis is, as defined before, communicating with the subcon mind. In order to do this, the conscious mind must be relaxed or confused to the point that it no longer responds to action. In a sense, it shuts down, leaving way to the subcon mind, which unknown to us, is always active. It's what automatically controls our heart, thoughts, dreams, and millions of other things, without your personal intervention. You don't have think to make your heart beat. It happens automatically because of your subcon mind. In order to communicate with the subcon mind the hypnotist must put the conscious mind out by inducing a trance. (Hypnotebook).

A trance is the Alpha State of mind where the subcon mind can be communicated with. When inducing a trance, as before stated, the conscious mind must be relaxed or confused. By relaxing the mind to a great extent, it forgets to think and falls into a sleep like state (called the Delta State (Hunter).) By confusing it, it becomes overwhelmed by the situation and blanks out. There are 6 confirmed ways to do this. These include Eye Fixation, Progressive Relaxation, Mental Confusion, Mental Misdirection, Loss of Equilibrium, and Shock to the Nervous System.

Eye Fixation is the type used most in the 1800's and also the most popularized by Hollywood. This is where you stare at an object (such as a watch) and loose your awareness of the situation around you. Fact is, this method does not work on most people.

Progressive Relaxation consists of extreme relaxation and confusing to the mind. The hypnotist fills the patients mind with imaginative imagery and creates a false belief that they are somewhere other then the place there conscious body is actually residing in.

Mental Confusion methods are used to confuse the mind with so many imaginary things to think about that it drifts off.

Mental Misdirection combine imaginative imagery with a body movement caused by a physical touch by the hypnotist. This confuses the mind out of reality.

Loss of Equilibrium is just that. It uses a rocking motion to cause the patient to gently loose balance and control of the situation. This is implemented into the mind at birth when mothers use rockers to send crying babies into this state.

Shock to the Nervous System is a fast induction that will surprise the mind into a short state of passivity where it will either fall into a hypnotic trance our will resist the shock and regain sense of what is happening (Hunter).

These are only categories however. Hundreds of different scripts, or set of commands given to use one of the categories above to hypnotize the subject, falls into the categories because of the way they are used. By using these methods, a person becomes hypnotized. Once in the Alpha State the subcon mind will be open for suggestion. (Hypnotebook).

?Suggestion? is the term given to a command implemented into a person's subcon while they are in hypnosis. The mind will instantly accept this suggestion and command the body to respond to it, just as it would tell the heart to beat. If the hypnotist suggested that the person act like a chicken after the hypnotist snaps his fingers, the suggestion will instantly be registered as an involuntary reaction. When the snap ...

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Hypnosis 2

Hypnosis 2

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