Free Will and Hypnotism

  • Thread starter Thread starter Timothy_Garber
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Timothy_Garber

Guest
I have read up on hypnotism lately and started to wonder about whether hypnotism could be considered a sin.

First, does hypnosis actually, by your own will, put your free will at the hands of another person?

If so, then is that an abuse of what God has given you? Since God has given you a free will, then wouldn’t removing it from your own power, even if only for a limited amount of time, be an abuse of the gift?

If not, then what are the limitations of hypnosis?

Second, what about conversational and covert hypnosis? Could that be a sin on the person that does it because they seek more power? Or is it also a sin because it was done without the consent of the person?

And lastly, is hypnosis only a sin if one does bad things with it? I know it would be, but is that the ONLY time it is a sin?

When I have searched about hypnotism before on the forums, all I have found is that it was basically just a “leave it to science” issue. But I have been very concerned as of late because I find it to be a HUGE temptation of sorts on too much power.

I want the Catholic way to view hypnotism, and I think that just leaving it to science is stupid as it deals with our one of our God-given rights as humans.

Also, if someone could give me a good way to stay away from the temptation, that would be very helpful.

Extra Credit Question
My friend brought this up:
If someone tries to hypnotize you against your will, is it alright to hypnotize them back against their will to find out why they tried to and if there were any other people affected?
She said it would be because you are doing it for good.

THANKS!!!
 
Most would say that hypnosis works by suggestions, not commands.

I would agree with your friend.
 
I think I might accidentally put myself in a state of hypotism when I altar serve. I sort of trance out, not in a good way, and for a few days, I feel this sense of displacement, not a pleasant feeling. I kid you not. It’s kind of scary, so pray for me.

You have to consent to being hypotized by another person, by the way. I think. That wasn’t very helpful, and I mainly was asking for prayers here, as my concern is sort of in the same area, except I think I do it to myself, every Mass, almost.
 
Timothy_Garber said:
I have read up on hypnotism lately and started to wonder about whether hypnotism could be considered a sin.

First, does hypnosis actually, by your own will, put your free will at the hands of another person?
Click to expand...
No
 
red85 said:
I think I might accidentally put myself in a state of hypotism when I altar serve.
Click to expand...
No way! So do I! Except I am kinda just awed by all the stuff going on I don’t even realize what is happening until I realize I am a little late for a cue. Nothing like being set off for a few days or anything…

To help you, I would suggest going over what is supposed to happen next inside of your head while you are serving. Get a good night’s sleep and try to be amazed at everything that is happening. Feel more involved. If that doesn’t help, I would suggest talking to your priest about it, as I have no idea what it is…
 
Robert_Sock said:
Most would say that hypnosis works by suggestions, not commands.

I would agree with your friend.
Click to expand...
So, in other words, you have to agree to do anything he/she suggests before it would take place? I always thought that you really only had to agree with handing over your own free will, and then the rest of the suggestions would really just be more of adhering to that statement.
 
EWTN: The Use of Hypnotism
There is of course nothing wrong in itself with the practice of hypnotism, and therefore under certain conditions its use would be licit. Since hypnotism, however, violently deprives the subject of the full use of reason and free will, a justifying cause is required for following it to be practiced. Hypnotism may be licitly used provided three conditions are verified: (1) there is present a grave reason, (2) the consent of the subject is obtained, and (3) due precautions are observed.
Click to expand...
Catholic Encyclopedia - Hypnotism
The Church has not waited for the verdict of science to put the faithful on their guard against the dangers of magnetism and hypnotism, and to defend the rights of human conscience; but, ever prudent, she has condemned only abuses, leaving the way free for scientific research. “The use of magnetism, that is to say, the mere act of employing physical means otherwise permissible, is not morally forbidden, provided that it does not tend to an illicit end or one which may be in any manner evil” (Response of the Holy Office, 2 June, 1840). The encyclical letter of the Sacred Penitentiary, Tribunal of August, 1856, only confirms this, and Père Coconnier has referred to it in his famous work “L’Hypnotisme franc”, in which he studies the subject apart from all extraneous considerations. Taking up the latest teachings of Rome, Canon Moureau, of Lille, writes: “Hypnotism is tolerated, in theory and in practice, to the exclusion of phenomena which would certainly be preternatural.” This is the opinion of most theologians, and it is the utterance of reason.
Click to expand...
 
Timothy_Garber said:
Nice find! Thank you, but it leads me to one more question:

If hypnotism should only be used in “grave reason”, does that mean it is wrong to have hypnotism shows and such, the ones for fun?
Click to expand...
I found this youtube from Catholic Answers:
Hypnotism: What does the Catholic Church teach about it?

Basically, the answer is that there is no formal pronouncement about hypnosis and entertainment, but there is some warning about hypnosis and the New Age movement.

JESUS CHRIST THE BEARER OF THE WATER OF LIFE - A Christian reflection on the “New Age”
“The point of New Age techniques is to reproduce mystical states at will, as if it were a matter of laboratory material. Rebirth, biofeedback, sensory isolation, holotropic breathing, hypnosis, mantras, fasting, sleep deprivation and transcendental meditation are attempts to control these states and to experience them continuously”.(70) These practices all create an atmosphere of psychic weakness (and vulnerability).
Click to expand...
 
wynnejj said:
I found this youtube from Catholic Answers:
Hypnotism: What does the Catholic Church teach about it?

Basically, the answer is that there is no formal pronouncement about hypnosis and entertainment, but there is some warning about hypnosis and the New Age movement.

JESUS CHRIST THE BEARER OF THE WATER OF LIFE - A Christian reflection on the “New Age”
Click to expand...
Yes, I have heard of all the new age stuff behind this.

Thank you for the great link. I think I will just stay farther away, as to not get burned.
 
Timothy_Garber said:
So, in other words, you have to agree to do anything he/she suggests before it would take place? I always thought that you really only had to agree with handing over your own free will, and then the rest of the suggestions would really just be more of adhering to that statement.
Click to expand...
Yes, in common understanding of hypnosis. For example, if the hypnotist suggests you kill someone, you then have the power to not follow through due to your values and beliefs.
 
This is interesting. Early last year, I read a book (author escapes me, but he was a psychologist - I know that doesn’t necessarily mean anything except that somebody was willing to give him a degree) about “hypnotizing yourself” - but it discussed hypnosis as a form of self-talk, addressing bad habits or problems to be corrected and the fears that were preventing change from happening. IIRC, the point of entering the “hypnotic state” to do this self-talk was to get closer to the unconscious workings of the brain, and try to bypass the defenses that would ordinarily come up when an outsider would try to get you to change your mind. The point of the self-talk is that you are saying to yourself, “I have the authority to make this change. It is safe for me to want to make this change. This is a good change to make.”

He described hypnotist acts as entertainment and nothing more. There probably could be a sinister or demonic aspect to it in these circumstances, but I think for most people it’s just the power of suggestion and succumbing to peer pressure because you’re in front of a group. Kind of like the crazy revival meeting altar calls I saw growing up. 🤷
 
“First, does hypnosis actually, by your own will, put your free will at the hands of another person?”

No. You can’t do what you wouldn’t already be inclined to do anyway. Hypnosis works by suggestion. The hypnotist doesn’t have total power over you.

“If not, then what are the limitations of hypnosis?”
There are only a few people that are highly suggestible. Even then, they aren’t zombies. Hypnosis can sometimes work well for encouraging someone to stop smoking, eat less, learn to relax, overcome fears. In some countries, it has been used to help people ignore pain during surgical procedures without anesthesia. It doesn’t put people in a situation where they don’t know what’s going on at all. There’s a number of people who aren’t very suggestible at all. The rest of us fall somewhere in between.

“My friend brought this up:
If someone tries to hypnotize you against your will, is it alright to hypnotize them back against their will to find out why they tried to and if there were any other people affected?
She said it would be because you are doing it for good.”

You can’t be hypnotized against your will.

*I studied hypnosis at one time in my life and have several certificates for it. It just isn’t as powerful as people think it is. In fact, one of the reasons I didn’t pursue it further is because it just didn’t seem to be of much practical use other than the kinds of things I mentioned above. Even then, it still depends on the individual. For example, if someone wants to stop smoking, hypnosis can be a catalyst to encourage them in the process, but it’s still up to them to want to quit. Hypnosis can’t overcome smoking if someone really still wants to smoke.

Most people seem to get their ideas about hypnosis from stage hypnosis. In that case, either someone is just going along with the act for entertainment purposes or the hypnotist does a few pre-hypnotic suggestions to the audience to look for a person who seems extremely suggestible. Even so, it still won’t make a person do something that is totally against their nature to do, no matter how ridiculous it looks on stage.*
 
Sunbreak said:
“First, does hypnosis actually, by your own will, put your free will at the hands of another person?”

No. You can’t do what you wouldn’t already be inclined to do anyway. Hypnosis works by suggestion. The hypnotist doesn’t have total power over you.

“If not, then what are the limitations of hypnosis?”
There are only a few people that are highly suggestible. Even then, they aren’t zombies. Hypnosis can sometimes work well for encouraging someone to stop smoking, eat less, learn to relax, overcome fears. In some countries, it has been used to help people ignore pain during surgical procedures without anesthesia. It doesn’t put people in a situation where they don’t know what’s going on at all. There’s a number of people who aren’t very suggestible at all. The rest of us fall somewhere in between.

“My friend brought this up:
If someone tries to hypnotize you against your will, is it alright to hypnotize them back against their will to find out why they tried to and if there were any other people affected?
She said it would be because you are doing it for good.”

You can’t be hypnotized against your will.

*I studied hypnosis at one time in my life and have several certificates for it. It just isn’t as powerful as people think it is. In fact, one of the reasons I didn’t pursue it further is because it just didn’t seem to be of much practical use other than the kinds of things I mentioned above. Even then, it still depends on the individual. For example, if someone wants to stop smoking, hypnosis can be a catalyst to encourage them in the process, but it’s still up to them to want to quit. Hypnosis can’t overcome smoking if someone really still wants to smoke.

Most people seem to get their ideas about hypnosis from stage hypnosis. In that case, either someone is just going along with the act for entertainment purposes or the hypnotist does a few pre-hypnotic suggestions to the audience to look for a person who seems extremely suggestible. Even so, it still won’t make a person do something that is totally against their nature to do, no matter how ridiculous it looks on stage.*
Click to expand...
Thank you for your answer. It is nice to hear from someone that is experienced in the field. And I agree totally; I don’t want to pursue it because it doesn’t do that much.🤷
 
Timothy_Garber said:
No way! So do I! Except I am kinda just awed by all the stuff going on I don’t even realize what is happening until I realize I am a little late for a cue. Nothing like being set off for a few days or anything…

To help you, I would suggest going over what is supposed to happen next inside of your head while you are serving. Get a good night’s sleep and try to be amazed at everything that is happening. Feel more involved. If that doesn’t help, I would suggest talking to your priest about it, as I have no idea what it is…
Click to expand...
Thank you. I will try that. I think maybe I’m going at the Mass the wrong way, trying to vacate my mind and heart, which is a Buddhist practice - probably not the best way to approach Christ. I think maybe if I simply be aware, attentive, and thoughtful, I’ll be alright. It’s not though an occasional random thought is going to kick Christ out of my mind or my heart.
 
red85 said:
Thank you. I will try that. I think maybe I’m going at the Mass the wrong way, trying to vacate my mind and heart, which is a Buddhist practice - probably not the best way to approach Christ. I think maybe if I simply be aware, attentive, and thoughtful, I’ll be alright. It’s not though an occasional random thought is going to kick Christ out of my mind or my heart.
Click to expand...
Yeah, try to find delight in the liturgy. Find what excites you, and try to focus on what you are doing and why you are doing it. Don’t try to “zone out”.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top