Does hypnosis actually work?
I’ve always been curious about this, and most people seem to be divided on whether or not they believe it. I’ve heard of people who undergo hypnosis for anything from weight loss to quitting bad habits to phobias and even to make them grow taller (how could that *ever* be possible?). Then there are those shows with a hypnotist making people degrade themselves, supposedly unawares. Someone once told me about a man who was hypnotized to believe he was on fire, and a few moments later his skin began to erupt in boils until he was brought out of his reverie. Then there’s the opposite side of the spectrum; people who say it’s total rubbish. Does hypnosis work? If so, how? Do you remember you’ve been hypnotized? And how can it directly affect your physical being, like causing boils? Is it a matter of ‘works for some, not for all’? I’m confused. Thanks in advance.
*@ Finley Clarke: I meant can hypnosis really achieve all these incredible feats, not whether or not it’s possible to make yourself taller. Thanks for the answer anyway 
Tagged with: bad habits • boils • feats • few moments • finley • hypnosis work • hypnotist • phobias • reverie • rubbish • spectrum • thanks in advance • weight loss
Filed under: Hypnosis
Susan Yarrawonga (279)
It depends how susceptible you are to hypnosis. When I was in college, my psych. prof (who was a psychiatrist) did an experiment to see who could be hypnotized. He had us all stand with a hand up, and did his hypnosis thing-telling us our hand was getting heavier and heavier. My hand did feel heavy, and I could barely hold it up. Other people in the class weren’t effected at all. So it really depends on the person.
some think it does and some think it doesnt
i think hypnosi oes work, for example on that derren brown show where he hypnotised thousands of people through he tv not 2 b able to stand up…… i didnt actually get 2 whatch it biut my friends sed that they couldnt stand up and they got really freeked out… ofcource there r many different types of hypnosis but i do believe it is possible to an extent.
I didn’t for me. I went to a hypotist when I was 19 to help me stop smoking. He couldn’t hypnotise me and by the end of the session was rather baffled, gave me my money back and suggested nicotene patches.
I believe it’s all to do with the power of suggestion. I went to a hypnotist because it was the easy option and I just though "what the hell". Not because I believed it would work. I’m the most sceptical person you’ll ever come across and I don’t think someone can be hypnotised into breaking a chemical addiction (and certainly not grow taller! WTF?)
The television shows are complete trash. They’re designed for entertainment purposes and to make money, and that’s one of the numerous reasons I won’t waste my time watching them.
I’m more open minded to the idea that a person could be hypnotised in to reliving past memories, or curing a phobia etc. That seems plausible.
I guess my answer is, I don’t know. (I do appreciate how totally useless that is, lol.)
Although, when my bf is in a deep sleep he often sits up and starts talking. During these times he is susceptible to any suggestion I make. I will say anything and perform any action (bf sleep cleaning at 3am. Wahay!) So I assume it’s a matter of if a hypnotist could induce that subconscience state?
Hypnosis is not a form of unconsciousness resembling sleep.
It is actually a wakeful state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility with diminished peripheral awareness.
A procedure is used to encourage and evaluate responses to suggestions. When using hypnosis one person is guided by another (hypnotist) to respond to suggestions for changes in subjective experience, alterations in perception, sensation, emotion, thought or behavior.
Persons can learn self-hypnosis.
It is said one has been hypnotized when they respond to hypnotic suggestions. Some think it’s not necessary to use the word hypnosis during the process, while others view it as essential.
The majority of individuals are responsive to at least some suggestions, scores on standardized scales range from high to negligible.
Don’t fall for parlour tricks or side shows. There’s no such thing as a hypnotic trance, and people won’t do things during hypnosis that they wouldn’t otherwise do – and it can’t cause skin eruptions. Many people are ripped off by scam artists, so look for college doctorate degrees in the fields of psychology and psychiatry before you pay any money to a stranger or for tapes and videos.