Whole belief systems can be transformed with the power of hypnosis, which is why the technique is used for treating addictions and phobias. On the Tonight Show with David Letterman, actor Matt Damon lauded the power of hypnosis to help him stop smoking. Damon noted, "I should have done it years ago. It's amazing - I didn't even want cigarettes any more," (cited on the Hypnosis Network).
No absolute statistics for the effectiveness of hypnosis are possible due to a number of intervening variables that interfere with research validity and reliability. Hypnosis works in part because of the cooperation of the client. The placebo effect is a type of hypnosis: the person tricks his or her body or mind based on the belief that a substance is working. In other words, the placebo effect is hypnosis in action. Hypnosis proves that it does not matter whether or not a pill or technique works; what really matters is whether or not the individual believes that it will. At the same time, hypnosis has been known to be effective on individuals who did not believe entirely in the procedure. Researchers are still trying to figure out exactly what makes hypnosis effective (Mayo Clinic).
The Mayo Clinic outlines many of the most common techniques used in a hypnotherapy session including self-hypnosis sessions. Visualization is one way that self-hypnosis and hypnotherapy converge. The client enters into a deep state of relaxation and constructively creates his or her new reality. Visualizing a thin body, a smoke-free existence, or a pain-free life creates...
Hypnosis in Medicine Proven and Effective: The Continued use of Hypnosis in Modern Western Medicine Alternative medical therapy has become an increasingly discussed topic in the medical profession as more and more clinicians and agencies study and build collective works on the issues surrounding preventative and holistic medical care. It has begun to be acknowledged across the field that traditional Western medicine may have been entirely to focused on the technology and
It is caused be the chemical imbalances in the brain and for such illnesses conventional medicines should only be used rather than Hypnosis. The symptoms for schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior and speech (Jeff Gazley). Hypnosis with people diagnosed with schizophrenia can cause severe disruptions and would do more harm than any good. THE RESEARCH The effectiveness of Hypnosis was explored in the case of the reduction of pain in
Niehaus, Joseph. (2000). Investigative Forensic Hypnosis. New York: CRC Press. 178 pgs. This heavily-researched book by Joseph Niehaus explores a number of areas related to the use of hypnosis in the courtroom. Although hypnosis has come under much dissent in recent years, Niehaus points out that it can serve as a powerful tool when collecting information from witnesses and aids prosecutors by enabling the witness to recall forgotten details. Niehaus also provides
Hypnosis in Investigation Before discussing hypnosis in investigation, it is important to understand what the term hypnosis means. American Psychological Association (1994) defines hypnosis as "an interaction between one person, the 'hypnotist', and another person or people, the 'subject' or 'subjects'." In the process the subjects' perceptions, feelings, thinking, and behavior are influenced by the hypnotist, this is done by asking the subject to concentrate on ideas and images that may
The conclusion of most contemporary psychologists is that hypnotized subjects may believe that their actions under hypnosis are involuntary when, in fact, those subjects who are considered "hypnotizable" generally are responding to their expectations and their desire to validate the hypnotist's expectations too. That also would explain why some people are not hypnotizable at all and why hypnotized people generally will not follow directions that they would consider highly
Scientific research has proven how valuable hypnosis is in relieving the symptoms of mental and physical ailments. However, the open state of mind that hypnosis creates can be misused and abused. One area in which abuse is possible is in the planting of false memories. False memories are not always directly or deliberately planted. In some cases, the simple suggestion that some event might have occurred is enough for a
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