What is hypnosis?
This is a subject that has
been debated for hundreds of years. Science has yet to
come up with a complete explanation. Yet we know hypnosis
works, we have witnessed what people can do, we just don't
have a complete explanation as to the 'how's and whys.'
One-day scientists will complete the jigsaw of the mind,
but it won't be soon meanwhile the mystery of hypnosis
will slowly unravel.
Whats been established so
far are the general characteristics of hypnosis and research
has provided a theory as to how it does work.
Hypnosis is a trance like
state in which a person reaches an extremely deep level
of relaxation, but maintains a sense of heightened awareness,
so boosting the imagination which then opens the mind
to suggestion. Unlike sleep the person is completely
aware and alert throughout, the body switches off but the
mind is very alert.
Think of the last television
programme that had you spellbound, were you aware of what
your body was doing? Did anyone come and go through the
room? Did you talk to anyone? Same thing if you are engrossed
in a book or video game. Your attention is so focused on
what your mind is involved with that almost everything
else is shut out.
Often we daydream, we might
dwell on a programme we have watched and for a short time
we live in the imaginary world of our making. Lost in thought
this world can seem real. We let our emotions stretch out
to experience the feelings of the characters we envisage
and these emotions can be very real. Fear, sadness, and
joy; A sudden noise or surprise can literally shock us
out of our 'trance' and we feel a sensation of coming back
to reality.
Experts argue that this
is a form of self-hypnosis yet others state that to go
into hypnosis a person has to consciously be aware of partaking
in focused relaxation.
Hypnotherapists guide people
to a state of deep relaxation where suggestions given will
be accepted as if they were reality. The hypnotherapist
may suggest that a hand is as heavy as lead. Try and lift
it and it's too heavy to move. They may suggest eating
an ice cream. The sensation of cold in the mouth the texture
and taste of the ice cream, even the smell will seem real.
This happens because the
person has made a concious decision to be guided by the
hypnotherapist to attain a pre-arranged goal. It is something
that person wants for themselves and will accept without
question the suggestions to attain what they want to achieve.
The state of relaxation
reached is so great that the worries of everyday life are
switched off. Stress, worry fade out and you may find yourself
as you would engrossed in your favourite film or book Totally
focused on what is happening on screen. It is at this stage
that your mind is most susceptible to suggestion and you
will whole-heartedly take up the suggestions that the hypnotherapist
will put to you. But you will only take up the suggestions
that you want for yourself.
Ever been so engrossed in
a conversation or television programme and later found
you had consented to something without realising it? Kids
recognise this scenario and have parent manipulation down
to a fine art! Ever driven past a turnoff you wanted to
take because your mind was elsewhere? So who was driving
the car? Yet in both of these events if something happened
that was different or went against your sense of normality
or morality you would instantly react to the situation.
That is what happens in hypnosis, any suggestion that you
found unacceptable you would instantly be aware and reject
that suggestion. Accepting no suggestion that would jeopardize
your safety or entrenched morality.
