Hypnosis

Fact vs Fiction

If you think of the word Hypnosis what sort of things spring to mind?

That Hypnosis is safe perhaps? Or maybe that Hypnosis is natural,  pleasant and therapeutic?

Probably not. The perception of Hypnosis that many people have tends to be based on the work of stage and TV performers and various works of fiction such as books, TV and films.

These usually portray hypnosis as being something unnatural, a 'battle of wills' between the subject and the Hypnotist. Of course the Hypnotist comes out on top because of his 'hypnotic power' and takes control of the unfortunate subject's mind and therefore his actions.

The reality could not be further from these fictional stereotypes, no swinging pocket watches, no dramatic hand gestures. In fact Hypnosis, in the hands of a qualified practitioner, is a safe, natural, pleasant and therapeutic experience. Rather than taking control away from an individual, Hypnosis, when used for therapeutic purposes, is really about putting the individual back in control of their life.

What is it?

Hypnosis is generally accepted as being neither awake nor asleep but some state of consciousness in between, a state which is associated with deep relaxation.

Unfortunately no one has yet come up with an explanation for these states of mind in terms of brain chemistry but the availability of equipment that can observe brain waves and brain activity has meant that scientists have been able to observe real effects during hypnosis.

For many years it has been known that the brain wave patterns associated with the state of hypnosis are not the same as those associated with sleep or alertness.

In 1999 two scientists from Harvard USA used a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanner to observe changes in brain activity in individuals who were hypnotized.*

More recently scientists at University College London have used MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans to show that Hypnosis can, in reality, alter the brain's perception of pain.**

How safe is it?

In the hands of a properly trained and qualified practitioner it is completely safe. As a therapist I would not use Hypnosis unless I believed it to be totally safe.

Probably the biggest fear that most people have is that they will be under the control of the Hypnotist and may be made to do something or reveal something which would be against their will.

The truth is, that apart from the fact that a bona fide practitioner would never want to suggest anything against their clients best interests , you cannot be hypnotised to do something which goes against your own belief system.

As far as Hypnosis is concerned your belief system is a locked box to which only you have the key and contains your view of the world, what's right and wrong, what's good or bad, appropriate and inappropriate.

This is despite what you may have seen on the stage or TV, remember that when people participate in these shows they do so as volunteers in full knowledge of what is required of them.

Some people worry they might get stuck in a trance state. Again this is a myth. Anybody in a trance state left unattended for any length of time would either come out of it naturally or drift off into normal sleep.

As far as control is concerned it is worth noting that in a normal trance state you could, if you really wanted to, rouse yourself from the trance.

Trances

You will have entered a natural trance state many times without being aware of it, sometimes many times in a single day. Whenever you're bored and daydream for instance, you allow your consciousness to detach from the reality of your surroundings and drift away to some other time, place or event. This is a self induced trance state and is unlike a full blown dream state in that whilst daydreaming you're not asleep and as such are aware of your real surroundings no matter how vaguely.

There are many other instances of natural trance states which the vast majority of people experience without ever knowing that that's what they are. Even getting totally drawn into the 'reality' of a book, film or TV drama can induce a natural trance state!

The strategy of diverting an individuals consciousness away from their reality is something which is common to all forms of Hypnosis. In fact for most people the kind of trance states used during hypnotherapy are often characterised by a pleasant, relaxed, daydreamy state.

Who can be Hypnotised?

The answer is simply that more or less everybody can if they want to be!

There are some people for whom Hypnosis is not advisable such as those with certain psychotic conditions or other severe mental illnesses. For the rest of the population it is just a matter of choice. Unlike the popular fictional images of the evil mesmeric Dracula characters bending their helpless victims to their will, anybody can resist being hypnotised by just not wanting it to happen.

It is not, and should never be considered as, a battle of wills or a challenge of any kind, but is something that is entered into willingly for a good reason.

To learn more about the History of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy and about Hypnotherapy and its applications you can use the links in the 'contents menu' on the left of the page.

* S Kosslyn, W Thompson and others, Harvard University USA 1st published in The American Journal of Psychiatry Aug 2000

** Dr Oakley, University College London, BBC News 9th Aug 2004.

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