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I'm obviously of the mind that Hypnotism is not a legitmate therpay but in my literatrue searches I seen a good amount of support. I still am hesitant to beleive what these articles have to say, but on the flip side I can't find much critical literature. Is it simply the case that the nonscientific nature of hypnotism is limiting research or is it simply not taken serriously enough.

I'll start by describing some experience I had that I'm not sure I can relate to hypnosis... I think so.

I worked in clinical psychology for one year. I had a patient who suffered some kind of phobia (it was actually much more complicated, but I'll just stick with phobia).

I had suggested gradual exposure exercises to the feared situation loads of times, but she just couldn't do it. So we decided to make a covert exposure exercise, which means I would describe some scenes, and she would just imagine herself in it.

She sat in front of me, facing the opposite direction. I would describe the scenes, and she would just remain silent. Suddenly she stopped, and said she couldn't do it anymore.

When she tried to explain why, one of the things she said was "I don't feel comfortable about being so susceptible to what someone's says... it was like I'll do anything you'd describe, as if it was out of my control".

Now... was she hypnotized? If I told her to behave like a dog, she probably wouldn't. But hypnosis is more like points in a scale of counsciousness - subcounciousness than an all-or-nothing thing.

I wouldn't say the arguments for hypnosis are circular without a definition of hypnotic state. It's like saying you can't really prove someone's walking, because when you ask "why are her legs moving", somone could reply "because she's walking". But how do you know she's walking? Because her legs are moving.

With a clear definition, there's no reason why hypnosis' nature is non-scientific.

I don't really know much about it, but hypnosis IS in the scope of scientific research, even not having much attention from psychologists. I have a behavior-modification book with a whole chapter dedicated to hypnosis. It's simpler that it looks, and less-magical than people seem to believe.

I didn't say they were the same form of therapy. As techniques, they're completely different, but if you have hypnosis as a state of counsciousness, you can induce that state in many ways, even without wanting to, and that's what I was talking about.

1 the whole self improvement franchise for example tony robbins or brian tracy name any of them base on hypnotic techniques. (NLP in Robbins case)

2 Cognitive behavioral therapy bases it's techniques on hypnosis
3 Hypnosis has been proven to give a fast and effective cure for diseases psychologists can handle such as:

- Trauma induced schizophremia
- phobia (we learn at the first day)
- depresion
- anxiety
- habits



Hypnosis can't be used to control the thoughts of the person because:

Only those suggestions that the person wants to accept will be accepted


Dude if it would be as easy as manipulate people don't you think I would get all your money by now?






And a person can't be hypnotized if:

- Hedoesn't like the terapist
- he doesn't feel safe
- He feel threatened
- He doesn't feel like it




+Many conventional techniques for therapy such as gestalt therapy work wonderful in hypnosis. (We use it in the forgiveness therapy)


It's true that there are many shitty chitty hypnotists that are scripnotists (They just read scripts! THEY DON'T EVEN MEMORIZE THEM!)



In hypnosis you're in control

While it's true that some pacients will experience amnesia for the process, but that's because many hypnotists use the word sleep in the process (Hypnosis doesn't have anything to do with sleep, but we use that word because people get the idea
sleep= eyes closed +relaxed
While many don't get the word "relaxed")


If you want to be a super duper scooper hypnotist

go train with this guy

(The best education you'll get)

http://www.omnihypnosis.com/



+ there are some things as "wannabe regresions but they only accur when you tell the client "I gonna regress you!"

+Most of the "rape cases" are made by people that want to sue rich hypnotists for their $

(since most hypnostists give you your money back if they don't cure your depressions in 2 hours or so I think they deserve those 200$ an hour)

Hypnotism confuses me too.

But on another note: Has anyone tried self-hypnotism? I found a website about it here: http://www.wikihow.com/Perform-Self-Hypnosis

Now, I've tried it about twice before, but I'm not exactly sure what to say. Was it successful? Slightly. I noticed some progress toward what I suggested the next day and after, but not really that much, although significant enough to notice.

But the most interesting thing I found, was that self-hypnotism was a lot like meditation. (Which I've done many times before) Which is pretty much an altered state of consciousness, anyway, so I guess they're not too different.. ack, I'm not really sure. It was reminded me so much of meditation.

I need to read more about hypnosis before I can form a better opinion of it, though. We touched on it in my Psychology II class, but only briefly.

hypnosis. I would have to say that I'm partially on the fence. I took part in a hypnosis experiment a few years back early in college. I...I fell asleep. lol. It was really relaxing. But since then I have realized that had more to do with the methods our professor used. Since then, I have decided to research hypnosis its history as well as its role in therapy. I believe that its become something of a shadow of its former self. I'm not going to agree with Mesmer in that its some sort of a cure all. But from my personal experiences with self hypnosis, and from the practice of hypnotizing other people I do agree that their is a solid place for it in the role of Therapy in the modern world. In fact I would have to say its greatly under appreciated.

I must stress. Hypnosis is like most other treatments in that its not something to be taken lightly. Damage both emotional and physical can be done to an individual by accident, and is not something for amateurs to play with.

I've read a little bit about hypnosis. Mostly what I've read is of people being convinced that they experienced things such as rape/molestation when it was completely untrue, which may say something about its influence on people.
Apparently, to really be a good hypnotist requires very careful practice and procedure. I've never personally been hypnotized, and I regret not having more information on it.