Before you read a word in this book become aware of your perceptions about hypnosis as they are now. Would it be scary if someone were too hypnotize you right now? Do you think you could be hypnotized? Would you believe me if I said to you that hypnosis could completely wipe away emotional and physical problems in your life? Would a hypnotist be able to control you and make you act in ways that you would rather not? For you, is hypnosis something that goes against Gods word or your belief system?
Think about your responses to the above questions better yet write them down on a piece of paper, you could use it as a bookmark. When you have read this text come back and reread the above paragraph, open up that piece of paper and read it. I think you'll be surprised.
Hypnosis What is it?
Hypnosis, so what is it anyway? I can tell you this - it is not at all what you think it is! For a century we've seen swinging watches, pendulums, spiral disks, and maidens surrendering their virtue under hypnosis. Stage hypnotists making people cluck like chickens! Some people "Believe" in hypnosis and others do not. Some place hypnosis in the same category as the witch doctor or fortuneteller. Some religions associate it with the devil and are steadfast against it! Aside from all of this one can look up the definition in the dictionary and be misled. Hypnosis has nothing to do with sleep and the word "Trance" implies mind control, which is also inaccurate.
So where does hypnosis then reside? Does it fall within psychology? Is it best suited for entertainment? Is it mind control? Is it in league with the devil? People do think of hypnosis from many different points of view mainly because they don't understand what it is. Hypnosis can entail so many things that people's points of view on the subject are usually misguided. These differences include entertainment, clinical therapy, the metaphysical, and the spiritual. In this introductory overview we will address these different modalities and later examine each one in much more depth. By the time you have finished reading this text I would bet that your opinion of hypnosis will greatly differ from where it now resides.
Entertainment
Let's discuss the notion of hypnosis as entertainment first. Hypnosis in entertainment is based on the premise that a person can be made to do something or can be made to act out in some ridiculous fashion. "On the count of three, run up to that microphone, drop your pants and sing us a song one, two, and three!" After the show the participants had no idea what they were doing, right? The hypnotist had them under his spell!
Consider how illogical and improbable it would be to be able to make someone do something they wouldn't normally do or would not want to do. If it were possible to make people act as you command them to, I assure you that unethical hypnotists all over the world would be capitalizing on the ability to manipulate the mind in the realm of passion, behavior, and finance. They would deepen the "Trance" state and convince people to send them monthly checks for the rest of their lives! Less than honest people could be selected or even be advertised for in the local newspaper. These individuals, predisposed towards wrongdoing, could be hypnotized to conduct a series of crimes that benefited the hypnotist alone. If this worked hypnotists would be wealthy beyond belief all by controlling others. Clearly this is ludicrous, but it drives home the point that no one can be made to do something against his or her will, even on stage.
So how can the stage hypnotist get these people to do outlandish things right in front of a crowd? They aren't out of control, they actually know what they're doing and we will discuss this in greater detail later. I personally love a good hypnosis show!
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