Is hypnotism possible?

Question

I am going to a place next weekend where I will be hypnotized. Normally, I think this is just a bunch of hooey, but my mom's friend went last weekend and said her niece got hypnotized. I am a little bit nervous now, but is this really possible?

Answer 1

Hypnotism is possible, and it's not something to fear if you are working with a trained professional in a clinical setting. I wouldn't try it for entertainment purposes or to please anyone else - only do it if you are comfortable with the idea of what is going to be suggested to you.

A person in my office went to a hypnotist that was working through a hospital as a quit-smoking technique. She told me about her experience when I was getting divorced and couldn't sleep or relax. I went for a session in the hope of stress relief.

The hypnotist and I had a short discussion about what I hoped to gain through the session and what was going to happen. I was seated on a comfortable lounge-type chair. She started speaking to me in a calm, low voice and told me to close my eyes and relax. She asked me to focus on the sound of her voice and then to think about different body parts and how they would feel when they were relaxed.

I remember sitting in the chair, feeling relaxed and half-thinking that it wasn't working because I still felt conscious of what was happening to me. She asked me to raise my left hand and it felt heavy. I lifted my hand slightly, the movement was a bit jerky. Again, I had a vague thought that maybe I was cheating or the hypnotism wasn't working because I had to think about moving my hand because it wouldn't move on it's own. She then read from a script about stress and relaxation and sleeping.

The hypnotist then took me out of the relaxed state. She gave me a cd to listen to when I was in bed at night. I left, wondering if it had worked. I listened to the cd that night. I don't think I got even a minute into it before falling asleep. Same thing for the next couple of weeks. After that, I think I got a few minutes into the cd before falling asleep. I did relax more during the day, I stopped finding myself all tense and my teeth clenched - which had been happening before I saw the hypnotist.

All together, it worked very well for me. I *never* felt that I was out of control, and it's been a few years and I still remember what happened during the session. And my co-worker who quit smoking - she's been without a cigarette for 5 years now. She said she does think about smoking sometimes. The hypnotist had asked her what she wanted to associate smoking with so she wouldn't be tempted to do it anymore. She asked for smoking to be associated with nausea. My co-worker still gets a vague sense of nausea when she thinks about lighting up.

Answer 2

Hypnotism is very possible. It is more considered the middle ground between being conscious and unconscious. Despite what some people have said you can be hypnotized into believing you see things, hear things, and even smell things. However there is a catch. Anyone can be hypnotized, but it is most successful when the person can easily be persuaded. In the end thats what hypnotism is, someone else persuading you to believe that something is real when its not. You have to be open to what's being suggested. YOU CAN NOT BE HYPNOTIZED INTO DOING SOMETHING TOTALLY AGAINST YOUR WILL, AND THERES NO RISKS. We have what hypnoitis call a "hidden observer" or a side part of our mind that makes sure we're not doing anything against our will. I've seen people who were hypnotized to believe that ammonia smelled like perfume, or even more amazing not to feel pain. (The experiment consisted of a conscious person and a hypnotized person holding there arms in ice water and describing their pain. The hypnotized person related no pain to the experience and only had their arm removed for fear of damage by the hypnotist) Theres even post hypnotic suggestion which would be something to the effect of the hypnotist telling the person that all cigarettes tasted like garbage. They would actually believe this for a few weeks or so, and then the effects would wear off. It's really a remarkable thing that we dont totally understand, but is used for entertainment and to get rid of bad habits such as smoking, nail bitting, etc.

Answer 3

Absolutely possible. But don't go somewhere where the person isn't a professional, PLEASE. There have been so many instances of permenant problems after people get hypnotized. It's messing with your brain, after all..that's never smart just in fun. There's shows and things like that where there's hypnotists..if it's something like that, definitely don't do it. They just hypnotize people and make them take off all their clothes and act like idiots..but the most important thing is that there can be permenant damage. It's dangerous..please be careful.

Answer 4

It is possible for some people, but not entirely possible for others. It had worked sometimes when trying to be hypnotized for memory purposes, though it has mostly proven useless when trying to get someone to do something they don't want to. For example, trying to hypnotize someone to act like a chicken has not worked.

Answer 5

You cant be hypnotised unless you want to. If its for entertainment only I would avoid it.. I was taught by a doctor for depression and stess..My doctor took me back in time some bad memories came out. he brought me out right way.. He told me about a stage guy that tild every one they 13 and in a nice Green field a young girl began to screem.. She had been gang raped when she was 13 in a green field.

Answer 6

it is possible but you need to make sure this person is clinically trained bc you don't want someone playing around with your subconscious