Becoming a Hypnotist by Rob Kassmann Jr

Surely hypnosis's roots precede Bugs Bunny utilizing his power of persuasion over Elmer Fudd right? People have been debating hypnosis for several hundred years. While it is easy to see what a subject will do while under hypnosis, explaining why is much more difficult as it involves the workings of the human mind. Hence the mystery.

Hypnosis is defined as a process in which critical thinking faculties of the mind are bypassed and a type of selective thinking and perception is established. It is a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination. A common misconception is that it is achieved through a sleep-like state, when in fact the subject is alert but tunes out almost all other stimuli.

Milton Erickson, a hypnotism expert of the 20th century, theorized that people hypnotize themselves on a daily basis. Some of examples include reading, driving and watching a movie. A daydream type state is achieved during these activities engaging your emotions to such an extent that imaginary events can invoke a response such as flinching, or jumping out of your chair. While in this state, people shed stress and inhibition as they are engrossed solely on the task at hand.

A few methods that a hypnotist may employ include the following:

Eye fixation - having a subject focus so intently on one object, that they tune out all other stimuli.

Rapid - overloading the subject with many sudden, firm commands causing the subject's conscious control to take a back seat and relent control of the situation.

Progressive relaxation and imagery - soothing the subject to achieve complete relaxation and using imagery to heighten the level of focus.

Loss of balance - creating a loss of equilibrium through rhythmic rocking.

This all begs the question, "Can the power of suggestion actually work?". If you have ever rocked a baby to sleep you already know the answer, but in what other every day situations can hypnotism be used?