the
mentalist by Jason D Varga
HYPNOSIS: Mind, Myths and Magic So, what is hypnosis? Let’s start by clearing up some myths. Hypnosis is not some magical power that comes from my eyes. It’s not a magical power at all, although, you can have some magical outcomes via the use of hypnosis. Hypnosis is simply a psychological process to obtain a very natural state of mind. One of the first questions I ask a new client is “Have you ever been hypnotised before?” The answer usually is no, but here is the thing, we have all experienced naturally a hypnotic state, at some point. Do you ever daydream? Just letting your conscious mind drift. Have you ever had an emotional reaction to a movie, crying at a sad moment? Have you ever driven home, arrived at your destination and not really recalled the trip itself? Most
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Supernal Magazine
people will answer yes to the above, and these are but a few examples of how we drift into a hypnotic state easily, many times a day. Advertising people use this state of being to their advantage. Imagine you are sitting watching TV, drifting into a relaxed state and an ad comes on for some product. Suddenly you want to go out and buy the product. Alternatively, you may end up with the jingle or catchphrase stuck in your memory for eternity. This is a classic example of being in a hypnotic state.
“You see, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, the hypnotist is just there to facilitate the process.” Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not sleep; in fact, it’s a more heightened aware state. Hypnotists have been using the command ‘sleep’ for so long that most clients expect it. We could use any other phrase, ‘rest now’, ‘relax’ and so on, but because most people are familiar with the ‘SLEEP’ command, it’s accepted readily. I have had some people on stage where all
they needed to know was that I was a hypnotist - and just that one word alone would put them into a hypnotic trance state. You see, all hypnosis is selfhypnosis; the hypnotist is just there to facilitate the process. They then give suggestions or imagery to the client’s subconscious to create beneficial changes. That is why all competent hypnotherapists should have a firm grounding in psychology and be masterful storytellers, to create metaphors or imagery for change. Anyone can learn a hypnotic induction; however, it’s the work done while the client is in the hypnotic state that is the important part. Real hypnosis is definitely not like in the movies. The hypnotised subject does not become some sort of robotic slave under the total control of the hypnotist! And a person will never do anything that is against
