21/12/2021
The myth of hypnosis 01
1. Hypnosis is useless; or, alternatively, a quick fix.
Hypnosis is a powerful tool for the treatment of many health issues. Previous studies have found hypnosis to be effective in the treatment of pain, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), obesity, psychosomatic conditions, and chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting.
2. Hypnosis is a stand-alone intervention.
Hypnosis is often used as an adjunct to other techniques, like medications, psychodynamic therapy, and especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It is also used as an adjunct to relaxation techniques to help people relax before hypnotherapy sessions.
3. One is either hypnotizable or not hypnotizable at all.
Positive response to hypnotic suggestions is often called hypnotizability, which some assume is an “unvarying ‘trance’ state with universally shared properties that is either present or absent.” That is not true. For instance, even those with a high degree of hypnotic suggestibility respond to some suggestions but not others. Hypnotic suggestibility is highly variable. While the same person may respond with varying degrees of success to a variety of suggestions, there are some suggestions that will consistently produce a trance-like response
4. Hypnotic and non-hypnotic suggestibility are fundamentally different.
The tendency to respond to suggestions is called suggestibility. The only way to overcome the tendency to respond to suggestive suggestions is to become aware of the fact that you are responding to suggestions and to resist those suggestions. There are many ways to become aware of this. One is to use the Stop Suggestion Method.
5. Hypnosis greatly increases suggestion responsiveness.
“The increase in suggestibility during hypnosis is very small.” The study found that the suggestibility of those given hypnotic inductions was no higher than those not given such inductions.
6. Hypnotizable individuals slip into a trance.
"Hypnotic trance" is a misleading term. It gives the impression that people enter a state of confusion, making them easy prey for a skilled persuader. But that's not what happens. What happens is people experience an emotional lift, a heightened sense of confidence, and, often, a more clear understanding of what needs to be done.
7. A “hypnotic trait” correlates strongly with hypnotic suggestibility.
Research has not found any strong correlations between someone’s personality and hypnotic responsiveness. Except for those same two traits that are required to make you more susceptible to being hypnotized—fantasy proneness and absorption.