If you are an independent thinker, the idea of being hypnotized may not sound like a good idea. You may not like the idea that you are in a situation in which you will respond to verbal suggestions. I, for one, prefer to make up my own mind to do or not do things. I certainly don’t want someone in my head telling me what to do. Because we don’t like the thought of being hypnotized doesn’t mean we are stubborn or afraid. It simply means we wish to think for ourselves.
Any situation where we relax and allow ourselves to become absorbed in something can set the stage for hypnosis. If you are in a state of confusion or distraction it is possible to undergo a hypnosis as well. You usually have to be a willing candidate, because it is not likely that you will be hypnotized unless you want to be.
Hypnotism is the art of suggestion. It’s used to influence attitudes and behaviors. It’s common to hear that a smoker who has been unable to quit smoking will undergo hypnosis for help in achieving the goal.
When hypnotized, you are often given a series of instructions, called an induction. Apparently, this creates a psychological condition where people can respond to verbal suggestions in an unusual way. I recently watched a show with Chris Angel where he hypnotized people by way of a written flyer that he was passing out on the street. As soon as the people started reading the flyer, they fell to the ground in a sleep state.
Hypnosis comes from the Greek word “hypnos” meaning sleep. In fact, hypnosis is far from sleep. It’s a way of reaching into the subconscious mind in a conscious, controlled way. In a deep state of trance, the body may sleep, but the mind is fully awake.
As far as I’ve looked, I’ve found no scientific evidence that hypnosis is dangerous. There have been instances when bad things have happened to those who have undergone hypnosis. Stage hypnosis has been morally degrading for the participants, and many of those involved had no memory of what had happened to them. It has been noted that several people have suffered injuries while hypnotized. Occurrences when people have been hypnotized and it has resulted in their becoming emotionally and mentally unstable are documented. Some of these happenings have led to admittance into a mental facility.
Several people have dismissed the possibility that hypnosis and danger are linked. Most of these people are not experts in hypnosis and couldn’t possibly know enough to make that determination. There has been some agreement that any suggestion involving the participant to revert to an earlier age in their life should be prohibited. However, subjects can still be asked to act as if they were a youngster.
This action resulted in a bad outcome for a man named Chris Gates. He was hypnotized by a former BBC Radio One disc jockey turned hypnotist named Paul McKenna. First of all, the thought of being mindfully submissive to someone who is not an expert in the field was a bad idea. Chris started to behave like a child only days after undergoing hypnosis during a stage performance by Paul McKenna. Chris is now diagnosed with schizophrenia. Paul has been known to put his subjects’ minds in positions where they have the qualities of a severe mental patient, such as being in a straight jacket. He also has used tactics like reverting subjects to the age of five and instructing them to see him as their teacher and then telling his “students” to be very, very naughty in class while his back is turned.
As far as I’m concerned, this is ridiculous. Making yourself subject to something so silly is irresponsible. That’s probably why the court did not find in favor of Chris Gates. I do feel for the guy, but he took part in the action after all.
Although I found two documented cases of death linked with hypnosis, it was not proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was actually the hypnosis itself that caused the deaths. There was an 1894 Hungarian case where a person was said to have died through the effects of hypnotic trance. There is the story of the death of Sharron Tabarn who died in 1994, several hours after participating in a hypnotic show presented by hypnotist, Andrew Vincent.
For stage hypnosis, you obviously need an audience. When we look at someone like Hitler, we see how the mind can and will often lose its individuality and personality when in a crowd. Hitler was a skilled politician of sorts and swayed the crowd, many of whom did not like to do his bidding but did anyway. Hitler’s hypnotism at this time resulted in millions of deaths.
By using hypnosis to be cured of bothersome symptoms, you may be missing something seriously wrong with you. Especially if you visit someone who is not qualified to treat your symptoms without hypnosis as well as with it, you may be relying on a method of treatment that will only persuade your mind to reduce the pain while covering up a serious ailment.
The best way to avoid the dangers of hypnosis is to keep control over your own mind. We don’t need outside sources to tell us what to do. We know what hurts us, and each of us has the power to overcome habits or fears all on our own. It comes right down to self-esteem and whether or not you believe you have the power to control your actions. Turning over the power of your mind’s control to someone else is creepy.
