The word ‘hypnosis’ is misleading. Hypnosis is derived from a Greek root word which means sleep and is as much related to sleep as I am to George Bush. When in the hypnotic state you will not be asleep, far from it, often your senses become sharpened and also you possess a deeper concentration and inward focus. The hypnotic state is more often referred to as a ‘trance’ and is a state we enter into numerous times each day.
When reading a book or viewing a film you set aside belief and actually live this experience. Simultaneously you may be so engrossed, and so focussed on the film that another person might be having a conversation with you and you fail to even notice (or if you are hen-pecked you pretend not to notice.)
Trance is normal, comfortable, delightful and very useful. With a Hypnotherapist you are guided directly into the trance in order to resolve your bodily or mental issue, and you have provided the Hypnotherapist your entire cooperation to proceed. The trance you slip in and out of many times daily is a very individual state. Possibly just a daydream as you look out of the window for five minutes while sipping a cup of tea at your desk.
There’s no doubt in my mind that the individual’s mind has an extraordinary capability to mend itself and the human body. I have seen it personally and know what I am talking about.
However there is a general impression within society still that hypnotherapy is some kind of mind control. This really is vehemently denied by the hypnosis profession and quite right too. Yet….and here’s the rub…I also have no doubt that we (and by ‘we’ I mean everybody, not simply just hypnotists) are in fact able to apply very insidious hypnotic procedures to effect others.
In the hypnotic state you are fully aware and fully in control. You won’t do a single thing that contravenes your ethical code. If, for example, you were on a stage throughout a hypnotic display and the hypnotist asked you to punch another member of the audience then you wouldn’t. Just because you are in a hypnotic trance doesn’t mean that you are out of control. This is an excessive example to illustrate a point, to my knowledge no stage hypnotists would ever do this!
On the other hand if that same hypnotist asks you to walk like a chicken, well then this most likely isn’t something you would typically do in the road obviously, but on a stage show why not! It certainly does not contradict your ethical code and does no damage, not until you see the video anyway.
And that is the point. You can sometimes be lead into performing an act or doing something you wouldn’t ordinarily do if the environment is conducive and the language is permissive. And hypnotism has a large base in the language and words used. Believe me, salesmen and marketing folk have been using hypnotic techniques, often probably without knowing, for years to make us buy anything from a bag of sweets to a new house.
Hypnosis isn’t new, it isn’t hazardous (quite the opposite – it is an incredibly powerful therapeutic tool) and it isn’t witchcraft. But it can be used in insidious ways without our conscious knowledge. And this could be labeled as covert hypnosis. To be able to persuade individuals is a talent a few people have naturally and others can be taught, but it is there and it is a skill we all can use.Covert hypnosis exists, but don’t let that worry you!
Learn more about Hypnosis. Stop by Mark Boardman’s site where you can find out all about Covert Hypnosis and what it can do for you.
Here is what we recommend for learning hypnosis. The best self hypnosis products we've come across are by Dr. Mike Mandel. Get them here recordings.
For learning how to do hypnosis (including covert or conversational hypnosis), I recommend Igor Ledochowski.
To see our entire list of hypnosis downloads visit this page
