Hypnotism.

[Kyrvias]

Being that I currently have a rediculous amount of time on my hands, I have dedicated these next few weeks solely on the study of the human mind, and the subtleties therein.

Hypnotism, meditation, how it all interacts, and effects your behavior...



So far, it's extremely interesting. What hypnotism really is, a few papers have said, is subtle/forced persuasion. Other papers have said that hypnotism in and itself is a magic of sorts, and few can learn it's intricacies. Obviously, this was a slightly elitist point of view, but ah well, as I've taken from many different sources.


So what are your opinions on hypnotism? Or meditation? I admit I'm deathly curious.
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[AlphaAlex]

I think it's all fake. I'll believe it if someone hypnotizes me.

[Lavindathar]

Originally Posted by AlphaAlex I think it's all fake. I'll believe it if someone hypnotizes me.

Agreed.

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

We had a guy in our high school in the early 80's who did that. My best friend was one of the people who want up on stage. He had people doing some crazy stuff.

He told those who were left at the end that they would not remember anything, until they walked out of the auditorium doors. I was with my friend when he came down from the stage. He was in a daze. He said the show was good, but you could tell he was struggling to remember what happened. When he walked through the doors, his eyes flashed open and he remembered everything he had done on stage.
He turned and went back in to shake hands with the hypnotist. As he passed through the doors again, I could tell he had forgotten everything again. He went to the hypnotist anyway and congratulated him on a great show.

The hypnotist put him under again and told him he would not remember anything. To this day, he still only remembers little bits of it. That was 24 years ago.

There certainly is something to it. People have various levels of resistance to the suggestions. Some are totally immune. That's why he kept sending people down through the show.

[Skippy1]

I watched part of this operation on the news this week. Apart from the initial incision, she didn't seem to feel a thing.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/a...in-relief.html

[Kyrvias]

Just read a 55 page work on "Gaining Compliance'

A lot of it is fairly obvious. It detailed the strategies we as humans use in getting things we want, or asking favours. For example, you want a raise from your boss. Would you threaten him for it? Not likely. You wouuld probably ask nicely, and, failing that, attempt to strike a deal.

Mostly this document was entirely based on "asking someone for something." Persuasion at its base, yet, at the same time, the foundation for hypnosis.

[SpiritWarrior]

Well you're on the right track. I've done alot of study into it a few years back, I lived with a Hypnotherapist for a year or so too. It isn't about mind control, but like you said, subtle suggestion.

It's not a fact of whether you believe it or not since science has already proven how the mind is susceptable to suggestions and influences, it is just a matter of understanding what it is and seperating the myths from the truths. Despite what we see on cartoons and such, hypnotism isn't commanding someone to do your will and them carrying this command out. Once this is understood, it becomes a far more plausable therapy/technique to accept. The key with hypno is planting these suggestions in the subconscious, then people carrying them out on a subconscious level. That is the basic trick to it. A pendulum isn't needed, nothing is really necessary other than bringing a person into a suggestive, receptive state of mind, and then issuing the desired suggestion.

[Dragonshadow]

Originally Posted by Kyrvias So what are your opinions on hypnotism? Or meditation? I admit I'm deathly curious. .

I meditate most nights.
Hypnotism, I'm not so sure I belive in. My boyfriend started to learn self hypnosis, but he never got too far with it.

[SpiritWarrior]

Odd that you meditate yet aren't sure if you believe in hypnosis? Since meditation is an integral part of hypnosis (i.e. trance state). You should research it a bit, if you can sit in a meditative state then you have half the work done already and may find it useful as a tool.

[Firestormalpha]

That's where a conflict can arise.
People mean different things when they say meditate.

-Some people mean to simply clear their mind and relax to the point where there's no tangible stress.

-Some believe in what is called transcendental meditation where they can somehow access a spiritual level through focus and clearing the mind (this being most common in the east, but spreading in various forms through the west.)

-Still others regard it as simply focusing on a particular thought or ideal in an effort to incorporate it into their daily lives. i.e. Joshua 1:8 "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it..."

So for the purpose of clarification under what context do we mean meditate within this thread?