CS - Hypnosis Lesson

 

Hypnosis

Have you ever been to a hypnotist show or seen one on tv? Sometimes a hypnotized person does strange things. They might not react when two blocks of wood are banged together next to them. They might do the chicken dance whenever the hypnotist says a certain word. They might even seem to remember previously forgotten childhood memories. Are these all tricks or a truly altered state of consciousness? Psychologists have studied hypnotism to find out.

Hypnosis is a two-way social interaction in which the hypnotized person believes they are being hypnotized, lets down their guard, and responds to suggestions made by the hypnotist. Hypnosis is characterized by highly focused attention and a willingness to accept distortions to logic and reality. Some people can be hypnotized, while others are unable to be hypnotized at all. People who score highest on tests of imagination and focus are best able to be hypnotized.

While hypnosis will not cause you to perform actions against your will, it can cause changes in your experience of consciousness. Alterations in sensation and perception are some of the most marked effects of hypnosis. A subject under hypnosis can experience considerable pain control, hallucinations, or even lack of perception of the physical existence of objects.

Hypnosis can produce a state called posthypnotic amnesia, a memory alteration where the subject is unable to recall information about events that occured during or before the hypnosis. Some experiences of hypnosis can also create a behavior called posthypnotic suggestion, when a person who has previously been hypnotized will perform specific behaviors that were suggested during the hypnosis.

Although hypnosis can create dramatic effects, there are also limits. Hypnosis cannot cause a subject to perform any behavior that is outside of their morals and values. It cannot make a person physically stronger or create new talents. It can, however, enhance a person's physical and mental skills by increasing their motivation and concentration, but only if the person believes it can work and is a highly imaginative person.

 

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