Hypnosis

. . . Are You Feeling Sleepy . . . Then We Shall Begin

Whenever you hear the word “hypnosis” you might think about those mysterious and very dramatic hypnotist type characters which have been popularized over the decades in movies, television and comic books. You might even have bought tickets for a live hypnosis show. You know the sort of thing – “when I click my fingers you will awaken and have miraculously stopped smoking / mastered the urge to eat cookies and donuts / play better golf / conquered your fear of spiders/flying/bald men” . . . .

The “victims” of the hypnotist are compelled to obey the “master” whilst they are in a zombie like state and mutter “yes master” at every command of the evil looking dude with the goatee beard.

What is Hypnosis

What is hypnosis and how does it work? Hypnotists famously have their “victims” watching a swinging pocket watch until they feel “sleepy”, but sleepy is actually far from what is actually happening. When people are hypnotized they are really hyper attentive and have absolute free will.

People have been wondering, debating and even arguing about hypnosis for more than a couple of centuries, and science still doesn’t have a fully explanation about exactly what hypnosis is.  We can see what people do once they are hypnotized, but are still a little unclear as to exactly why they do it. It’s all down to the mysteries of the human mind.

Hypnosis, according to psychiatrists (and after all, if anybody should know, they should) is a trance state which is characterized by relaxation and suggestibility as well as a heightened imagination. Hypnotized people are not asleep, ‘cos they’re alert the whole of the time, it’s more like daydreaming (or being “away with the fairies” which is something which I am often accused of . . . can’t think why). Anyway, you know when you become completely immersed whilst watching a movie or reading a good book, when you’re fully conscious but don’t necessarily hear that someone is knocking on the door, you are fully focused on whichever little world you’re occupying at the time . . . that’s a bit like hypnosis. These states are categorized by some researchers as self-hypnosis, which has always worried me really, I mean, going back to our original ideas of being hypnotized . . . who can snap you out of it?

State of Hypnosis

When you are hypnotized, for whatever reason;

• to help you sleep
• to help you stop smoking
• to help you lose weight
• to help you become more assertive
• so that the audience can laugh at you for looking like a real jerk live on stage

you do become less inhibited and relaxed. It’s kind of like you do know what you’re doing, but it’s all pretend. It’s kind of like you don’t have any worries on your shoulders, you don’t care who’s watching . . . so when a hypnotist tells you to do something you probably think that it’s a great idea. That’s why some of these stage hypnosis shows are so crazy and entertaining. I mean, it’s not usual for grown adults to walk around the stage like chickens, or to eat raw onions enjoying them as though they were a nice, crunchy apple. It’s important to remember, though, that a hypnotist cannot make a person do anything they didn’t want to . . . remember that when your nearest and dearest happily strips on stage next time the hypnotist is in town . . . no, he didn’t make them do it at all . . . deep down, they WANTED to do it!

 Some people obviously wanted to do it more than others