Psychology Facts

▲ Hypnosis ▲

》  Hypnotism is a natural state of mind. It's not a form of sleep. Scientists have proven over and over again that patients remain wide awake while under hypnosis, and even retain complete control of their actions.

》  Hypnosis is a genuine psychological phenomenon that has valid uses in clinical practice. Simply put, hypnosis is a state of highly focused attention or concentration, often associated with relaxation, and heightened suggestibility.

》  Your brain works differently while in a hypnotised state. Hypnosis allows the brain to bypass the conscious part of the mind. It 'turns off' the desire to ask questions or take note of surroundings. Instead, the brain gains hyperawareness, a state of being in control of your surroundings without consciously thinking about it.

》  Officially, hypnosis has been around since 18th century. Franz Mesmer is usually credited with bringing hypnosis to the attention of the public sometime around 1770
But some of the earliest recorded descriptions of hypnosis date back to ancient Egypt in 1500 B.C.

》  When "hypnosis" is mentioned, most people tend to think of stage hypnosis. This is the popular show during which a hypnotist chooses seemingly random people, sends them to sleep, and then makes them do hilarious (and kind of mean) tricks for laughs.
As entertaining as stage hypnosis may be, it has little to do with clinical hypnosis. The latter is an accepted form of therapy which helps people overcome various ailments via a relaxed mind and strategic suggestion.

》  Hypnosis feels different to different people. People who have undergone hypnosis report different feelings whilst "under". Some describe their experience like falling asleep with the TV on, while others report feeling heavy. Others use words like "light" or "floating". Since we all internalise experiences differently, it makes sense that the feeling of hypnosis is different for each person.

》  The idea that one can become stuck in a hypnotized trance is a common misconception. In truth, hypnotized people never lose control of their mind or body, and are able to come out of the hypnotized state as easily as opening their eyes.

》  The most frequent clinical uses of hypnosis include: breaking bad habits, overcoming insomnia, recalling forgotten experiences, and as an anesthetic for managing pain.

》  Hypnosis only brings about memory loss if that is an intended goal. Hypnosis is all about suggestion. If the purpose of undergoing hypnotherapy is to forget negative memories, that can be achieved.

》  The average person experiences hypnosis at least twice a day. Common examples include arriving at your destination without memory of driving there; zoning out while reading a page of a book; or becoming so engrossed in the TV that time just evaporates

》  Hypnosis can be used as an anaesthetic. Hypnosis can be used for pain management. This can be done by removing the emotional experience of pain whilst still allowing the sensory sensation. Many women use this during childbirth.

》  You can hypnotise yourself. Ultimately all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. For example, if I were to tell you to close your eyes, it's not actually me that closes your eyes, it is you. You choose to follow the suggestions. Take that a little further, if you learn the key elements of a successful hypnosis session then you can create your own session.

》  Some people seem to possess a trait called "hypnotizability" that, like other traits, varies greatly among individuals. To be successfully hypnotized, a person must want to undergo the process voluntarily and also possess at least a moderate degree of hypnotizability.