Hypnosis

[S_V7]

My Dad got some hypnosis type thing video and him and my youngest sister are watching it now. I find it disturbing (and rather annoying) and I’m pretty sure it’s against the Church’s teaching.

I can hear it and it says things like:

“I’d like you to let go and relax even more…relax, relax…”

and it shows weird images on the screen.



is this dangerous? I’m pretty sure it is and told my sister but my dad seems to claim it’s just to relieve stress.

 

[BillGladwell]

No, what your dad and sister are doing is not dangerous.

At worst, it simply won’t work.

It’s not against the church’s teaching… it may be against the teaching of a very misinformed priest.

I have trained many priest, and it boils down to personal preference. There is no “mandate” from the church.

Bill
BillGladwell.com

 

[S_V7]

Here’s what the
Catholic Encyclopedia says

“Hypnosis is not only powerless to effect a moral or physical cure, to heal radically any malady whatever, but it is also, and above everything else, a dangerous method. It is right that this point should be insisted on.”

“Hypnotism, therefore, is a dangerous, if not a morally detestable, practice. In the process of suggestion the individual alienates his liberty and his reason, handing himself over to the domination of another.”

newadvent.org/cathen/07604b.htm

 

[latinmasslover]

to say hypnosis isn’t dangerous is an ignorant and foolish statement. the more I study the mind the more careful I become, it can be scary. Get your dad the Last Samurai soundtrack…that music is VERY relaxing, always helps put me at ease.

 

[BillGladwell]

I’ve been a hypnotist for over eighteen years now, and I am considered an expert in the field.

Most of my private clients come from referrals from physicians, psychologist, social works, and even priests.

Hypnosis is not dangerous in and of itself. Hypnosis is benign.

Hypnosis is simply a tool… much like a hammer. You can use a hammer to build or to destroy.

The morality and ethics come from the user, not the tool.

In fact, YOU (every human being) experiences hypnosis an average of four times every hour. It’s a natural, everyday state.

The author of the quote you posted from the Catholic Encyclopedia was simply ignorant.

I don’t mean this in the derogatory sense. I simply mean that the author did not have the appropriate knowledge or the proper research a the time of his writing.

The Catholic Encyclopedia was published in 1910 and written years before that.

The understanding of hypnosis has evolved drastically since then.

If you really think about it, flying through the air most likely would have been written of as being dangerous and the work of “some power”.

Now flying is commonplace, and thousands of people do it on a daily basis.

I’m not arguing religion.

I’m arguing that you have misinformation. You should research further.

Keep in mind as you research that you can find references to back up any belief that you have when searching on the Internet.

Go at it with an unbiased mindset, and then make an educated decision.

The reason that people become scared as they “study the mind” is their lack of solid ethics and morality. When they think about it, they’re fearful of what they may do if they learned the skill.

Do research, study the information (unbiased), and make a decision for yourself.

You’re not going to hurt my feelings either way.

Again, my offer for any questions still stands… CAF@BillGladwell.com.

I also extend the invitation to learn more about hypnosis for yourself. Currently, I’m offer my initial hypnosis training for free as an online course.

You’ll discover that hypnosis is simply the process of mastering communication.

You can enroll in the course at my Web site.

Again, stay unbiased, and don’t let the terms turn you away; because a name is a name… look deeper.

Thanks for your time you put into reading this.

Bill Gladwell
BillGladwell.com

 

[rpp]

When looking at the morality of something, the (name removed by moderator)ut of someone who makes their living by it can be useful, but ultimately not helpful. There is an inherent conflict of interest.

Look at this statement.
catholicculture.org/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=34034

The phenomenon of artificially induced sleep, which renders the victim abnormally open to suggestion. The subject of hypnosis tends to be dominated by the ideas and suggestions of the hypnotist while under the induced spell and later on. According to Catholic principles, hypnotism is not wrong in itself, so that its use under certain circumstances is permissible. But since it deprives the subject of the full use of reason and free will, a justifying cause is necessary for allowing it to be practiced. Moreover, because hypnotism puts the subject’s will in the power of the hypnotist, certain precautions are necessary to safeguard the subject’s virtue, and to protect him or her and others against the danger of being guilty of any injurious actions. For grave reasons, e.g., to cure a drunkard or one with a suicide complex, it is licit to exercise hypnotism, given the precaution that it is done in the presence of a trustworthy witness by a competent and upright hypnotist. The consent, at least presumed, of the subject must also be had. Several documents of the Holy See set down the norms to be followed in the use of hypnotism (The Holy Office, August 4, 1956; July 26, 1899).

My search on the Vatican website for all forms of the word “hypnosis” came up with only one hit, and it was an article on New Age religions which did not apply.

 

[rpp]

Additionally, I found this article:

catholic.org/diocese/diocese_story.php?id=25480

Church has no stance on hypnotism, but urges all to beware of abuses

I will admit this was not what I expected to find. I expected the Church to say a very big “NO!” to the practice. That is not the case.

 

[BillGladwell]

rrp,

I agree with you. I am a little biased.

For that reason, I urge people to do exactly what you have done and to research on their own.

Thanks for the posts. That’s information that I wouldn’t have researched myself, and it’s good to know.

Bill
BillGladwell.com

 

[Al_Masetti]

I have been a Catholic hypnotist for more than ten years.

It is legitimate as a therapeutic tool and has been endorsed by three Popes.

There are basically two parts to hypnosis: the trance and the suggestion.

Trance is merely focus and concentration. If you have ever been driving on a highway and missed your exit, you were in a trance state. You were focused and concentrating on something else (rather on your driving) and you drove past the exit.

Suggestion can be almost anything. The easiest is relaxation … for example, you can do progressive relaxation … start by visualizing a beautiful golden light above your head and have it descend through your body … and every muscle it touches relaxes … and every organ operates normally. And all the stress flows down through your body and out through your feet.

With some work, you can improve study habits and recall of information, etc. It is a little tricky because you may recall things that you would prefer to remain in the “long term storage” part of the mind. But you can then do a visualization exercise … to put those things away … on a train … or on a ship … and send them away where they are “out there” someplace … still part of your personal experience … but not up close anymore.

So, hypnosis is a valuable and powerful therapeutic tool … not to be used for entertainment or amusement as in stage hypnosis.

Usually it is best to work with a hypnotist … it’s just that having someone guide you or coach you works best. Sometimes, if you’re working alone and there is a distraction … a phone rings or a car makes noise outside, you might lose your concentration. But an experienced hypnotist or hypnotherapist certified by one of several organizations, such as the National Guild of Hypnotists or the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists (and there are other professional certification groups as well) … would have the training and experience to make the experience productive and valuable.

Some hypnotists and hypnotherapists have specialized training to work with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder using either EMDR or EMI or some other variant of eye movement. emdr.com/

ahtainc.com/index_files/Page393.htm

These and other organizations have Web sites that can provide referrals to their members who live near you.

www.ngh.net

natboard.com/

 

[thistle]

I have been a Catholic hypnotist for more than ten years.

It is legitimate as a therapeutic tool and has been endorsed by three Popes.

There are basically two parts to hypnosis: the trance and the suggestion.

Trance is merely focus and concentration. If you have ever been driving on a highway and missed your exit, you were in a trance state. You were focused and concentrating on something else (rather on your driving) and you drove past the exit.

Suggestion can be almost anything. The easiest is relaxation … for example, you can do progressive relaxation … start by visualizing a beautiful golden light above your head and have it descend through your body … and every muscle it touches relaxes … and every organ operates normally. And all the stress flows down through your body and out through your feet.

With some work, you can improve study habits and recall of information, etc. It is a little tricky because you may recall things that you would prefer to remain in the “long term storage” part of the mind. But you can then do a visualization exercise … to put those things away … on a train … or on a ship … and send them away where they are “out there” someplace … still part of your personal experience … but not up close anymore.

So, hypnosis is a valuable and powerful therapeutic tool … not to be used for entertainment or amusement as in stage hypnosis.

Usually it is best to work with a hypnotist … it’s just that having someone guide you or coach you works best. Sometimes, if you’re working alone and there is a distraction … a phone rings or a car makes noise outside, you might lose your concentration. But an experienced hypnotist or hypnotherapist certified by one of several organizations, such as the National Guild of Hypnotists or the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists (and there are other professional certification groups as well) … would have the training and experience to make the experience productive and valuable.

Some hypnotists and hypnotherapists have specialized training to work with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder using either EMDR or EMI or some other variant of eye movement. emdr.com/

ahtainc.com/index_files/Page393.htm

These and other organizations have Web sites that can provide referrals to their members who live near you.

www.ngh.net

natboard.com/

Hypnotism should be avoided. During sessions it takes away a person’s free will.

 

[Al_Masetti]

Hypnotism should be avoided. During sessions it takes away a person’s free will.

Not really.

 

[Sanctus_Paladin]

I’ve been a hypnotist for over eighteen years now, and I am considered an expert in the field.

Most of my private clients come from referrals from physicians, psychologist, social works, and even priests.

Hypnosis is not dangerous in and of itself. Hypnosis is benign.

Hypnosis is simply a tool… much like a hammer. You can use a hammer to build or to destroy.

The morality and ethics come from the user, not the tool.

In fact, YOU (every human being) experiences hypnosis an average of four times every hour. It’s a natural, everyday state.

The author of the quote you posted from the Catholic Encyclopedia was simply ignorant.

I don’t mean this in the derogatory sense. I simply mean that the author did not have the appropriate knowledge or the proper research a the time of his writing.

The Catholic Encyclopedia was published in 1910 and written years before that.

The understanding of hypnosis has evolved drastically since then.

If you really think about it, flying through the air most likely would have been written of as being dangerous and the work of “some power”.

Now flying is commonplace, and thousands of people do it on a daily basis.

I’m not arguing religion.

I’m arguing that you have misinformation. You should research further.

Keep in mind as you research that you can find references to back up any belief that you have when searching on the Internet.

Go at it with an unbiased mindset, and then make an educated decision.

The reason that people become scared as they “study the mind” is their lack of solid ethics and morality. When they think about it, they’re fearful of what they may do if they learned the skill.

Do research, study the information (unbiased), and make a decision for yourself.

You’re not going to hurt my feelings either way.

Again, my offer for any questions still stands… CAF@BillGladwell.com.

I also extend the invitation to learn more about hypnosis for yourself. Currently, I’m offer my initial hypnosis training for free as an online course.

You’ll discover that hypnosis is simply the process of mastering communication.

You can enroll in the course at my Web site.

Again, stay unbiased, and don’t let the terms turn you away; because a name is a name… look deeper.

Thanks for your time you put into reading this.

Bill Gladwell
BillGladwell.com

And your skills don’t work on the unwilling so meh I have no fight with you.

 

[bobzills]

Whether hypnosis is right or wrong depends to some extent on the suggestions being offered during the session. If good suggestions are offered, such as love for your family, doing good deeds, and being generous and kind, or suggestions to improve one’s health and well being, then I would be inclined to say that the hypnosis could be beneficial and therefore morally good. However, if bad suggestions are offered, either directly or subliminally, then even though these suggestions might be consciously rejected by the person receiving them, they may leave an echo in or near the subconscious level of the individual, and therefore I would conclude that the hypnosis, or attempt at hypnosis in this case would be morally wrong.

 

[Al_Masetti]

Everyone is routinely exposed to suggestions of all sorts - right and wrong - on a daily basis. And all suggestions leave a “residue”.

How many times have you experienced the influence of someone on a routine basis who “plants” inappropriate or unhelpful suggestions?

And these informal ideas stay with you forever.

You may want to avoid sin, but your “friends” fix you up with someone who has immoral ideas. Or, your “friends” may work to pull you in to one of their dumb ideas. Or you may let yourself be persuaded to spend money you don’t have. Or take a vacation you can’t afford. Or buy a car that is nicer than your present car.

“You may have won a million dollars” … a powerful suggestion.

The point of using hypnosis is to improve their life and for that reason, and that reason alone, someone undergoes the hypnosis form of therapy. It may be to correct a bad habit or to undo some negative/wrong suggestion planted by someone else.

So, there always has to be a specific purpose we call it a “contract” ] for undergoing hypnosis. It’s not just undergoing a deliberate trance state for no reason.

People don’t visit a doctor or a psychologist unless they have some specific complaint that they want to have looked at. So also, someone visiting a hypnotist or hynotherapist has to have a specific reason for going there.

Whether hypnosis is right or wrong depends to some extent on the suggestions being offered during the session. If good suggestions are offered, such as love for your family, doing good deeds, and being generous and kind, or suggestions to improve one’s health and well being, then I would be inclined to say that the hypnosis could be beneficial and therefore morally good. However, if bad suggestions are offered, either directly or subliminally, then even though these suggestions might be consciously rejected by the person receiving them, they may leave an echo in or near the subconscious level of the individual, and therefore I would conclude that the hypnosis, or attempt at hypnosis in this case would be morally wrong.

 

[zmyr88]

Do research, study the information (unbiased), and make a decision for yourself. TRUE!

You’re not going to hurt my feelings either way.

Again, my offer for any questions still stands… CAF@BillGladwell.com.

I also extend the invitation to learn more about hypnosis for yourself. Currently, I’m offer my initial hypnosis training for free as an online course.

You’ll discover that hypnosis is simply the process of mastering communication.

You can enroll in the course at my Web site.

Again, stay unbiased, and don’t let the terms turn you away; because a name is a name… look deeper.

Thanks for your time you put into reading this.

Bill Gladwell
BillGladwell.com

his site, looks fishy and seems newagey! BE real careful, with his program!

if you do , go the route of ( i have not yet made up my mind whether it is OK to do,) you might want “scripts” instead as these are for self hypnoisis or another person to use to hypnotize, they are guided steps of what to say to your self or a person can say to you to do it. (generally should not have a effect just reading them) THEN you CAN READ over them and delete/change, anything not “right”, ie. reafirm god, and christ, as what to think about if nessecary.

Hypnosis, defiantly is a tool that can be easily abused, and might open up the mind to things you don’t want it to.

 

[Penitus]

Hypnotism should be avoided. During sessions it takes away a person’s free will.

That’s simple not true. Your opinion is based upon a misconception. Free will is a gift from God and can never be taken away.

I am a graduate of the Master’s Program of Counseling at Franciscan U of Steubenville, and the head of the department there uses hypnosis in counseling sessions.

There’s another Catholic hypnotist in town also.

And as someone pointed out above, the magisterium has declared that hypnosis is a-ok under certain conditions.

 

[zmyr88]

there is a type of hypnosis being sold that is called black ops hypnosis, and it claims to be able to get around the will thing, by using forms that the person does not realize to get them to the trance then phrasing in such a way that the sub councious does NOT react, to what it would normally.

ONCE again , BE wary, one idea is Tape your hypnosis session, so you at least know what they did!

 

[Penitus]

ONCE again , BE wary, one idea is Tape your hypnosis session, so you at least know what they did!

and many hypnotists DEMAND that all their client’s sessions be taped, for liability purposes. These tapes are then offered to the client for an extra 10-20 dollars for additional benefit of listening to the session.

 

[Niegel]

My Dad got some hypnosis type thing video (…)

is this dangerous? I’m pretty sure it is and told my sister but my dad seems to claim it’s just to relieve stress.

Hello,

I’d like to give my two cents on that.
I’m a physician (general practice) and I found hypnosis could be interesting, but didn’t know what to think about that.So I read a lot and I made myself my opinion on the question and sent money to an organisation that gives medical hypnosis course. However, at this time- not having began the learning but having paid it- I felt in trouble, because my opinion was just that : my opinion !
So I went to my parish priest to ask him, ready to not follow the hypnosis stages if he had said anything. He answered me : “It’s OK”. I know priests in Vatican using it. And he was seminarist in Rome : he knows what he told me !

Morever hypnosis is generally absolutely not what people think it is. It’s not taking people under control or anything else.
Then, now, i’ll be short because like many human thing, people can using for noble purposes or evil ones. Will it be used to cure and help people (It’s efficient on addictions, pain, helping people with psychological problems) or to developp my own pride and my own selffish goals?

It’s then up to the people using it : practiciens or patients …

Sincerely to all.

 

[jesuspsr]

Hello,

I’d like to give my two cents on that.
I’m a physician (general practice) and I found hypnosis could be interesting, but didn’t know what to think about that.So I read a lot and I made myself my opinion on the question and sent money to an organisation that gives medical hypnosis course. However, at this time- not having began the learning but having paid it- I felt in trouble, because my opinion was just that : my opinion !
So I went to my parish priest to ask him, ready to not follow the hypnosis stages if he had said anything. He answered me : “It’s OK”. I know priests in Vatican using it. And he was seminarist in Rome : he knows what he told me !

Morever hypnosis is generally absolutely not what people think it is. It’s not taking people under control or anything else.
Then, now, i’ll be short because like many human thing, people can using for noble purposes or evil ones. Will it be used to cure and help people (It’s efficient on addictions, pain, helping people with psychological problems) or to developp my own pride and my own selffish goals?

It’s then up to the people using it : practiciens or patients …

Sincerely to all.