Hypnosis and its derivative, hypnotherapy, have been the subject of a lot of misconceptions created by layman's imagination. Some regard them to be black magic whereas others reject them as pseudo science. Following are some of the well known misconceptions about hypnosis and the truth behind them.
There is no practice of occult involved in hypnosis. It is a very easy technique, which can be understood easily with the help of psychology and other scientific methods. Even people who have witnessed hypnosis on others often refuse to believe in it. They say that hypnotised subjects allow practitioners to be successful in their art by not displaying enough will power to withstand the effect of their words. But that is simply not the truth. Even mentally strong people can fall under the charms of an expert hypnosis practitioner.
Another belief is that hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, which again is a serious misconception. A hypnotized individual is fully alert of what is going on around him. During the hypnotic state, the subject calms down completely and is therefore able to concentrate fully on the inputs provided by the practitioner.
Some researchers have found that hypnosis succeeds on just 5% of the human population, and this is another common myth. Although, the research has some element of truth to it, what makes it hollow is the fact that the scientists used the same hypnosis procedure for everyone. People differ in their characters and personalities, and hence there have to be different hypnosis methods to suit the temperaments of different individuals.
People also tend to equate hypnosis to meditation. But while hypnosis is an interaction technique, meditation is all about a state of mind and generally has nothing to do with communication. Trance too is not related to hypnosis at all. Trance is again a mental state devoid of any communication, while communication forms the very foundation of the hypnosis method.
Another misconception is that bodily and behavioural alterations in a person are not possible through hypnosis training or hypnotherapy. Hypnosis is clearly not wizardry that it can transform the physical appearance of an individual just like that. But it can bring about an improvement in physical health by changing behavioural patterns like overeating and chain smoking by raising motivation levels in an individual.
Undergoing hypnotherapy is a good way to lead a happy and satisfying life, and thus one should not pay attention to the myths, and go for hypnotic sittings with an unbiased mind.
There is no practice of occult involved in hypnosis. It is a very easy technique, which can be understood easily with the help of psychology and other scientific methods. Even people who have witnessed hypnosis on others often refuse to believe in it. They say that hypnotised subjects allow practitioners to be successful in their art by not displaying enough will power to withstand the effect of their words. But that is simply not the truth. Even mentally strong people can fall under the charms of an expert hypnosis practitioner.
Another belief is that hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, which again is a serious misconception. A hypnotized individual is fully alert of what is going on around him. During the hypnotic state, the subject calms down completely and is therefore able to concentrate fully on the inputs provided by the practitioner.
Some researchers have found that hypnosis succeeds on just 5% of the human population, and this is another common myth. Although, the research has some element of truth to it, what makes it hollow is the fact that the scientists used the same hypnosis procedure for everyone. People differ in their characters and personalities, and hence there have to be different hypnosis methods to suit the temperaments of different individuals.
People also tend to equate hypnosis to meditation. But while hypnosis is an interaction technique, meditation is all about a state of mind and generally has nothing to do with communication. Trance too is not related to hypnosis at all. Trance is again a mental state devoid of any communication, while communication forms the very foundation of the hypnosis method.
Another misconception is that bodily and behavioural alterations in a person are not possible through hypnosis training or hypnotherapy. Hypnosis is clearly not wizardry that it can transform the physical appearance of an individual just like that. But it can bring about an improvement in physical health by changing behavioural patterns like overeating and chain smoking by raising motivation levels in an individual.
Undergoing hypnotherapy is a good way to lead a happy and satisfying life, and thus one should not pay attention to the myths, and go for hypnotic sittings with an unbiased mind.
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