Hypnotism and Hypnotherapy...good, bad, or undecided?

Originally posted by Harkoliar: hmmm, to be honest, ive tried to do self-hypnosis on myself... things is, it never worked. but im still giving it an open-mind. i read a book once that you must be completly controling yourself during the time you are having your hypnosis or else you wont wake up from your dream world or subconcious.. is that true?

I have never heard the theory that one who uses self hypnosis may never wake up if they are not in complete control.
I would think that the method is something akin to meditation since the person must literally meditate and focus on the changes they want to take place and I am not certain that you will always fall asleep in the process.
It helps to have surroundings without distraction from outside noises and a complete desire for the changes to actually take place...so much so that you are willing to block out all else and concentrate on the behaviours you want to change.
It is all a matter of being succeptible to your own power of suggestion. Take for example when I used to stay up later than I should have and knew I would wake up tired and be tired at work all day, I would go to sleep repeating to myself and believing it, "I will awaken refreshed and ready to go". I'd wake up feeling like I had slept a full eight hours and being tired would not interfere with my work all day. I would make it a point to turn in early, or at least on time that night though, just because I am one whose body will force me to catch up on the hours of sleep I miss throughout the week.



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Pets Need Love Too

[WOLFGIR]

As with most things dealing with the subconcious I believe that one has to be real careful. Some people are very sensitive to hypnotism ans suggestion and such, and ome are like making a stone talk and dance the jig for you. So I believe that it should be brought out more into the daylight so to speak so people knows more about it, what it is, what benefits and also some more detailed degree to be lawfully permitted to excersise it on patients.

I think that there are great things to be accomplished by these treatments as well as alot of dangers.. Like with most things..

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Yawning lazywolf dreaming about nice little fairies...zzzzz
Wolfgirs lair
once-upon-a-paper

As the resident hypnotist I shall clarify this ~coughs meaningfully~

firstly hypnotism can be done without eye contact - with manipulation of body movements and voice control - it can be used to calm heated situations or to make somebody fear the start of hostilities - very nice! - also good for presentations/oratory

As for hypnotherapy I underwent that years ago from a friend of mine who worked as hypnotherapist at a bank - I found out the strageness of my past lives (crook, knight, druid [and I don't mean goody type either :O]) and how they died - this prompted my belief in reincarnation

You CANNOT make somebody do something they would not normally want to do - you can change a mood easily enough though

Self-hypnosis is very simple to learn and extremely useful - I have used variations in Martial Arts to improve strength coordination or to disaccoiate my mind so my body goes on auto-pilot - most useful

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In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is pimp.
http://lordraptor0.tripod.com/index.html


[This message has been edited by Lord Shield (edited 08-14-2001).]

[Yorick]

Moni, I sure hope I didn't offend you with my view. What you are talking about is harmless enough, what yoou Lord Shield are talking about is what I would avoid. Inducing an automatic repsonse to a given situation. There are times when an abject aversion to hostility is a bad thing. Surely it is better to be in the frame of mind where the brain can weigh up the pro's and cons and make a decision based on the unique information at hand, rather than predetermined suggestion. So many variables exist in each given situation, that being "programmed", is little different from being a robot responding to each situation the same despite any changes. Man, some people get conditioned of their own accord as a result of negative circumstances - especially in childhood. There are many of us already unhealthily conflict shy. I am anti-habit/pro volition.

Moni I too was once an insomniac. Then I became a musician. It's amazing how quickly you fall asleep when you've been doing without.

Earthdog, ouch! Whoa man that's pretty scathing. I've got a number of friends in the Pentecostal movement who are certainly not how you are describing. I had an inside eye to church leadership and none of what you are talking about occured.

Anyhow I used to hold similar opinions to you. I would sit in services for a while and then walk out in disgust at stuff I didn't agree with. The falling down freaked me out. The "tounges" of Acts were in dialects and languages others present understood. This is very different to what "tounges" are today, and what some believe them to be.

This however is my take on it: I believe that what people do when they pray in tounges is pray a prayer of pure emotion, without words to limit the unbridled message being sent. Audible utterances give that emotion focus, clarity and consistancy and allows the holy spirit "room to move".

In any case that is what I do when I do as such. After many years of being a sceptic criticiser of it I gave it a go.

I have no doubt that there are sharks, fakes and people who take advantage of others faith. If there is a God they had better pray for mercy beyond belief because such heinous crimes of manipulation are pure twisted perversion. Using anothers faith, a pure, innocent trusting thing as a tool for self profit or power?!

However we cannot tar all with the same brush. I have seen too many who are not sharks, too many who radiate love, joy, peace and generosity, to ever generally dismiss the entire movement. No Church, belief, political ideology, or economic theory is perfect and without flaw. We humans are without flaw. As a Christian I have taken the position that if someone loves the same Y'shua, the same Jesus I do, then they can fall over, rub rosaries, wear a tie and not dance, wave tamborines and shout, meet in candlelight, meet in sunlight, meet on a saturday or inhale inscence for all I care. These are just different ways of "eating food" My diet is different, but then, as I've said before we are all different.

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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....

A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!

[This message has been edited by Yorick (edited 08-15-2001).]

[Yorick]

Hmm, Earthdog, I only noticed you're from Melbourne after I posted. I know some churches in Melbourne. It was my home away from home for a while. Which ones are you referring to down there?

Could you do us a favour? Check out Christian City Church Whitehorse, on the Highway behind the town hall. It's in the Whitehorse/Camberwell/Box Hill area. Look it up on the web if you need better directions.

Anyhow check it out one sunday soon, and let me know if this is the type of thing you mean. It's a Pente church, but when I was last there was pretty tame by comparison to some extreme Pente churches. It'd be interesting to see if my definition of tame and yours match up or if what I call tame, you call freaky.

I've got a number of friends who go there so I'd also be interested to know an outsiders opinion.

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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....

A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!

[Harkoliar]

thanks for the tip moni i think ill give it another try... its been a while since i went into these things...



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Revived I Am to hunt this world... Banish ye evil or face my wrath...

[KHaN]

Originally posted by Earthdog: There have been SOOOO many fakes that have been caught out (the TELEVangelists for example, ie., Robert Tilton ect.,) suckering people into thinking that "GEE if I send Him $400 this month Gods really gonna fix my car."

Ugh, it's sad to see that people in Australia have heard of the snake Robert Tilton. His type give Christianity a bad name. Sorry bout the off-topic rant there but I hate that guy.

[Wulfere]

Self Hypnosis does work...I have done it a number of times.
You can not be hypnotised against your will.
You can not be made to do things which you would normally not do.
You are conscious and in control of your own will.

Think of the last time you were going to sleep. Remember just as you were falling into it, that period when you were conscious of things around you, but they seemed like a dream to you. This is as close to the Hypnotic state.
It has alot of uses. I can be used for helping people who want to be helped.
The more they want it the better the effects from the attempt. But in most cases the post hypnotic suggestion needs to be done again within a few days to a week for lasting benefits. I would suggest you look at the page linked by Larry.

PS...I learned this in High School. My Gothic Lit teacher trained us all in how to do it. Some of the parents went nuts and took their kids out of the class. They thought she would turn us all into satan worshipers. Of course she also taught us to read Tarot Cards and Numberology.

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The line between good and evil is razor sharp. Be careful of misteps,
lest you find yourself spitted upon your own blade.

[Fljotsdale]

I'm too much of a control freak to ever accept hypnotism myself!
I never have more than one alcoholic drink for the same reason. I also don't smoke 'cos I won't let habits - or tobacco producers! - control me.
And I have no desire to use hypnotism myself on others, nor to see others hypnotised. I know others have differing views, and I have no desire to argue them out their views, but I find the whole thing rather nauseating. Just my feeling!

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[Fljotsdale]

Originally posted by Yorick: Hypnotical subconcious suggestion/manipulation from another person is something I personally would avoid like the plague. I guard my subconcious as much as possible. There are so many ways in which it can be affected, and I'd never willingly be put in the situation where someone had direct voice into it. Learning techniques to master and control your subconcious - rather than the other way round - is in my book a far better alternative as it is both empowering and self perpetuating. (and ultimately cheaper)

I agree wholeheartedly Yorick!
Hey - ain't it nice to agree with each other for once?


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