Can you be hypnotised?

reply to post by Klassified


Sorry, I didn't mean to come off "proud" of it, at the time I was actually very disappointed.
Now that I have read some of the responses, I believe I was actually separating in my mind what hypnosis is into two different things. The hypnosis by another person and what may be self hypnosis, which I consider meditation.
Maybe there is some truth to the trust issue, as I do not seem to have a problem with the meditation or self hypnosis.

Thanks to all that have responded so far, you've given me much to contemplate!

reply to post by chiefsmom

I wasn't pointing the word proud at any one person on the thread. I've just seen that issue come up in the past. Sorry if I gave that impression. If you've been using meditation and self-hypnosis with good success, then it probably is just a trust issue when someone you don't know wants you to close your eyes and relax. I can understand that. With a little research on simple scripts, you can do for yourself most anything they can do for you anyway. Although a really good hynotherapist and/or NLP practitioner can lend some good insight that you might not have considered otherwise.

I was very skeptical of these for years untill it came to a time as i had no choice but to try them.... here is my story..

After a rough life, then owning several businesses and then the last one being swept from under my feet (government tax's cra#p) i had a break down. Trying everything from perscriptions to herbal tablets to try to get me out of it, nothing worked. I was in depression with major panic attacs and agrophobic.
A friend of mine got me to see a hypnotherapist... (£60 an hour!) so dubiously i went..we had a chat, i thought it was rubbish and then she said she was going to hypnotise me. I layed there, thinking this is pants and then the next thing i knew it was 45 minutes later and i was coming round....i looked at my watch thinking i had only been ther 20 mins and it was nearly 2 hours later... i was shocked !
Anyway, to cut a very long story short, for £120 i got a relaxation CD and learned how to relax....plus the total shock that i had actually been hypnotised.
I still have no idea what we spoke about but she did say that i have issues with my childhood past that i need to drop...I still find it hard to relax and i still hate my father but, hey, life goes on...
I dont have panic attacs any more ( thankfully !) ...

Sorry for the rant, im a bit tipsy tonight...its been a bad day...

Originally posted by chiefsmom
reply to post by graceunderpressure

 

So I wonder if they did a scan on people that cannot be hypnotized, if they would show a higher right brain activity in a normal state? Very interesting and I will be doing some research.

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Thanks, yes. I wondered the same thing. 'Sniffed around a bit and couldn't find any studies that addressed it directly, but here is an interesting article on the Hypnosis Works web site about left brain/right brain. They have a test that will help determine your dominant side. Try it! It's really freaky.

reply to post by iWokeUp

Thank you for sharing that story. I really appreciated reading it, and am most happy hypnotherapy was able to help you move on. You went through a lot. And that sounds like an understatement, but it's sincere.

reply to post by chiefsmom



I'm a clinical hypnotherapist and nursing student, and to answer your original question, there are many different ways to induce hypnosis for those clients who are willing to try hypnosis but have analytical minds that would be considered "difficult" to hypnotize. Although I don't work with hypnotherapy too often, I still have yet to work with someone that I can't hypnotize. It boils down to the techniques I am trained in, and the ability to help the client relax and trust the process.

I discuss with the client the goal that they wish to achieve, get their opinion of hypnosis
and why they are chosing this method, teach them about the false assumptions associated with hypnosis, go over the process or format for our session, and answer all questions before the session begins. If they still want to proceed, I let them know up front that they can stop the session at any time if they feel uncomfortable about anything we are doing. It's important for the client to know up front that they have control over their session and I will honor their need to stop if they so choose. This helps establish the trust which is critical for a sucessful outcome.

I'm not sure if this was the information you were seeking but this is how I handle my sessions.

Doesnt work on me.
1. Am extremely strong willed.
2. A lifetime of study/practicing martial arts - both the physical and mental disciplines of them.
3. Over 40+ years of study / practice of meditation techniques learned from buddhist monks.

I continue to study and practice as there are always new things to learn.