Hypnosis Essay, Research Paper

Hypnosis

Albert Einstein reckoned that humans use only about 10% of their brains. According to some reports, while hypnotised, we could gain access to the other 90%. Every human being who is mentally sound can be hypnotised to some degree. You can use hypnosis for a lot of things, for instance to control weight, pain, sleep, and to raise confidence. You can also use it to quit smoking, develop concentration and memory. In fact, you can use it for anything that depends on your own efforts. I) ORIGINS OF HYPNOSIS: The art and science of hypnosis is both old and new. *Old because it was used in ancient time and has a pedigree that stretches back to the beginning of mankind s conscious development *New because only over the past 100 years has it been subject to the full force of scientific scrutiny, after discovery that the unconscious mind, emotions and personal history directly affect a person’s state of mental, emotional and physical health. A) Old origins _ Hypnosis has existed very early in religious rituals. However, the earliest known description of hypnosis date back 6000 years to rites performed in Egyptian sleep temples. _The Indus Vedas ,a knowledge sacred book written around 1500 BC, mentions the use of hypnotic techniques and procedures. _According to some specialists, accounts of what we would now call hypnosis can be found in the Bible and in the Talmud. _In the past, hypnosis is always associated with the occult: witchdoctors and shamans (medicine man)practised hypnosis : ritual hypnosis and dance were integral elements of shaman s communication with spirits . B) New origins- modern use of hypnosis There are two leading men in the scientific study of hypnosis: _ 1734-1815: Franz Anton Mesmer, born in Vienna. Mesmer is considered the father of hypnosis. He is remembered for the term Mesmerism which means a person who is raptly attentive, or who is temporally deprived of his normal conscious qualities. He described a process of inducing trance through a series of passes he made with his hands . He succeed in treating a considerable variety of ailments. _ 1932-1974: Milton Erickson, a psychologist and psychiatrist pioneered the art of indirect suggestions in hypnosis. He is considered the father of modern hypnosis. His methods bypassed the conscious mind through the use of both verbal and non-verbal pacing techniques including metaphor , confusion, and many others. He has immensely influenced the practice of contemporary hypnotherapy. II) HYPNOSIS: A) Curent examples As long as there as been human beings, there has been hypnosis, we use this commonly occurring state of mind, unknowingly, all the time. It is just natural for us. _ For examples if you have ever watched a television program or movie and become really absorbed into the program, you were probably in trance. This trance is what caused you not to hear your mother calling you to dinner. _ Advertisers understand this, they use television programs to induce a hypnotic trance and then provide you hypnotic suggestions, called commercials! _ Another common instance of this naturally occurring state of mind is when you are driving down the road, with your mind focused on some other task, and last thing you know: you have forgotten to turn. That is called Highway hypnosis . B) Definition _ Definition: Hypnosis is a mental state of heightened suggestibility, characterised by trance like sleep. The basis of hypnosis is the fixation of the subject attention upon a gradually narrowing source of stimulation, until he is attendant upon only the direction of the hypnotist. _Techniques: This is variously achieved by repetition of instructions in a low, level voice, or having the subject fix his gaze upon a light in an otherwise dark room. The subject remembers nothing of what he did during the hypnotic period. But certain effects may be suggested to continue after the subject returns to consciousness, these are called post hypnotic suggestions. _major purpose: During hypnosis, the conscious mind is distracted, so that new, positive suggestions are more readily accepted. According to the specialists of hypnosis ,these new constructive ideas substitute negative old ones, therefore creating permanent beneficial changes in your life. C) Hypnotherapy: _ What is hypnotherapy? Hypnotherapy is basically the use of hypnosis as a medium for psychotherapy. People will either be hypnotised by a therapist (hetero-hypnosis) or taught to hypnotise yourself (self hypnosis) as a way of achieving personal insight. _ How does hypnotherapy work? Essentially, there are two main aspects of hypnotic trance which are used in psychotherapy: 1) The subconscious mind is more open to positive suggestions, made by yourself or the hypnotherapist. 2) The mind may express itself more directly and more spontaneously Through thoughts or images. _ What benefits can be achieved through hypnotherapy? Some of main benefits of hypnotherapy can be classed as follows: Personal development, cessation of habits, management of anxiety and stress, and psychological and emotional well-being. _ You could conquer your phobia: Phobia is an anxiety about a person, place or thing which con not be voluntary controlled. A simple phobia, one which is focused on a single feared object such as spiders is rarely called for treatment, but it can have little impact on the patient s quality of life. You could quit this phobia with 3 sessions of hypnotherapy: -first session: uncover the cause of patient s phobia. -second session: the hypnotherapist uses behavioural techniques to enable patient to approach spiders in his imagination. -third session devotes to supportive therapy with positive imaging and post hypnotic suggestions. The hypnotherapist encourage people to touch spiders in real life. _ Hypnosis to stop smoking: It is the subconscious motivation to smoke that must be changed in order to quit smoking. Hypnosis made it easy and you have no withdrawal symptoms. It does not work the same for everyone: many people have found quitting smoking with self hypnosis to be easy and painless, but for others, it is difficult no matter which method is used. _ Hypnosis for pain control: The experience of pain is a combination of the type of pain, tension, fear and anxiety. Often tension and anxiety can intensify the pain. By relaxation of the body, there is a natural reduction of pain. By proper suggestion in the hypnotic state, the experience of pain can be reduced or eliminated for periods of time. It is good to teach clients self hypnosis and imagery so that the client can use it when needed. _ Hypnoanesthesia Reuben Percarve achieved the first major surgical operation of this kind to be done anywhere without conventional anaesthetic. He is responsible for the Hypnoanesthesia in the surgical operation performed in Quebec. The patient was operated successfully for the appendix. His recover was excellent without any side effects normally associated with this type of surgery. III) WRONG DANGERS OF HYPNOSIS: _ What if I can not wake up? It never happens. Getting out of hypnosis is never a problem. You will put all of your efforts into getting into a hypnotic state, not getting out of it.. The worst that can happen is that you drift off into normal sleep, in which case you will wake up just as you would any other time. _ Will I lose consciousness? No, you will no more lose consciousness in the hypnotic state than you did when you were paying complete attention to your reading. To someone else you will appear to be asleep because your eyes are closed and you are relaxed, but you will know that you are not asleep like at night. _ Can I be hypnotised against my will? No, no matter, how will you have learned to go into the hypnotic state, you can always refuse to do so if you desire. _ If I am in the hypnotic state and someone suggests me to do an immoral act, will I comply? No, it is unlikely that a person could violate a concept of morality to which he is strongly attached. CONCLUSION: Today, there are many legitimate university based on studies of the various phenomena of hypnosis and it is not uncommon for dentists and physicians to use it in their practices. There is no magic by any of us, hypnosis will not make you stronger, good looking, irresistible to girls or boys, a world class athlete and a genius. The fact is that hypnosis eventually becomes everything anyone could reasonably expect. It is a great way to do anything that depends on your own efforts.