Hypnosis - The Reality Behind All The Misconceptions

By Winnie Cox

Hypnosis and its derivative, hypnotherapy, have been the subject of a lot of misconceptions created by popular imagination. Some consider them to be occult whereas others discard them as pseudo science. Following are some of the popular myths about hypnosis and the reality behind them.

Hypnosis has no connection with any sort of mystical arts. Psychology and the other sciences have an important role to play in the hypnotic method, and it is very simple to imbibe and practice. Even people who have seen hypnosis on others usually refuse to acknowledge it. They believe that the people who have undergone hypnosis are mentally not strong enough to resist the impact of the practitioner. But this again is a complete fallacy. Hypnosis can in fact work on people who are mentally strong and are trying hard to block the spell.

That hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness is another myth that has been doing the rounds. A hypnotized individual is totally aware of his surroundings. Hypnosis actually induces a state of absolute calm characterized by a rise in levels of concentration, and this heightened awareness helps the subject to receive new inputs without difficulty.

Some scientists have found that hypnosis works on just 5% of the human population, and this is another prevalent myth. Researchers have hit upon this low result because they have used the same hypnosis procedure on all subjects without considering their individual natures. Hypnosis can't be straight jacketed like that and clicks only if there are different methodologies for different personality styles.

Meditation and hypnosis are often confused with each other. But while hypnosis is an interaction technique, meditation is all about a mental state and usually has nothing to do with communication. Trance too is not related to hypnosis at all. Trance is again a mental state devoid of any communication, while communication forms the very foundation of the hypnosis method.

Another myth is that physical and behavioural changes in an individual are not attainable through hypnosis training or hypnotherapy. Hypnosis obviously cannot attain something that is unnatural to the body. However, it can propel the body to a healthy shape through behavioural transformations like eating in a controlled manner, and giving up smoking and other addictive habits by ensuring a high level of inspiration in a person.

Experiencing hypnotherapy is a good way to lead a happy and fulfilling life, and therefore one should not pay attention to the misconceptions, and go for hypnotic sessions with an unbiased mind. - 31877

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