Random Pips

They say that genuine hypnosis is possible only if you dampen your will and allow your subconscious to be open to suggestions. In a sense, the true power behind the hypnosis process lies not with the hypnotist, but within you.

I’ve never witnessed a genuine hypnosis before. Yes, I did see a hypnosis show – I still stand by my previous statement though: I’ve never witnessed a genuine hypnosis before.

In the show, the hypnotist called for volunteers who would like to experience hypnosis and of course, dozens of eager feet pounded past me in a mad dash to the stage. I myself was a bit uncomfortable with the thought of a stranger implanting suggestions into my subconscious mind so I stayed in my seat. I was also bursting with curiosity to finally witness hypnosis in action and to observe how it actually works.

The hypnotist gave a brief explanation about how he is really just a facilitator and that it is actually the volunteers themselves who were the ones doing the hypnotizing. As the show progressed, I realized that he was right – but perhaps not in the way he probably intended his explanation to mean. I do not dispute the fact that it is ultimately the hypnotees who hypnotize themselves, but I do dispute the claim that they actually sink into a genuine hypnotic state during a mass-hypnosis entertainment show.

Ah…therein lies the key phrase: entertainment show. Both the hypnotist and the audience have a common understanding that they are all gathered there for the sole purpose to entertain and be entertained. The minute the hypnotist calls for volunteers, the ones who spring up do so partly because they are curious about hypnosis, but mostly because they want to entertain the friends and family who are with them.

They are so caught up in their desire to be entertaining that it is practically impossible for any of them to relax enough for their subconscious mind to manifest. And it shows – some more clearly than others, depending on their personalities and comfort levels. Yet, because of their desire to be entertaining as well as the fact that they are on stage with everyone watching their every move, they have no choice but to continue playing along and pretend that they have been genuinely hypnotized. Thus, they have “self-hypnotized” themselves to maintain a semblance of hypnosis even when they are not feeling it at all.

The hypnotist understands this very well. This is exactly what makes these hypnosis shows so successful (unless the volunteers get hurt or are made to perform something offensive) because there is absolutely no way the hypnotist can fail at “hypnotizing” the volunteers – none of the ones who have pretended to fall under the hypnosis spell would willingly admit that they were faking it. Granted, I am sure there are some who have actually managed to dive headlong into hypnosis, but I’d wager that 90% of the volunteers were not genuinely hypnotized – at least not in this particular show anyway.

So admittedly, I was disappointed with this revelation. Nevertheless, I still believe that genuine hypnosis is absolutely possible – perhaps more so on a one-on-one basis outside of an entertainment show.

~ by Winluck on June 1, 2009.

Posted in Paranormal, People, Science