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are simply focusing your attention on a particular train of thought
and are (more or less) oblivious of your worldly surroundings
and other extraneous thoughts.
Unfortunately
like many things that are not well understood, hypnosis lends
itself to exploitation of sensation seekers.
It has been
the subject of stage shows, carnival acts, fictional stories and
party tricks for longer that living memory.
People routinely
and innocently talk about someone ‘being hypnotised’
or being ‘put under someone’s spell’.
This implies
the operator having power over the subject and loss of control
on the part of the subject.
Contrary to
this popular belief, no-one can hypnotise you without your consent,
all hypnosis is self hypnosis – you have to be 100% willing.
And no-one can make you do or say anything that you wouldn’t
normally do or say, you always maintain control of the situation.
If
you have ever seen a stage hypnotist you are probably thinking
‘but I saw people doing stupid, embarrassing things that
they didn’t remember afterwards’.
Let
me explain…
First
of all the hypnotist asks anyone who would like to be a part of
the show to come up on stage. These are outgoing people
who know that they may be asked to do stupid and embarrassing
things and are quite prepared to do it.
Next
he will give them some suggestibility tests such as asking them
to clasp their hands together and then telling them they can’t
pull them apart. During this he will gradually eliminate
the people who are less suggestible, eventually leaving him with
a handful of people that he knows will be easy to work with.
The
stage hypnotist is skilled in weeding out these people, known
as somnambulists. They represent approximately 5% of the
population who go easily and quickly into a hypnotic state and
don’t remember anything during the time they are in that
state.
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