Hypnosis

[jumpinjo]

Does hypnosis work or is it also psuedo-science. The Company I work for will pay for hypnosis to help employees to quit smoking. I have always wondered about hypnosis.

[jimtron]

Hi, welcome!

Does hypnosis work or is it also psuedo-science.Yes, both are true, but probably more the latter than the former.

eta: here are some links of past discussions on hypnosis:

http://forums.randi.org/search.php?searchid=1809509

[Lanzy]

Just remember, all hypnosis is "self hypnosis".

So can you make yourself go into a trance? Probably.

[Mikeuk]

I have just completed a course of therapies based on Hypno-Analysis - which is carried out by a Hypnotherapist. It does not involve hypnosis in the tradtional manner - going into deep sleep and suggestions and all that. But it does require entering a very deeply relaxed state where the mind is freer to make associations which are not directed by the intellectual bias.
It helped me in that I was able to recall very vividly some early memories which helped in understanding how I respond emotionally - i.e to overcome mild depression.
So as a tool to bypass some of the "I can't do that because...", yes maybe it can help, but it cannot magically defeat an addiction you are not willing to change anyway.
Just one anecdote.

[JFrankA]

*sigh* Here I go again. :) I've talked about this before on other threads.

I do stage hypnosis and mentalism. I've been into hypnosis for about twenty years. I'll tell you what I say before every show. This goes for all hypnosis be it for entertainment or therapy.

You go to a movie. You sit in a dark room, you see images and hear sounds. You laugh at the funny bits, cry when the protagonist is sad, get mad when the villain does something evil, your heart pumps faster during the car chases, you get excited during the gun fights, and you leave the theater enjoying the experience, telling your friends.

All this happens without you noticing that the guy in the row in front of you is eating his popcorn loudly.

I tell people that. I essentially give the secret away, tell them the truth and the hypnosis still works. In fact, I get people to come up to me after the show and ask me to help them lose weight or stop smoking.

Why does that happen after telling the truth about hypnosis? Because people a) desire it to work, b) focus on it so much that they tune out other things and c) the choose to give their control away. By doing that, it actually puts me, as a stage hypnotist, in a very powerful position: they want it to happen, they pay for it, they expect it, so it does.

This is what hypnosis is.

There is nothing magical, it's something we do to ourselves every day without the use of another person. Ever concentrate on a project and tune out everything else? Same thing.

Let me put this "quitting smoking" and stuff like that this way: I lost 130 pounds recently. No, I didn't use hypnosis, I did it with watching what I eat, going to the gym and a lot of patience. When I was faced with eating something that would go over my calorie count for the day, I'd ask myself this question:

"Is it worth eating this or should I stay with my diet so that I have more confidence when I want to meet girls?"

Now this gave me the motivation and goals for me to stay on the diet and continue to go to the gym. A hypno-therapist could've done the same thing, e.g. "every time you stay on your diet you picture yourself thinner and talking to girl successfully". But honestly, you don't need anyone else to do that. You can do it yourself. I did. Anyone who has a mind, a desire and a will can do it.