Hypnotism

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » March 30, 2004, 1:36 am

Anyone ever been hypnotized? Details!

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » March 30, 2004, 1:57 am

Yerp...When I was learning clinical hypnosis...

Errrrm not sure what details you want...

...It was pretty uneventful...

Hayley · Post by **Hayley** » March 30, 2004, 2:18 am

I actually used hypnobirthing to withstand the pain of labor and I lasted 13 hours with it. During one of my hypno classes, I totally fell into the visualization of what the person was saying. So much so that I began to sweat profusely as if I was not visualizing, but actually in the scenario. I haven't done the kind of hypnotizing where people make you do wierd shit though and I'm not sure that I really believe in that. You can really let yourself go while the person is doing the hypnotizing, but I still believe you can withstand being told to do outlandish things because your subconscious knows better. The goal of my hypnosis was to relax me through my contractions and it really did work! Is that the kind of answer you're looking for?

Siji · Post by **Siji** » March 30, 2004, 2:42 am

Don't believe in it myself, but have never tried it either.. Nor would I for the childish fear of my thoughts being changed in ways I wouldn't prefer.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 30, 2004, 2:54 am

I recall a hypnotist coming to my high school and we all held onto long ropes in the aisles as he tried to hypnotise us. The people that couldnt let go of the rope were brought up on stage and he screwed around with them for our entertainment.

I like to be in control if my thoughts so I'm most likely a poor candidate for hypnosis.

I think someone hypnotised kyoukan when she was a kid and told her she was a yapping poodle and forgot to bring her out of it!

Arundel Pajo · Post by **Arundel Pajo** » March 30, 2004, 3:31 am

Never been hypnotized, but I wanna try it once.

Ebumar · Post by **Ebumar** » March 30, 2004, 5:39 am

I have been hypnotized 35 - 40 times. My friend Brian is a hypnotist, and we have found, that through self hypnotism and meditation I can put myself into the "trance", and he can put me under a lot easier than someone new. So when he is giving a show or presentation I am usually his prop. It is fun, and VERY relaxing, if done right. I've only had one horror story about it, but it all cleared up the next morning. I recommend trying it atleast once, just to see if you can actually go under. It takes a certain personality type to actually accept the trance. He tells me that people that can handle high stress situations without panic can go under very easily. So if you're that type of person, give it a try.

If you do try it, don't be a little bitch and don't believe in it right off the bat. If you're religious its exactly like believing in your god. You probably can't prove it works in your mind, but damn do you ever worship that supreme being. Same exact thing for hypnotism, have an open mind, and stay relaxed.

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » March 30, 2004, 11:29 am

Not looking for anything in particular. Just curious about people's experiences!

Kaldaur · Post by **Kaldaur** » March 30, 2004, 2:41 pm

The first week of my college schooling a hypnotist came to my school. He asked for 16 volunteers, one of which was me. Three were sent off stage as they did not fall into the trance. I was one of the 13 left on stage. It's an interesting experience, to say the least. Nothing in my experience suggested that I was being ordered to do things, or that I was under someone else's control. Everything I did, I did willingly. A friend later described it to me as "the complete loss of inhibition", and I think that had a lot to do with it. There was one point in the show where he held up a stopwatch, and I could have swore it was a snake. Damned if I didn't take off for the back of the auditorium, with 400 people laughing at me the entire time. It was strange, because normally I would have become embarassed, but my fear of the snake was so total that I didn't care. Looking back, I realize how foolish it was to run from a stopwatch, but when I was "under the spell", there was nothing more frightening to me than that snake.

Sirensa · Post by **Sirensa** » March 30, 2004, 2:44 pm

We used to have a hypnotherapist with an office in our office building. Wasn't like the whacky bark like a dog stuff. But she helped people with losing weight, quitting smoking, focusing on studies, helping with anxiety, etc. Probably more along the lines of like what Hayley did with the hypnobirthing. I didn't ever try it but she would come in and talk about it - didn't sound particularly whacky.

Canoe · Post by **Canoe** » March 30, 2004, 2:47 pm

When I was in Psych class in college i was hypnotized... it actually was a pretty neat experience.

I was one of the people who said "no way, that shit is fake"..

They asked for a volunteer and I jumped at the opportunity.

2 things i remember clearly about it...

First thing he did was read an entire page of the bible to me under the trance, and had me repeat it back to him. I was able to repeat the entire page back to him, without missing one word. I had never, ever read that part of the bible before, and as you can guess it wasn't exactly modern english - i'm still amazed to this day I could do that while under the trance.

Next he had me think about my favorite sit com / comedy and then describe my favorite episode. I picked the Simpsons and described the episode where Homer was ENORMOUS and was washing himself with a towel on a stick, working from home because he was too big to leave the house. Etc etc...

I got so wrapped up in describing the episode to him and the class (about 100 people) that I literally fell off my chair from laughing so hard, and had tears running down my face. I damn near pissed myself I was laughing so hard - in my mind I was "in" the episode and not just watching it.

The previous posters are probably right, that it may take the right type of person to do this. But as I said, i was one of the "non-believers" and he put me under without blinking an eye.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 30, 2004, 2:55 pm

Canoe wrote: First thing he did was read an entire page of the bible to me under the trance, and had me repeat it back to him. I was able to repeat the entire page back to him, without missing one word. I had never, ever read that part of the bible before, and as you can guess it wasn't exactly modern english - i'm still amazed to this day I could do that while under the trance.

That part of hypnosis interests me. If there was a way to tap your memories without hypnosis I'd be all over it.

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » March 30, 2004, 3:21 pm

Hrmmm well its not very easy to explain the experience...It is a deeply relaxed but very aware and focused state. It allows one to explicitly filter out the extraneous stimuli that surround us all the time. There is some disinhibition but not disinhibition to the point where one might violate one's sense of right and wrong...ie you will not do something you would think wrong...

As to loss of control there is none...in fact in trance one feels and is very much in control...in fact you can with practice learn to modify autonomic reponses (blood pressure, heartrate etc within limitations...

I have used it clinically in past to teach self-hypnosis/deep relaxation, anger management and fear management (not phobic fear). I have also used it to reduce nausea in chemotherapy patients.

Fear of loss of control wouldn't prevent hypnosis Winnow...

...Though you may be more or less suggestible once in trance as a result...

Typically those who often self dissociate are the easiest to put under...So if you often arrive home without specific memory of parts of the drive, have daydreams, focus intently on film, music...whatever to the exclusion of other stimuli you would be easier to hypnotize...

Hypnosis or more to the point the suggestibility associated with it is a pretty powerful tool but not the magic that some clinical practitioners would have people believe. It will not make you lose weight quit smoking etc as such, though it can certainly help with these things in association with behavioral programs etc...

Its fun stuff basically and has occasional utility...I'd highly recommend that you try it if you are of a mind and have the resources at hand...

Canoe · Post by **Canoe** » March 30, 2004, 3:39 pm

Winnow wrote:
Canoe wrote: First thing he did was read an entire page of the bible to me under the trance, and had me repeat it back to him. I was able to repeat the entire page back to him, without missing one word. I had never, ever read that part of the bible before, and as you can guess it wasn't exactly modern english - i'm still amazed to this day I could do that while under the trance.
That part of hypnosis interests me. If there was a way to tap your memories without hypnosis I'd be all over it.

I don't think it was so much "tapping" memories, as it was as arbor stated - the "trance" so to speak, had me focusing SOLELY on what he was saying and remembering it. I was not aware (well sort of was, but they weren't in the focus of my mind) of the 100+ people watching me, nor even that he was there reading... I just heard the words and was concentrating on them so much, that all other influences in the room kind of just faded into the background.

As i said, it was a pretty neat experience...

Spankes · Post by **Spankes** » March 30, 2004, 3:43 pm

I tried it once but could not full under the trance. I usually try to keep control of myself so I may not be able to do it. But, I remember what snapped me out of it was my eyes burning as they dried out while I was staring at the crystal, so I wanna give it another go to see if I was cheated out of a good time~

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » March 30, 2004, 3:53 pm

Winnow wrote:That part of hypnosis interests me. If there was a way to tap your memories without hypnosis I'd be all over it.

There will be eventually...biopsych is a very young science yet...I would wager however that whatever method is developed will feel very similiar to a hypnotic trance...

Aaeamdar · Post by **Aaeamdar** » March 30, 2004, 5:51 pm

In an episode of Pinki and The Brain, The Brain used the power of Hypnosis to befuddle people's minds. He was nearly able to take over the World, and he would have to if it wern't for those darn kids...er, hmm, well something like that.

A compelling episdoe. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning the full extent to which Hypnosis can enrichen our lives.

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » March 30, 2004, 5:53 pm

Ohhh and the Scooby Doo (classic episode) With the hypnotist..."Watch the shiney coin of gold, and you will do as you are told"....

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 30, 2004, 6:30 pm

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Stare deeply at the spinning image...you are a jackass...when I snap my fingers you will wake up and think you have lots of friends.