Who is in charge? Is the Hypnotist in control of You then? Well…… not really. Would you rob a bank on the hypnotist’s instructions? Turn assassin because he instructed you to kill? Stage Hypnosis gives the impression of control by the hypnotist but s/he is probably exploiting the readiness of selected volunteers to ‘show off’ by ‘playing to the audience ‘ usually for a laugh. Stage hypnotists are not beyond encouraging their subjects to ‘play along and not spoil the fun.’ Their volunteers are probably very suggestible (the less suggestible volunteers are eliminated at the start) but try getting them to lose weight or make some therapeutic change in their lives and its often a more difficult task. In short modern Hypnotherapists see hypnosis as a facilitator to help people to make useful changes to their lives.
So are some people more suggestible? Is Annabelle (person A) easier to hypnotist than Ben (person B)? We call it suggestibility. Yes some individuals seem to enter hypnosis more easily than others e.g. can develop hypnotic anesthesia and undergo surgery, under hypnosis and without anesthetic. Most of us would never achieve that level of trance. More ‘suggestible’ doesn’t mean more gullible. Highly suggestible individuals are often strong minded and intelligent while gullible people make poorer subjects for hypnosis.
Does it really work? Are there any scientific studies to show that Hypnosis really works and does actually help people to change e.g. Stop smoking or Lose weight or sleep better? Hypnosis has been under investigation for some time. Some studies give it the ‘Thumbs up’ for helping people in pain (e.g. they need less pain relieving medication) and for stress and psychosomatic disorders. It’s most popular use is in helping people to Stop smoking – you have to be really committed to give up…the Hypnotist cannot force you to! Insomnia can be greatly improved by learning Self-hypnosis.
So how long does a suggestion last? If a suggestion e.g. to help Stop Smoking, really works how long does it last for? Is it like say riding a bicycle once you’ve learned you never forget? Difficult question to answer because it varies so much from one situation to another. Is self-hypnosis beneficial because it helps with self control and confidence? Is Auto-hypnosis popular as a way of learning to control things like insomnia and anxiety? My own personal experience is a definite yes!
Well that’s just a beginning. Eight million results. Next stop Wikipedia! When I’m confronted by so much information I tend to have a look at Wikipedia first. I have just opened the page and it tells me firstly….that contrary to popular beliefs…hypnosis is not sleep. Hypnosis is not “a form of unconsciousness resembling sleep “it is more like “a wakeful state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, with diminished peripheral awareness. ” and secondly stage hypnosis is not the real thing. “Due to stage hypnotists’ showmanship, many people believe that hypnosis is a form of mind control.”
So have we got it wrong? Someone in a hypnotic trance is not asleep but awake and hyper-focused and more open to suggestions but less aware of the noises etc in the background and surrounding environment. And that the person entering hypnosis does so of their own free will and is in control. Much of what we see on the stage is being manipulated and managed by the stage hypnotist to give the impression he has control over his participants.
Doctors differ so do hypnotists! Most Hypnotherapists think the mind is part conscious and part unconscious. Difficult to argue with that..our dreams and memories are real evidence that part of the mind is hidden away…but the only mind you know is your own and by it’s very nature you can’t see it or feel it or measure it. And you can only guess at what might be going on in your unconscious! Some hypnotists think the unconscious is very important and powerful; others pay more attention to things they think are the property of the conscious mind. How does Hypnosis work? Is it the same as the Placebo effect? (I expect it to work and so it does)…you know the ‘I feel better effect’ because I took a pill or saw the doctor rather than because of the actual medicine itself making me better. Has hypnosis helped you? Perhaps it hasn’t work for you at all. Please visit my website and share your comments and experiences.
© Andy Hewing 2010
I have studied and practiced psychology and self-hypnosis for around 20 years. Please visit http://www.englishpsychologist.com you will find more information there and I invite you to send me your comments
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