Hypnosis

[Tups]

Has anyone actually been hypnotised, say, for an addiction or phobia and, if so, what was it like and did it work?

[MarkRae]

Yes, and yes.

[mrsweasley]

Does it work for a childhood memory? I am thinking of going to see a clairvoyant, but maybe hypnosis would be better? Yes tups, as teenager a friends mum stopped smoking.

[MarkRae]

A clairvoyant??? What on earth for...?

[gness]

Tups. I have a friend who is a hypnotherapist. Has some wonderful results.

MrsW. If you are having a problem with a childhood memory please think twice before seeing a clairvoyant.

[Tups]

Interesting. I've always assumed I wouldn't succumb to hypnotism and I don't like losing control. Are you aware of what's going on when you are in a trance? I don't believe all these stage acts are anything more than a stage act. Do you remember what's happened in a real hypnotherapy session? I've read about regression therapy and I can't believe it. A friend said that the subject wasn't actually, say, a Roman soldier in a previous life but, rather, feels as though he/she could have been. Any thoughts?

[tinkerbell23]

Its next on my to do list xx

[MarkRae]

> I've always assumed I wouldn't succumb to hypnotism

About 10% of people can't be hypnotised.


> I don't believe all these stage acts are anything more than a stage act.

That's all they are. But a good hypnotherapist really can work wonders.

[Old_Geezer]

IMO it would be sensible to check out less controversial treatments, even if not necessarily mainstream, before trying out psychic options. Not knocking the latter as much as some, for there are more things in heaven and earth and all that, but try something more rational first.

[Old_Geezer]

If you don't like losing control then I'd suspect you may not participate in the relaxed manner you need. It may be more difficult for you to 'let go' and enter the hypnotic state.

[Tups]

I have no intention of trying it myself. Not mad/brave enough (delete as you think applicable!) The reason I'm interested is my daughter is thinking of training in the art, as an extension to her Counselling training. I have a dental hygienist friend who told me many people take their hypnotherapist with them to the dentist to calm them and that it works. I assume that's little more than relaxation technique. I've seen people whipped up into a religious 'spiritual' frenzy and assume that, just as they are susceptible to such reactions, so are certain hypnosis subjects. The mind is an amazing thing and I don't suppose we will ever understand it; merely learn to manipulate its various susceptibilities.

[rowanwitch]

Done well it feels very safe, and it can help a lot... an ex used it to get over her fear of water so she could learn to swim, and its helped me with some early life issues when other forms of counselling etc were going nowhere

[MarkRae]

> I have a dental hygienist friend who told me many people take their hypnotherapist with them to the dentist to calm them and that it works.

Much more common, though, is for people to receive hypnotherapy to remove their anxiousness about dentistry without the need for their hypnotherapist to go with them. Typically, this will involve implanting the suggestion into the patient's brain that going to the dentist is not an unpleasant experience and that there's really nothing to fear. This will be triggered either when the patient walks into the dentist's premises or by recitation of some sort of trigger phrase. Deep down, the patient knows that visiting the dentist is beneficial to health and, with very few exceptions these days, completely pain-free, so there is very little "leap of faith" required to remove the anxiety.

This is also why hypnotherapy for quitting smoking (which I had) has such a high success rate. Everybody knows that smoking is a health hazard so, by extension, stopping smoking is beneficial. Also, if you've made the conscious decision to visit a hypnotherapist you clearly WANT to stop smoking anyway...