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What is Hypnosis? Hypnosis is a state of consciousness in which a subject’s logically analytical faculties are reduced sufficiently to allow deeper levels of the subconscious mind to be utilised for a specific purpose, such as the benefit of one’s health. An hypnotic trance is a state of focused attention in which the subject is neither awake nor fully asleep. In this state, the subject is open to suggestion, and can be desensitised to fears, phobias, or pain. Subjects in trance can often be oblivious to what is going on around them, and yet be acutely aware of a narrow range of stimuli called to their attention by the therapist. There are no rigid boundaries between differing levels of consciousness. In fact, each of us experiences various levels of consciousness throughout the course of each day. These range from sleep to states of alertness, with moderate trance (such as daydreaming) in between. Trance states are therefore completely natural, as are the phenomena associated with them. When someone becomes so absorbed in a novel or film that they become
totally unaware of the things that are going on around them, they are
in a trance state! Hypnotic techniques are used subconsciously by many
people in their everyday lives. Suggestion, distraction, relaxation,
and visualisation are used routinely by doctors, salesmen, advertising
designers and many others without their subjects ever being aware of
it. Even mothers use the hypnotic suggestion “I’ll kiss
it better” to ease a child’s pain. |