Hypnosis - Is it real, or...?

[649734]

What do you think?

I personally think it's real. I've had experiences with it, and it's scientifically proven. For some reason people think hypnosis is paranormal or something like that, while it's not :S.

[callumacrae]

Of course it's real!

My mum is a trained hypnotherapist :D

~Callum

[essellar]

Hypnosis is real, but it isn't what a lot of people think it is. Popular culture images like Svangali, "past life regressions" like the Bridie Murphy story and the "recovered memories" of things that never happened (but caused untold damage to the lives of those accused) have mixed unfortunately with the harmless stage tricks of people like Kreskin* to form an image of hypnosis as something otherworldly and potentially evil.

Remembering past lives is just wishful thinking; putting oneself into a time and place that seems a whole lot simpler or, perhaps, into a position of great power and authority that seems unattainable in this life. Recovered false memories are a way of explaining emotional overloads that seem like they could not have been caused by something as small as the things you can actually remember. (Note that not all recovered memories are false, but that when the phenomenon of repression was en vogue, there were suddenly active covens of witches and Satanic cults on every block in every city and town in North America. I wonder how it was that nobody noticed?) And Svengali was just a character in a novel.

"Real" hypnosis is most often a method of speeding up cognitive behavioural therapy or a way to get the subject to look at an experience without experiencing the fear or trauma that would otherwise prevent exploring it. It has been a big part of the therapeutic experience for a lot of people, from addicts and alcoholics trying to recover to rape victims. It is also useful in getting witnesses to crime to see the details of what they witnessed, things they already knew but never really took notice of. Unfortunately, it has also been used to make irrational fear into "real" experience from time to time.

But the chances that somebody will walk up to you on the street, swing a watch back and forth a few times and get you to assassinate the President are pretty darned slim.

*The Amazing Kreskin is an amazing hypnotist, but he doesn't force anybody to do anything -- he (and other stage hypnotists) merely relax the volunteer participants and help them to overcome the inhibitions that would otherwise prevent them from doing the silly things they've been asked to do. Acting like a chicken or bursting into song in public is fun, but most people would normally be held back by embarrassment or fear.

[henk506673]

it is most definently real, i was hipnotized once and let me tell you, the only time i regained complete control of my self was when i fell off a chair onto my head, and even then it was not complete reconcieousness

[Sharky]

So not like stage hypnotist Kenny Craig? Look in to my eyes - not aroundthe eyes - look in to my eyes.

Paul McKenna was on top gear and hypnotically persuaded Hammond, one of the presenters, that a child's toy sit-in car was his own. So he sat in it and peddled away. Clarkson, another presenter, then 'drove' his electronic 4x4 and 'crashed' in to hanmonds. He seemed genuinely pissed off.

Is that something your mother does callumacrae?

[callumacrae]

So not like stage hypnotist Kenny Craig? Look in to my eyes - not aroundthe eyes - look in to my eyes.

Paul McKenna was on top gear and hypnotically persuaded Hammond, one of the presenters, that a child's toy sit-in car was his own. So he sat in it and peddled away. Clarkson, another presenter, then 'drove' his electronic 4x4 and 'crashed' in to hanmonds. He seemed genuinely pissed off.

Is that something your mother does callumacrae?

Stage hypnotherapy is completely different to normal hypnotherapy :/

[Sharky]

Stage hypnotherapy is completely different to normal hypnotherapy :/

So no making people think that they're chickens?

[callumacrae]

So no making people think that they're chickens?

It's mostly about relaxation / getting rid of stress / trying to convince people they're not chickens, from what I've heard (she doesn't really talk about it)

[Sharky]

It's mostly about relaxation / getting rid of stress / trying to convince people they're not chickens, from what I've heard (she doesn't really talk about it)

Oh well that's obvious. She doesn't want you to beg her to turn your friends in to chickens.

[khopcraft77]

Yes hypnosis is real. However, it does not work for people who do not want to be hypnotized nor does it work for people who really want to be hypnotized.
Is it fun to watch? Well, I went to a hypnosis thing and, well, the first 5 minutes were fun... out of the HOUR.