Thursday, 31 December 2009

Hypnosis - Unraveling The Mysteries Behind It

By Adam Cox

Myths have always chased hypnosis and its therapeutic offshoot, hypnotherapy. People either believe them to be falling in the domain of the occult, or don't consider them to be serious scientific pursuits. Following are some of the well known misconceptions about hypnosis and the truth behind them.

There is no mysticism or rituals involved in hypnosis. It hinges more on the science of the human mind and is very easy to practice for anyone who is prepared to learn it. People refuse to believe in hypnosis even after watching participants successfully experiencing its power in public sessions. They hold that the people who have been under hypnosis are mentally not strong enough to withstand the impact of the practitioner. But that is not true at all. Hypnosis can in fact be successfully practised on people who are mentally tough and are trying their best to resist the spell.

That hypnosis is an alternate state of consciousness is another misconception that has been circulating for quite some time now. A hypnotized person is totally conscious of his surroundings. Hypnosis actually induces a state of complete relaxation characterized by a growth in levels of attentiveness, and this heightened sensitivity helps the subject to receive suggestions without difficulty.

Some scientists have found that hypnosis works on just 5% of the world's population, and this is another prevalent myth. The scientists are somewhat true in their own way, because they tried hypnotising the group by the same hypnosis technique without considering individual differences in character and disposition. One hypnosis procedure for all is not a viable solution as different individuals fall under different personality types, and hence are responsive to different techniques.

Many people consider hypnosis to be a variant of meditation. However, meditation is essentially a personal experience that has got nothing to do with communication, while communication is a fundamental part of any successful hypnosis. Similarly, a state of trance is also sometimes equated with hypnosis, which is not correct. The person doesn't communicate to achieve a state of trance, whereas hypnosis is impossible without communication.

It is commonly believed that hypnosis training or hypnotherapy cannot bring transformations in physique or in behavioural patterns of a person. Hypnosis definitely cannot alter the body in unnatural ways. But it can bring about a development in physical health by altering behavioural patterns like overeating and constant smoking by raising motivation levels in an individual.

Hypnosis, and specifically hypnotherapy, can have a significant function to play in the overall welfare of a person, and not giving them a try just because of some false notions is an act of folly.

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