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Q: What is hypnosis?
A:
Our minds work on two levels,
the conscious level and the subconscious level. We use our
conscious minds as we go about our day-to-day lives. We
think, we make decisions, we perform physical
actions etc. with our conscious minds. Our
subconscious minds, on the other hand, handle the bodily
functions we do not have to think about, such as: our heartbeat, breathing,
blinking our eyes, feeling pain, etc. The
subconscious mind handles our habits - the actions which are largely
under voluntary control, but which we perform without thinking.
It is the subconscious mind that comes into play when hypnosis
takes place.
When a
person is hypnotized, his/her conscious mind is somewhat
subdued. She is not asleep at all, but merely
less interested in what is happening. This
allows the subconscious mind to become more active. When
a hypnotherapist talks to a person in hypnosis, the subconscious
mind more readily accepts what it is told, and governs the body accordingly.
If the hypnotherapist tells the subject that all of the feeling
has left his/her hand, the subject may feel nothing when
pinched. In simple terms, hypnosis is merely a state of increased
suggestibility; a state
in which we are more likely to be able to accept the suggestions
of the hypnotherapist than we would without the condition
of hypnosis.
Q: Can I be hypnotized?
A: Generally speaking, every normal
person is hypnotizable. Normal
meaning an IQ of at least 70, who has no severe mental disorder.
All of
us are suggestible to varying degrees. Studies have shown
that about 20% of
the population achieves a light degree of hypnosis; about
60% achieve medium hypnosis; and 20% can reach a deep state
of hypnosis. For most purposes, only a light to medium
state of hypnosis is required, so do not be too concerned
about how deeply you go into hypnosis. You
can not be hypnotized if you do not wish to be and if you
resist in any way, hypnosis will not occur.
Q: Is hypnosis safe?
A: A subject can hear the hypnotherapist at all times and will not accept suggestions
if s/he does not wish to accept. A
subject will not answer any questions that s/he does not wish to answer. The subconscious mind contains certain "safeguards" that
will not let you do anything or accept any suggestions that may be
damaging to you. YOU
cannot remain in hypnosis for more than a few minutes without the
presence of the hypnotherapist. Therefore,
no one has ever been "stuck" in hypnosis.
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