What Is Hypnosis?

“Hypnosis is voo-doo.”

“Hypnosis is evil.”

“Hypnosis is a portal that will allow Satan to possess you.”

“Hypnosis is mind control.”

When I was in my teens I heard each of these statements and while even then I knew the first three were not true,  I wasn’t so sure about the whole “mind control” thing.  Everything I knew about hypnosis stemmed from movies and TV shows, especially cartoons.  They all made hypnosis appear to be something that at a minimum could make someone look and act silly while at its worst could make one do something truly heinous.

A few years ago I found myself very intrigued with the subject so I began to actively study the information that was so easily available via the internet.  I learned that most reputable sources seem to agree on some basic facts.

Hypnosis is often referred to as a trance-like state where subjects find:

• their attention is more focused,
• their imagination is heightened,
• their suggestibility is greater,
• and they are less disbelieving.

Almost everyone can achieve a trance-like state.    Consider those moments you’ve been so lost in a book or TV program that you were completely unaware of your surroundings, or perhaps those times when you have arrived at a destination only to wonder if you’ve obeyed all the traffic lights along the way.   Perhaps you recall being so lost in a thought that you were startled when the person standing next to you spoke.   These are all trance-like states.  Moments like these are not at all uncommon.  In fact, we slip into this type of state several times throughout the day.

It’s this trance-like state along with suggestions given for relaxation that typically make the subject appear to be sleeping when hypnotized even though he/she is actually very much awake.  During hypnosis external stimuli fades away and the words and actions of the hypnotist become the focus.

Even though hypnosis is trance-like, it is not some sort of mystical powerful control over the individual.  While there are many fantasies (and fears) surrounding hypnotic control in which the subject is “forced” to do things against their will, most experts agree this type of control doesn’t happen.  During hypnosis the subject maintains the ability to accept or reject suggestions.   That ability does not mean that control cannot be surrendered, nor does it mean that a subject’s subconscious mind cannot be conditioned and/or tricked.

(See this article and this one for more on hypnotic safety.)

While there is no clear scientific explanation as to how hypnosis works, we know that it does work.  It is being used quite effectively in the realm of traditional medicine for:

• pain control and as an alternative to anesthesia
• a treatment option for weight loss, smoking cessation, sleep difficulties, elimination of bed-wetting, and asthma (especially in children)
• an aid in reducing nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients
• lowering blood pressure
• and much, much more

If hypnosis is so powerful that it can control the body and mind with regard to pain, nausea, anxiety and more, how much fun can one have if it is used in an erotic or sensual nature?

(to be continued)