Hypnosis

From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change

Hypnosis means putting someone (or yourself) into a trance and sending messages through to their brain while they are in this semi-conscious (half-aware) state. With two people, the person sending the message is called the "hypnotist" and the person getting the message is called the "subject." "Suggestions," or "hypnotic suggestions" are what the hypnotist says to the subject. With one person, the entire practice is called "self-hypnosis" or sometimes "auto-suggestion."

[change] History

There seem to be many ideas about how hypnosis started. The Hindus of India claim that they started the method and used it as a cure for health. This is one of the main uses of hypnosis today and is linked to psychology.

But the main hypnosis discoveries came in 1842 when James Braid started to learn more about its effects. He is often called the 'Father of Modern Hypnotism'. He did not think that mesmerism was the cause of hypnosis and in the end he thought that trances were only a 'nervous sleep'. In 1843 he wrote a book about this with the title Neurypnology.

[change] Method

Most often, the hypnotist gives suggestions to the subject to put the subject in trance. In trance, the subject does not make decisions about the truth of the hypnotist's suggestions: If trance is reached -- it is not always -- the subject will accept as true anything the hypnotist says, unless it goes against the subject's core beliefs. This is the heart of hypnosis: to put the subject in trance so he will accept suggestions.

Hypnosis is very useful against fears, addictions, emotional trouble, pain control, stress, and so on. Some hypnotists claim to be able to help against physical diseases, too, but scientific studies find no effect better than chance.

Master hypnotists can get truly amazing effects from good subjects: they can make them forget their names, believe they are someone else, make them see people who are not there, make them forget letters or numbers, and so on: but this comes from the subject actively following the hypnotist's suggestions, because he trusts the hypnotist and he believes it is safe. If the trust is broken or the subject believes it is not safe, the subject will emerge from trance.

Hypnosis works because of the way the human mind handles language (or any communication). It is not magic.

[change] Other websites

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• [free basic hypnosis course](http://www.hypnosis.edu) This is a good basic video course free online. Take the tests and at the end talk with a hypnotist trainer by telephone. Earn a certification free!