RAPID SELF-HYPNOSIS: a SUGGESTION METHOD for SELF-CONTROL Antonio Capafons Universitat De Valencia

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

RAPID SELF-HYPNOSIS: a SUGGESTION METHOD for SELF-CONTROL Antonio Capafons Universitat De Valencia Psicothema, 1998. Vol. 10, nº 3, pp. 571-581 ISSN 0214 - 9915 CODEN PSOTEG Copyright © 1998 Psicothema RAPID SELF-HYPNOSIS: A SUGGESTION METHOD FOR SELF-CONTROL Antonio Capafons Universitat de Valencia Auto-hipnosis rápida: un método de sugestión para el auto-control. Se describe un método estructurado de auto-hipnosis “despierta” -auto-hipnosis rápida-, creado desde una vertiente cognitivo-comportamental y validado empíricamente. Se detallan algunas de sus aplicaciones clínicas desde una perspectiva de habilidades generales de afronta- miento y auto-control. En ellas se enfatiza la utilización de las sugestiones en la vida co- tidiana, mientras la persona realiza su actividad, con los ojos abiertos y estando activo. Se evitan referencias a estados alterados de conciencia, trance o aspectos esotéricos de la hipnosis. A structured self-hypnosis method -rapid self-hypnosis- is described. This met- hod has been created from a cognitive-behavioral perspective, and has received empiri- cal validation. Some clinical applications of rapid self-hypnosis are shown from a coping skills and self-control orientation. From this perspective, the use of the method in every- day activities are emphasized. Clients can use suggestions while keeping their eyes open and being active. Mention to altered states of consciousness, trance o esoteric ideas is absolutely avoided. Role of hypnosis and self-hypnosis The tendency to include hypnosis within in cognitive-behavioral interventions psychological treatments is prevalent in the other advanced countries (Capafons, The interest on hypnosis as an area of re- 1995a). The rejection of hypnosis among search, has burgeoned in the last decades at some psychotherapists can only be explai- a level only comparable to that at the end of ned by myths and wrong beliefs (Capafons, the last Century. Only lack of specific 1998). It is also true, nonetheless, that a knowledge can bring about the rejection of change in this attitude is exemplified by the a series of procedures that are proving to be prominent manuals of behavior modifica- of considerable importance as adjuncts to tion published recently in Spain (e.g., Caba- psychological treatments, particularly cog- llo, 1991; Labrador, Cruzado & Muñoz, nitive-behavioral ones (Lazarus, 1973; 1993; Vallejo & Ruiz, 1993). They include Kirsch, Montgomery, & Sapirstein, 1995). chapters on hypnosis although, paradoxi- cally, only one is written from a cognitive- Correspondencia: Antonio Capafons behavioral perspective, in contrast with the Facultat de Psicologia main approach of such manuals. Blasco Ibáñez, 21 46010 Valencia (Spain) Hypnosis is a very efficient way to use E-mail: [email protected] suggestion, but not the only one (Amigó, 571 RAPID SELF-HYPNOSIS: A SUGGESTION METHOD FOR SELF-CONTROL 1992; Capafons & Amigó, 1993a, 1993b). tients, mainly using an ergonomic bicycle in As with other forms of suggestion deploy- which the patients keep on pedaling to acti- ment, it reduces the effort and time neces- vate the body. To the extent that the patient sary to bring about behavioral change (Ca- can open the eyes, claim Bányai et al., the pafons, 1994; Capafons & Amigó, 1995). potentials of hypnosis can be best utilized. The media, stage shows and literature have Indeed, being able to create a situation in portrayed hypnosis as a method to erase the which the client is open to «hypnotic» sug- subject’s will. Although this «robotic por- gestions, without having to close the eyes or trait» is inaccurate, patients typically ask for get «sleepy», extends the range of possible this type of methods, because they are una- suggestions, increases the client’s motility ware of the other types. The seminal work (for role playing, in vivo exposures, etc) of Lazarus (1973) showed that fulfilling the and, above anything else, fosters the active clients’ demands and choices with regard to participation of the client in effecting beha- hypnosis enhances therapeutic results. vioral changes. Thus, it is advisable to apply «hypnosis» Nonetheless, the Bányai methods (Gib- when the patient requests it, after clarifying bons’ hyperempiria does not solve the issue its possibilities, so as to avoid undesirable of closed eyes enough) have their difficul- reactions among the clients (Capafons, ties. For instance, the requirements of an er- 1998). gonomic bicycle or a large room in which Hypnosis can, however, bring about dif- the patients may walk can be difficult or ficulties when dealing with some problems. awkward (Capafons, 1998). In fact it was Such difficulties are mostly centered on the found that about a 30% of experimental par- issues of asking patients to close their eyes, ticipants drop out from the bike method to relax, and to adopt postures conducive to (Cardeña, Alarcón, Capafons, & Bayot, sleepiness, heaviness and muscle flaccidity. 1998). In addition, pedaling may be dange- The therapist often needs to have a rapid rous for some patients suffering from heart communication with the patient, to evaluate illnesses. Pedaling or walking fast can pro- the effect of suggestions and to apply some duce sweating or fatigue, and are difficult to specific therapeutic procedures (e.g., in vi- generalize to everyday life as self-hypnosis vo exposure). This kind of problems methods. brought about the development of Emotio- Although another method is proposed as nal Self-Regulation Therapy (Amigó, 1992; an alternative for solving many of these pro- Amigó & Capafons, 1996; Capafons, 1994, blems («awake-alert hypnosis», Capafons, 1995 b; Capafons & Amigó, 1993a, 1993b). 1998), it is not thought as a self-hypnosis This procedures uses «waking» sugges- method. Self-hypnosis is necessary when tions, while patients have their eyes open, the therapist needs to generate a sense of are alert, and have an ongoing dialog with self-determination in the patient (as oppo- the therapist. sed to be dependent on the therapist) and/or It is clear that there are other ways to «in- when additional practice in hypnosis is ne- duce» hypnosis, such as expanding aware- cessary. ness («hyperempiria,» Gibbons, 1979) or For all of these reasons it was proposed a active-alert methods (Bányai, Zseni, & Tú- procedure that would link hypnosis to self- ri, 1993l; Capafons, 1998). These methods, regulation therapy, in its sense of «waking but particularly Bányai’s, emphasize physi- hypnosis». This procedure would satisfy cal and mental alertness. She encourages those patients who want to be hypnotized, muscular activity to «hypnotize» the pa- allowing them to be «activated» so as to fo- 572 Psicothema, 1998 ANTONIO CAPAFONS llow suggestions quickly, certainly and in a Ruch (1975), Fromm (Fromm & Kahn, concealed way. The purpose is to include 1990), Johnson (Johnson, 1979), Brown, hypnosis as one of the procedures for the Forte, Rich and Epstein (1982-83), and Or- active management of stress (Denney, ne and McConkey (1981). 1983), particularly in the frame of the tea- Paradoxically, self-hypnosis is systemati- ching of applied relaxation of Hutching, cally used either as an adjunct to «hete- Denney, Basgall and Houston (1980). Ac- rohypnosis» treatments, or as the basic pro- cording to the logic of these procedures, the cedure of other «hypnotic» procedures for a patient learns how to relax, usually as a va- great variety of alterations and problems riation of Jacobson’s (1938) progressive (Ganer, 1984; Martínez-Tendero, 1995; muscular relaxation, so that later on the pa- Sanders, 1993). Nonetheless, as mentioned tient can relax quickly in order to handle there are very few structured self-hypnosis stress. The approach of Hutchings et al. al- induction methods, specially awake self- so emphasizes the use of relaxation in the hypnotic methods. Only those of Wollman patient’s everyday life by adapting the exer- (1978) and H. Spiegel & D. Spiegel (1978) cises to the needs of the clients so that they have a very detailed and structured format. can do them without anybody else noticing. The majority of these self-hypnosis induc- In this way, the person can relax «in situ» tion methods, including that of Spiegel & (whenever there is a problem), which allows Spiegel, are variations of heterohypnotic for in vivo shaping of the relaxation. The methods, which makes them similar. This person will also perceive this as an active similarity carries the limitations we have technique to reduce stress. mentioned: closed eyes, have to practice at Thus, the self-hypnosis method had to home in a particular context, intense use of fulfill the following requirements: 1) Use imagery and meditation, etc. In addition, so- rapid «self-hypnotizing» so as to allow it to me forms of self-hypnosis are just post-hyp- be maximally used in the everyday activi- notic suggestions in which the client is gi- ties of the clients. 2) Alongside with the pre- ven a cue that needs to be activated to again vious point, the exercises should be done in «enter» into the «hypnotic state.» a «concealed» way, also keeping the eyes Only the method by H. Spiegel and D. open, so that they would not be noticed by Spiegel (1978) attempts to adapt self-hypno- others. 3) Finally, the exercises should opti- sis exercises to the needs of the patient. Des- mize the likelihood that people would have pite this, the client must keep the eyes clo- certain experiences than could be easily sed. Other problem are the requirements of though of as «hypnotic» (Capafons, 1998; asking the client to roll the eyes upwards, Capafons & Amigó, 1993b), while interfe- which is difficult or bothersome for many ring minimally with everyday tasks. For this people, and requesting arm levitation, which reason, the use of «goal-directed fantasy» many people find difficult because when (Spanos, 1971) should be minimized becau- they are relaxed they feel their arms to be he- se not everyone can imagine vividly and in- avy rather than light. Last, empirical rese- tensely, and vividness of imagery is not arch (Martínez-Tendero, 1995) shows that highly correlated with the ability to respond 60% of the people who used the Spiegels’ to hypnosis.
Recommended publications
  • Platinum Programme for Hypnotherapy Manual
    Adam Eason School of Therapeutic Hypnosis Platinum Programme for Hypnotherapy Manual www.adam-eason.com Hello and welcome to this manual. Let me welcome you to this manual — this manual gives you all the handouts that are used in class for you to refer to. It also gives you scripts for group hypnosis sessions and exercises done in class on the videos that you do not get to witness in the video footage. Divided into each module, this manual is also going to give you some essential further reading and some exercises to further your skills. That is your introduction and warm welcome over with. Let’s roll our sleeves up and crack on, shall we? Contents Module One �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p3 Module Two ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p19 Module Three ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p37 Module Four ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p39 Module Five ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p43 Module Six �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p52
    [Show full text]
  • Émile Coué and His Method (I): the Chemist of Thought and Human Action 1
    Émile Coué and his Method (I): The Chemist of Thought and Human Action 1 Émile Coué and his Method (I): The Chemist of Thought and Human Action Lindsay B. Yeates, PhD School of Humanities & Languages, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW Australia Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Hypnosis, Volume 38, No.1, (Autumn 2016), pp.3-27. Abstract The talented scientist, structured thinker, and successful apothecary, Émile Coué (1857-1926), transformed what he had learned of suggestion in the 1880s and scientific hypnotism in the 1900s into the Coué method of the 1920s. His method was an ordered sequence of rational, systematic, intricately constructed, subject-centred hypnotherapeutic interactions that stressed the significance of both unconscious and conscious autosuggestion, delivered a collection of well-polished common-sense explanations, a persuasive set of experiential exercises, a powerfully efficacious hypnotism-centred ego-strengthening intervention and, finally, detailed instruction in the specific ritual through which his empirically determined formula “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better” was to be self-administered twice daily. This paper examines Coué’s work, the history and evolution of his method, the phenomenon of its wide-ranging impact during the 1920s in Europe, Britain, and the USA, and reflects upon aspects of its long-term influence on the domain of hypnotherapy and hypnotic suggestion. KEY WORDS: autosuggestion, conscious autosuggestion, ego-strengthening, hypnotherapy, hypnotic suggestion, self-hypnosis NOTE to the Reader A small number of textual errors and omissions in the final published version of this paper have been corrected. Otherwise, the original paper’s content remains unchanged.
    [Show full text]
  • Correlates of Imaginative Suggestibility and Hypnotizability in Children
    University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-2000 Correlates of imaginative suggestibility and hypnotizability in children. Bruce C. Poulsen University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Poulsen, Bruce C., "Correlates of imaginative suggestibility and hypnotizability in children." (2000). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 1271. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/1271 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CORRELATES OF IMAGINATIVE SUGGESTIBILITY AND HYPNOTIZABILITY IN CHILDREN A Dissertation Presented by BRUCE C. POULSEN Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY February 2000 Education © Copyright by Bruce Craig Poulsen 2000 All Rights Reserved CORRELATES OF IMAGINATIVE SUGGESTIBILITY AND HYPNOTIZABILITY IN CHILDREN A Dissertation Presented by BRUCE C. POULSEN B^\ty W. Jackson, Dean S^hqol of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance and support of several individuals, without whom this project would not have been possible. First, I am indebted to William Matthews, Jr., Ph.D. and Irving Kirsch, Ph.D. for mitial suggestions for both the research design and statistical analysis. Karen Olness, M.D. and Steven Jay Lynn, Ph.D. both provided helpful suggestions for selecting the measurement instruments. Several individuals at Primary Children's Medical Center provided invaluable support during the data collection procedures.
    [Show full text]
  • Suggestion and Autosuggestion
    SUGGESTION AND AUTOSUGGESTION A Psychological and Pedagogical Study Based upon the Investigations Made by the New Nancy School By - CHARLES BAUDOUIN Professor at the Jean Jacques Rousseau Institute and Occasional Professor at the University of Geneva Author of "Culture de la Force Morale," "Symbolisme ct Psychoanalyse," etc., etc. Translated from the French by EDEN and CEDAR PAUL NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1921 Copyright, 1921 By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, Imo. Dedicated with grateful acknowledgments to EMILE COUE the steadfast Worker and Pioneer TRANSLATORS' PREFACE The dissociation of hypnotism, from mysticism and super stition was efficiently begun by two investigators, Alex andre Bertrand and James Braid. Bertrand (Traite du somnambtdisme, Paris, 1823 ; Du magnetisme animal en France, Paris, 1826) insisted especially upon the psychological determinants of the phenomena in ques tion. He maintained that what we now call the hypnotic state was brought about through the influence of the imagination of the patients acting upon themselves. Herein we have the germ of Cone's theory of autosug gestion as expounded in the following pages. Braid, on the other hand (various writings, from 1841 to his death in 1860), inclined at the outset rather to the physi ological explanation of what he was the first to term "hypnotism." It is interesting to note that Braid was a pioneer in the therapeutic use of reflective autosugges tion. He describes his own sufferings, in September, 1844, from a severe attack of muscular rheumatism, which had made it impossible for him to sleep for three successive nights. He then hypnotized himself in the presence of two friends.
    [Show full text]
  • Hypnotherapy Isn't Magic, but It Helps Some Patients Cope With
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/hypnotherapy-as-an-alternative-to-anesthesia-some-patients--and-doctors-- say-yes/2019/11/08/046bc1d2-e53f-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html Hypnotherapy isn’t magic, but it helps some patients cope with surgery and recovery (iStock) By Debra Bruno November 9, 2019 at 6:00 a.m. PST Diane Fresquez rests on an operating table at Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc hospital in Brussels, a pale blue cap on her head. She’s having her two tiny parathyroid glands removed. But for this operation, Fresquez is awake. Cradling her head with two hands and stroking her forehead is Fabienne Roelants, an anesthesiologist who is using hypnosis to get Fresquez through the procedure. “I’m inviting you to fix upon somewhere, not to take your eyes off it,” Roelants says in a French- accented voice. “Now you can close your eyes, to be more relaxed and more comfortable.” Fresquez closes her eyes. “Now you are at a day in November,” Roelants continues. “It’s a Thanksgiving dinner at home. I’m inviting you to observe your friends, your husband. The lights are low, and small candles are flickering in the windowsill.” As Roelants talks, Fresquez grows totally still and her eyes close. A surgeon inserts a long needle into her neck to numb just the area near her parathyroid glands and then cuts a one-inch hole in her throat area to remove two glands, each the size of a grain of rice. 1 When it’s over Fresquez says she felt “relief and joy that the hypnosis worked, that I went through surgery without general anesthesia.
    [Show full text]
  • Key Contributors to Psychology
    Key Contributors to Psychology Full name of Key Unit in Myers’ What has he/she contributed to psychology? Contributor Psychology for (alpha by last name) AP®, 2nd edition Alfred Adler Personality • neo-Freudian (Unit X) • stressed importance of striving for superiority and power • believed social factors not sexual factors are more important in child development • birth order, inferiority and superiority complex, compensation Mary Ainsworth Development • designed “strange” situation experiment to study infant attachment in which children were left Unit (IX) alone in a playroom • secure attachment children played comfortably when mom was present, were distressed when mom left and would seek contact when mom returned • insecure attachment children were less likely to explore their surroundings, became upset when mom left and showed indifference when mom returned Gordon Allport Personality • traits therapist (Unit X) • defined personality in terms of fundamental characteristic patterns • three levels of traits • cardinal - dominant traits of a person’s behavior • central - dispositions found in most people • secondary - traits arising in specific situations Aristotle (384-322 b.c.e.) Psychology’s History • disagreed with Socrates and Plato, said knowledge is not preexisting, instead it grows from the and Approaches experiences stored in our memories (Unit I) • knowledge comes in from the external world through the senses • believed the mind was in the heart Solomon Asch Social Psychology • studied conformity and how group pressure distorted
    [Show full text]
  • Wagstaff 'S Definition of Hypnosis
    The Journal of commentary Wagstaff’s Definition of Hypnosis Commentary: On the Centrality of the Concept of an Altered State to Definitions of Hypnosis. Irving Kirsch, PhD* March, 2014 As Wagstaff (this issue) notes, finding a suggestion (e.g., those associated with the definition of hypnosis upon which hypnosis placebo effect and the misinformation effect). scholars can agree has proven to be a hercu- Broadly defined, the domain of hypnosis in- lean task that has eluded the best efforts of cludes responding to imaginative suggestions individuals and committees. Wagstaff’s pro- without the induction of hypnosis, regardless posed revision of the APA definition of hyp- of the presence or absence of a hypnotic state. nosis (American Psychological Association, Preferences between these narrow and 1994), which is the last paragraph of his ar- broad approaches to defining hypnosis vary ticle, is one of the best I have seen. Whether and do not seem correlated with theoretical it succeeds in achieving a consensus among stances on the altered state issue (Kirsch, et | EISSN 1925-1688 hypnosis scholars remains to be seen, but it al., 2011). Wagstaff (this issue) argues strong- has much to recommend it. The inclusion of ly for a narrow definition. Although I do not the term alleged is especially important, as it have a strong preference and have vacillated is noncommittal with respect to the question greatly on the issue, I think that some of his of whether hypnotic procedures produce a objections can be countered easily. Wagstaff specifically hypnotic state. This may allow argues that a broad definition leads to con- acceptance of the definition by scholars with torted terminology, such as ‘hypnotic hypno- substantially different theoretical views on sis’ and ‘hypnotic non-hypnosis’.
    [Show full text]
  • THE PRACTICE of AUTOSUGGESTION by the METHOD of EMILE Couit
    THE PRACTICE OF AUTOSUGGESTION BY THE METHOD of EMILE COUIt BY C. HARRY BROOKS WITH A FOREWORD BY EMILE COUE " For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of the man which is in him ? " I CORINTHIANS ii. II. LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD. RUSKIN HOUSE, 4o MUSEUM STREET, W.C. I WOOD LW~u 10 1 Accession no. TO ALL IN CONFLICT WITH THEIR OWN IMPERFECTIONS THIS LITTLE BOOK IS DEDICATED Fifty-seventh Thousand First published March 1922 Reprinted. .. April 1922 Reprinted . April 1922 Revised Edition. May 1922 Reprinted . ulIy 1922 Reprinted jSeptember 1922 Reprinted November 1922 Reprinted january' 1923 Third Edition March 1923 Reprinted October 1923 (All rights reserved) Printed in Great Britain by UN BOTRs,1RWIIln THE GRESHAM PRESS LONDON AND WOKING FOREWORD THE materials for this little book were collected by Mr. Brooks during a visit he paid me in the summer of 1921. He was, I think, the first Englishman to come to Nancy with the express purpose of studying my method of conscious autosuggestion. In the course of daily visits extending over some weeks, by attending my consultations, and by private con- versations with myself, he obtained a full mastery of the method, and we threshed out a good deal of the theory on which it rests. The results of this study are contained in the following pages. Mr. Brooks has skilfully seized on the essentials and put them forward in a manner that seems to me both simple and clear. The in- structions given are amply sufficient to enable anyone to practise autosuggestion for him or herself, without seeking the help of any other person.
    [Show full text]
  • 5. James Braid
    James Braid (I): Natural Philosopher, Structured Thinker, Gentleman Scientist, and Innovative Surgeon 1 Yeates, Lindsay B., James Braid (I): Natural Philosopher, Structured Thinker, Gentleman Scientist, and Innovative Surgeon, Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Hypnosis, Volume 40, No.1, (Autumn 2018), pp.3-39. NOTE to the Reader (1) This is the first of two articles published in the “Autumn 2018” issue of the Journal (released in February 2019). Due to the material involved, the proposed set of four articles were subsequently expanded to six, and the remaining four articles were published in the “Spring 2018” issue of the Journal (released in December 2019). (2) The original paper’s content remains unchanged; and, for the reader’s convenience, the original paper’s pagination is indicated as {1}, etc. James Braid (I): Natural Philosopher, Structured Thinker, Gentleman Scientist, and Innovative Surgeon 2 {3} James Braid (I): Natural Philosopher, Structured Thinker, Gentleman Scientist, and Innovative Surgeon Lindsay B Yeates, PhD School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia Abstract James Braid (1795-1860), the natural philosopher, gentleman scientist, the inquisitive and sagacious, structured thinker, the safe, innovative, and efficacious surgeon—renowned for his personal character, range of surgical skills, and overall clinical excellence (especially in the treatment of dangerous and difficult forms of disease, and the correction of deformities such as club- foot, spinal curvature, knock knees, bandy legs, squint, etc.)—the early adopter (and advocate) of ether anaesthesia and, significantly, the originator of scientific hypnotism and the intentional use of structured suggestion has, to a large extent, been written out of history.
    [Show full text]
  • Stage Hypnosis in the Shadow of Svengali: Historical Influences, Public Perceptions, and Contemporary Practices
    STAGE HYPNOSIS IN THE SHADOW OF SVENGALI: HISTORICAL INFLUENCES, PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS, AND CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES Cynthia Stroud A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2013 Committee: Dr. Lesa Lockford, Advisor Dr. Richard Anderson Graduate Faculty Representative Dr. Scott Magelssen Dr. Ronald E. Shields © 2013 Cynthia Stroud All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Dr. Lesa Lockford, Advisor This dissertation examines stage hypnosis as a contemporary popular entertainment form and investigates the relationship between public perceptions of stage hypnosis and the ways in which it is experienced and practiced. Heretofore, little scholarly attention has been paid to stage hypnosis as a performance phenomenon; most existing scholarship provides psychological or historical perspectives. In this investigation, I employ qualitative research methodologies including close reading, personal interviews, and participant-observation, in order to explore three questions. First, what is stage hypnosis? To answer this, I use examples from performances and from guidebooks for stage hypnotists to describe structural and performance conventions of stage hypnosis shows and to identify some similarities with shortform improvisational comedy. Second, what are some common public perceptions about stage hypnosis? To answer this, I analyze historical narratives, literary and dramatic works, film, television, and digital media. I identify nine
    [Show full text]
  • MODULE 3 Hypnotherapy Training
    MODULE 3 Hypnotherapy Training Abstract What is Entrainment? Entrainment is a principle of physics. It is defined as the synchronisation of two or more rhythmic cycles. The principles of entrainment appear in chemistry, neurology, biology, pharmacology, medicine, astronomy and more. Andrew Farquharson [email protected] Seminar and Workbook Training for the professional Hypnotherapist. COPYRIGHT WARNING: ALL CONTENTS OF THE COURSE ENTITLED ‘A PRACTITIONER DIPLOMA IN CLINICAL HYPNOTHERAPY’ ARE PROTECTED BY THE LAW OF COPYRIGHT. NO PARTS HERIN MAY BE PRODUCED BY ANY MECHANICAL, PHOTOGRAPHIC OR ELECTRONIC PROCESS, OR IN THE FORM OF A PHONOGRAPHIC RECORDING. NOR MAY IT BE STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, TRANSMITTED OR OTHERWISE COPIED FOR PUBLIC USE, INCLUDING TRAINING OF ANY THIRD PARTY, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF ANDREW FARQUHARSON Suggestion Therapy Suggestion therapy is the simplest form of therapy, and you should always start your sessions using the simple techniques first. Suggestion therapy is just what it says, using the power of suggestion to get your client to update that computer programme in their head and run a new more beneficial programme. For example: If a client reports feeling stressed, you suggest that they can feel calm and relaxed. Suggestion is an important part of hypnosis. Suggestion is a proposition for belief or action that is accepted by hypnosis subject without any critical thought. When you put someone into hypnosis they become more responsive to the suggestions you make. While making suggestions you communicate with the subconscious mind of the person which helps you to succeed during hypnosis. There are 6 types of hypnotic suggestions, and we will cover these.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Hypnosis? by Prof
    WHAT IS HYPNOSIS? BY PROF. W. v. BECHTEREW, ST. PETERSBURG. WE can review in short the history of hypnotism. Hyp- notism and suggestion were undoubtedly known in ancient times, for the Egyptian priests made use of them. The history of the ancient orient reveals many examples of the use of hypnosis and suggestion in religious ceremonies. Knowledge of them was present in the time of the apostles. Their popularity was established among the priests, medical men, magicians, sorcerers, under the mark of influences coming from the gods, or from charms, exorcisms, and so on. Hypnotism and the power of suggestion afterwards took refuge among the cultivated classes of European society, under the cloak of black magic, the so-called animal magnet- ism, mesmerism with its fluids, and other occult doctrines. This was greatly favored by the activity of charlatans and adventurers who presented the real manifestations of hypnosis in such an irrational way that it was almost impos- sible to distinguish between truth and deception. Such was the history of mesmerism which the learned academy of Paris declared unworthy of the attention of the scientific world. In the course of the last century the concepts of hypnotism and suggestion came to the foreground among the culti- vated public, owing largely to intercommunication between Europe and India with her mystic fakirs, who, to the present day, exhibit openly in the market place, for a small remuneration, the mysteries of hypnosis to the delight of the populace. It is ,not long since hypnosis was regarded as a dark power. The scientific world looked upon hypnosis as some- thing that did not belong to the great family of science.
    [Show full text]