Albert Einstein reckoned that humans use only about 10% of their brains.
According to some reports, while hypnotised, we could gain access to the other
90%. Every human being who is mentally sound can be hypnotised to some degree.
You can use hypnosis for a lot of things, for instance to control weight, pain,
sleep, and to raise confidence. You can also use it to quit smoking, develop
concentration and memory. In fact, you can use it for anything that depends on
your own efforts. I) ORIGINS OF HYPNOSIS: The art and science of hypnosis is
both old and new. *Old because it was used in ancient time and has a pedigree
that stretches back to the beginning of mankind’s conscious development *New
because only over the past 100 years has it been subject to the full force of
scientific scrutiny, after discovery that the unconscious mind, emotions and
personal history directly affect a person's state of mental, emotional and
physical health. A) Old origins _ Hypnosis has existed very early in religious
rituals. However, the earliest known description of hypnosis date back 6000
years to rites performed in Egyptian sleep temples. _The Indus Vedas ,a
knowledge sacred book written around 1500 BC, mentions the use of hypnotic
techniques and procedures. _According to some specialists, accounts of what we
would now call hypnosis can be found in the Bible and in the Talmud. _In the
past, hypnosis is always associated with the occult: witchdoctors and shamans
(medicine man)practised hypnosis :”ritual hypnosis and dance were integral
elements of shaman’s communication with spirits”. B) New origins- modern use
of hypnosis There are two leading men in the scientific study of hypnosis: _
1734-1815: Franz Anton Mesmer, born in Vienna. Mesmer is considered the father
of hypnosis. He is remembered for the term “Mesmerism” which means a person
who is raptly attentive, or who is temporally deprived of his normal conscious
qualities. He described a process of inducing trance through a series of passes
he made with his hands . He succeed in treating a considerable variety of
ailments. _ 1932-1974: Milton Erickson, a psychologist and psychiatrist
pioneered the art of indirect suggestions in hypnosis. He is considered the
father of modern hypnosis. His methods bypassed the conscious mind through the
use of both verbal and non-verbal pacing techniques including metaphor ,
confusion, and many others. He has immensely influenced the practice of
contemporary hypnotherapy. II) HYPNOSIS: A) Curent examples As long as there as
been human beings, there has been hypnosis, we use this commonly occurring state
of mind, unknowingly, all the time. It is just natural for us. _ For examples if
you have ever watched a television program or movie and become really absorbed
into the program, you were probably in trance. This trance is what caused you
not to hear your mother calling you to dinner. _ Advertisers understand this,
they use television programs to induce a hypnotic trance and then provide you
hypnotic suggestions, called commercials! _ Another common instance of this
naturally occurring state of mind is when you are driving down the road, with
your mind focused on some other task, and last thing you know: you have
forgotten to turn. That is called “Highway hypnosis”. B) Definition _
Definition: Hypnosis is a mental state of heightened suggestibility,
characterised by trance like sleep. The basis of hypnosis is the fixation of the
subject attention upon a gradually narrowing source of stimulation, until he is
attendant upon only the direction of the hypnotist. _Techniques: This is
variously achieved by repetition of instructions in a low, level voice, or
having the subject fix his gaze upon a light in an otherwise dark room. The
subject remembers nothing of what he did during the hypnotic period. But certain
effects may be suggested to continue after the subject returns to consciousness,
these are called post hypnotic suggestions. _major purpose: During hypnosis, the
conscious mind is distracted, so that new, positive suggestions are more readily
accepted. According to the specialists of hypnosis ,these new constructive ideas
substitute negative old ones, therefore creating permanent beneficial changes in
your life. C) Hypnotherapy: _ What is hypnotherapy? Hypnotherapy is basically
the use of hypnosis as a medium for psychotherapy. People will either be
hypnotised by a therapist (hetero-hypnosis) or taught to hypnotise yourself
(self hypnosis) as a way of achieving personal insight. _ How does hypnotherapy
work? Essentially, there are two main aspects of hypnotic trance which are used
in psychotherapy: 1) The subconscious mind is more open to positive suggestions,
made by yourself or the hypnotherapist. 2) The mind may express itself more
directly and more spontaneously Through thoughts or images. _ What benefits can
be achieved through hypnotherapy? Some of main benefits of hypnotherapy can be
classed as follows: Personal development, cessation of habits, management of
anxiety and stress, and psychological and emotional well-being. _ You could
conquer your phobia: Phobia is an anxiety about a person, place or thing which
con not be voluntary controlled. A simple phobia, one which is focused on a
single feared object such as spiders is rarely called for treatment, but it can
have little impact on the patient’s quality of life. You could quit this
phobia with 3 sessions of hypnotherapy: -first session: uncover the cause of
patient’s phobia. -second session: the hypnotherapist uses behavioural
techniques to enable patient to approach spiders in his imagination. -third
session devotes to supportive therapy with positive imaging and post hypnotic
suggestions. The hypnotherapist encourage people to touch spiders in real life.
_ Hypnosis to stop smoking: It is the subconscious motivation to smoke that must
be changed in order to quit smoking. Hypnosis made it easy and you have no
withdrawal symptoms. It does not work the same for everyone: many people have
found quitting smoking with self hypnosis to be easy and painless, but for
others, it is difficult no matter which method is used. _ Hypnosis for pain
control: The experience of pain is a combination of the type of pain, tension,
fear and anxiety. Often tension and anxiety can intensify the pain. By
relaxation of the body, there is a natural reduction of pain. By proper
suggestion in the hypnotic state, the experience of pain can be reduced or
eliminated for periods of time. It is good to teach clients self hypnosis and
imagery so that the client can use it when needed. _ Hypnoanesthesia Reuben
Percarve achieved the first major surgical operation of this kind to be done
anywhere without conventional anaesthetic. He is responsible for the
Hypnoanesthesia in the surgical operation performed in Quebec. The patient was
operated successfully for the appendix. His recover was excellent without any
side effects normally associated with this type of surgery. III) WRONG DANGERS
OF HYPNOSIS: _ What if I can not wake up? It never happens. Getting out of
hypnosis is never a problem. You will put all of your efforts into getting into
a hypnotic state, not getting out of it.. The worst that can happen is that you
drift off into normal sleep, in which case you will wake up just as you would
any other time. _ Will I lose consciousness? No, you will no more lose
consciousness in the hypnotic state than you did when you were paying complete
attention to your reading. To someone else you will appear to be asleep because
your eyes are closed and you are relaxed, but you will know that you are not
asleep like at night. _ Can I be hypnotised against my will? No, no matter, how
will you have learned to go into the hypnotic state, you can always refuse to do
so if you desire. _ If I am in the hypnotic state and someone suggests me to do
an immoral act, will I comply? No, it is unlikely that a person could violate a
concept of morality to which he is strongly attached. CONCLUSION: Today, there
are many legitimate university based on studies of the various phenomena of
hypnosis and it is not uncommon for dentists and physicians to use it in their
practices. There is no magic by any of us, hypnosis will not make you stronger,
good looking, irresistible to girls or boys, a world class athlete and a genius.
The fact is that hypnosis eventually becomes everything anyone could reasonably
expect. It is a great way to do anything that depends on your own efforts.