The term 'hypnosis' is misleading. Hypnosis is derived from a Greek root word meaning sleep and is as much related to sleep as I am to George Bush. When in the hypnotic state you are not asleep, far from it, often your senses become sharpened and you have a deeper concentration and inward focus. The hypnotic state is more frequently referred to as a 'trance' and is a state we all enter into many times a day.
When reading a book or watching a film you suspend belief and really live the experience. At the same time you may be so involved, and so focussed on the film that someone could be having a conversation with you and you don't even notice (or if you are hen-pecked you pretend not to notice.)
Trance is normal, relaxing, wonderful and very useful. With a Hypnotherapist you are guided into the trance in order to resolve your physical or mental issue, and you have given the Hypnotherapist your full cooperation to proceed. The trance you slip in and out of many times daily is a very personal state. Maybe just a daydream as you look out of the window for five minutes while sipping a cup of coffee at your desk.
There is no doubt in my mind that the human mind has an incredible capacity to heal itself and the human body. I have seen it myself and know what I am talking about.
However there is a general feeling within society still that hypnosis is some kind of mind control. This is vehemently denied by the hypnotherapy community and quite right too. But....and here's the rub...I also have no doubt that we (and by 'we' I mean everybody, not just hypnotists) are actually able to use very subtle hypnotic techniques to influence others.
In the hypnotic state you are fully aware and fully in control. You will not do anything that contravenes your ethics. If, for instance, you were on a stage during a hypnotic show and the hypnotist asked you to punch another member of the audience then you wouldn't. Just because you are in a trance doesn't mean you are out of control. This is an extreme example to illustrate a point, to my knowledge no stage hypnotists would ever do this!
However if that same hypnotist asked you to walk like a chicken, well then this probably isn't something you would normally do in the street obviously, but on a stage show why not! It certainly doesn't contravene your ethics and does no harm, not until you see the video anyway.
And that is the point. You can sometimes be lead into performing an act or doing something you wouldn't ordinarily do if the environment is conducive and the language is permissive. And hypnotism has a large base in the language and words used. Believe me, salesmen and marketing folk have been using hypnotic techniques, often probably without knowing, for years to make us buy anything from a bag of sweets to a new house.
Hypnosis isn't new, it isn't dangerous (quite the opposite - it is an incredibly powerful healing tool) and it isn't witchcraft. But it can be used in subtle ways without our conscious knowledge. And this could be described as covert hypnosis. Being able to persuade people is a skill some people possess naturally and others can learn, but it is there and it is a skill we all can use.
Covert hypnosis exists, but don't let that worry you!
www.black-opshypnosis.com
Mark Boardman BSc dip.hyp is a leading author and expert on href="http://www.happyandwell.com">Hypnosis. For more information about href="http://www.black-opshypnosis.com">black ops Hypnosis, feel free to visit these sites.
Mark Boardman BSc dip.hyp is a leading author and expert on href="http://www.happyandwell.com">Hypnosis. For more information about href="http://www.black-opshypnosis.com">Conversational Hypnosis, feel free to visit these sites.
