Hypnosis

[kbwall]

Even if it’s not sin, I’d say avoid it. At its best, it’s a placebo. At its worst, it’s a scam.

Also, hypnosis isn’t magic as seen in the movies. You pretty much retain free will. However, it can alter your memories, which kinda makes me disgusted at the whole process. Stories of people discovering trauma they experienced but blocked out? They never happened, the hypnotist simply made you think they happened so you’d be glad with his service, and he gets more money.

Use common sense. There’s a reason hypnotism isn’t practised in the mainstream. If it was some magical cure-all, everybody would be using it.

 

[Katrina5]

That is simply untrue.
A person under hypnosis can be manipulated into to doing things they would not ordinarily do and even have false memories implanted.
To suggest a person is in full control of their will under hypnosis is ridiculous!

False memories “syndrome” and even multiple personality disorder are not induced by the hypnotist. They are not “brought out” through hypnosis.

The subject, or patient, has Borderline Personality Disorder, which if you read more about it, they are desperate for attention and, in that way, in the hands of someone who wants to exploit or control them, go along this “treatment.”

They like the excitement and turmoil that goes along with false memories and MPD. It is now called “Dissociative Identity Disorder” and I believe is iatrogenic and non-existent. It goes away when ignored, and some people have acting talent plus a Borderline Personality and MPD/DID is the result.

I have known people who spent (wasted) years of their lives with this type of thing.

There are scams where someone comes to town, books a hotel ballroom, sells tickets and makes a lot of money from people desperate to lose weight or stop smoking.

The hypnosis I have witnessed was not a silly demonstration, or sensationalistic side show. The two doctors I know explained that hypnosis can only “work” if the subject wants it to. All it is is a relaxation exercise! If you have witnessed anything else from hypnosis, you have been conned by the hypnotist AND the subject.

“If it works, everyone would be using it”-- just like any other psychological treatment, it doesn’t work for everyone. But that is the same as saying, if sleeping made people feel rested, people would sleep every night and wake up feeling rested. Most people sleep-- their brains go into various brain-wave levels of consciousness needed to chemically restore the brain’s systems. Not everyone feels rested by sleep.

As for it being “spiritually dangerous”, that is a state of mind. You have to “allow” it to happen-- it is your will. If you submit your will to another-- and you don’t have to be hypnotized to do that-- you may do things that are not in your character.

What I suspect is far more dangerous are drug induced states of mind.

There have been great saints who went into trance-like states. I would never attribute that to their will being taken over by anyone else.

They are called “mystics” and that is another subject, and completely off track from what the OP asked. I believe the OP was describing the hotel ballroom hypnotism, which is most likely a money making scam with no results.

I take full responsibility for derailing the topic, but I also have studied and experienced this issue and try to correct misconceptions of it.

 

[Pieman333272]

False memories “syndrome” and even multiple personality disorder are not induced by the hypnotist. They are not “brought out” through hypnosis.

The subject, or patient, has Borderline Personality Disorder, which if you read more about it, they are desperate for attention and, in that way, in the hands of someone who wants to exploit or control them, go along this “treatment.”

They like the excitement and turmoil that goes along with false memories and MPD. It is now called “Dissociative Identity Disorder” and I believe is iatrogenic and non-existent. It goes away when ignored, and some people have acting talent plus a Borderline Personality and MPD/DID is the result.

I have known people who spent (wasted) years of their lives with this type of thing.

There are scams where someone comes to town, books a hotel ballroom, sells tickets and makes a lot of money from people desperate to lose weight or stop smoking.

The hypnosis I have witnessed was not a silly demonstration, or sensationalistic side show. The two doctors I know explained that hypnosis can only “work” if the subject wants it to. All it is is a relaxation exercise! If you have witnessed anything else from hypnosis, you have been conned by the hypnotist AND the subject.

“If it works, everyone would be using it”-- just like any other psychological treatment, it doesn’t work for everyone. But that is the same as saying, if sleeping made people feel rested, people would sleep every night and wake up feeling rested. Most people sleep-- their brains go into various brain-wave levels of consciousness needed to chemically restore the brain’s systems. Not everyone feels rested by sleep.

As for it being “spiritually dangerous”, that is a state of mind. You have to “allow” it to happen-- it is your will. If you submit your will to another-- and you don’t have to be hypnotized to do that-- you may do things that are not in your character.

What I suspect is far more dangerous are drug induced states of mind.

There have been great saints who went into trance-like states. I would never attribute that to their will being taken over by anyone else.

They are called “mystics” and that is another subject, and completely off track from what the OP asked. I believe the OP was describing the hotel ballroom hypnotism, which is most likely a money making scam with no results.

I take full responsibility for derailing the topic, but I also have studied and experienced this issue and try to correct misconceptions of it.

What are you talking about? People with FSM and DID, even if they met the need for attention required as a criteria for BPD, do not meet any of the other requirements (i.e. suicidal tendencies). They are clearly separate disorders.

 

[wild_thing]

False memories “syndrome” and even multiple personality disorder are not induced by the hypnotist. They are not “brought out” through hypnosis.

The subject, or patient, has Borderline Personality Disorder, which if you read more about it, they are desperate for attention and, in that way, in the hands of someone who wants to exploit or control them, go along this “treatment.”

They like the excitement and turmoil that goes along with false memories and MPD. It is now called “Dissociative Identity Disorder” and I believe is iatrogenic and non-existent. It goes away when ignored, and some people have acting talent plus a Borderline Personality and MPD/DID is the result.

I have known people who spent (wasted) years of their lives with this type of thing.

There are scams where someone comes to town, books a hotel ballroom, sells tickets and makes a lot of money from people desperate to lose weight or stop smoking.

The hypnosis I have witnessed was not a silly demonstration, or sensationalistic side show. The two doctors I know explained that hypnosis can only “work” if the subject wants it to. All it is is a relaxation exercise! If you have witnessed anything else from hypnosis, you have been conned by the hypnotist AND the subject.

“If it works, everyone would be using it”-- just like any other psychological treatment, it doesn’t work for everyone. But that is the same as saying, if sleeping made people feel rested, people would sleep every night and wake up feeling rested. Most people sleep-- their brains go into various brain-wave levels of consciousness needed to chemically restore the brain’s systems. Not everyone feels rested by sleep.

As for it being “spiritually dangerous”, that is a state of mind. You have to “allow” it to happen-- it is your will. If you submit your will to another-- and you don’t have to be hypnotized to do that-- you may do things that are not in your character.

What I suspect is far more dangerous are drug induced states of mind.

There have been great saints who went into trance-like states. I would never attribute that to their will being taken over by anyone else.

They are called “mystics” and that is another subject, and completely off track from what the OP asked. I believe the OP was describing the hotel ballroom hypnotism, which is most likely a money making scam with no results.

I take full responsibility for derailing the topic, but I also have studied and experienced this issue and try to correct misconceptions of it.

I disagree with you on the diagnosis of DID. It is a real mental disorder, classified in the DSM IV. My own psychologist (who is a staunch Christian and does not do hypnosis or anything) has had a couple of patients with this disorder. They are usually people with extreme trauma in their childhood and sometimes regress back into a child-like personality. The exorcist I mentioned in my previous post also checks people who are claiming to be possessed or obsessed to see if their condition is not better explained by DID.

However, I completely agree with you in that hypnosis is mainly a relaxation technique and will not neccessarily work for everyone. The situation the OP was describing certainly sounds more like a scam at worst, a misconception or misinterpretation of hypnosis at best.

 

[Carolyn_Widhalm]

I disagree with you on the diagnosis of DID. It is a real mental disorder, classified in the DSM IV. My own psychologist (who is a staunch Christian and does not do hypnosis or anything) has had a couple of patients with this disorder. They are usually people with extreme trauma in their childhood and sometimes regress back into a child-like personality. The exorcist I mentioned in my previous post also checks people who are claiming to be possessed or obsessed to see if their condition is not better explained by DID.

However, I completely agree with you in that hypnosis is mainly a relaxation technique and will not neccessarily work for everyone. The situation the OP was describing certainly sounds more like a scam at worst, a misconception or misinterpretation of hypnosis at best.

The group I was referring to in my original question is called Positive Changes. I don’t remember saying anything about group therapy although they may use that approach. This company does not work out of a rented facility, but has their own place of business here in town. I drove by it yesterday…not some hole in the wall so I don’t think it is a scam. They advertise on TV using personal testimonies and do not claim that it works for everyone. In fact their billboards have that disclaimer.
That said, I have appreciated all of the comments and viewpoints.

Carolyn

 

[Daizies]

As someone who has been hypnotized in my pre-Christian days, from my experience,you can be induced into doing things that you would not ordinarily do, though not to the extent of say, robbing a bank (unless you are previously inclined I suppose). I think that the warnings about careful use of hypnotism are most definitely warranted. Just my :twocents: