I thought I would get in here first - it's 11.15, how keen is that?
Just watched this documentary on Channel 4 and it left me feeling rather saddened.
I thought there was a great deal of hype in the presentation style, both the narration and the accompanying graphics. It gave the impression of WANTING to find that stage hypnosis is a bad thing.
The only case covered that had any real substance was that of the unfortunate woman who was regressed to the age of eight, a time when she had experienced sexual abuse. It was not the hypnotist's intention to regress her to her personal childhood experience, merely to suggest to her that she should behave like an eight year old. She became very depressed, and made two suicide attempts. The court held the hypnotist responsible. The programme reported that since that case all stage hypnotists have experienced a dramatic decline in their bookings.
As a hypnotherapist, I spend a lot of time explaining to first time clients who have never experienced hypnosis what the difference is between stage hypnosis and hypnotherapy, and about how all stage hypnosis depends for its effect on enhancing the impression that the hypnotist is in full control of they minds of the subjects. In hypnotherapy, I am at pains to emphasise that it is the client who is in control, and has the choice to accept or reject any suggestion.
Nonetheless, I am also aware that some people, for a variety of reasons, are much more likely to accept suggestions than others, and it is not always clear in advance which people those are, and that I must therefore STILL be very careful about what I suggest, because some people will take it very literally indeed.
Stage hypnotists, I think, should be aware of this, and include safeguards in their pre-talks.
I don't think stage hypnosis is bad, I don't think it should be banned - if people want to make fools of themselves in public, there is no reason why they shouldn't. My only problem with it is that it puts people off considering hypnotherapy as something which could really help them out of serious difficulty, and so miss out.
Night night!
Kathleen
Dark Side of Stage Hypnotism
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by kfedouloff » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:31 pm
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by kfedouloff » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:34 pm
Hey admin people - I just noticed that the time signature says it is 10.30. Does your server not recognise BST?
Kathleen
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by Roger Elliott » Wed Sep 24, 2003 8:06 am
Hi Kathleen
I just watched that too. To be honest, I'm someone who thinks that hypnosis should be used in a controlled environment by someone who's aim is to closely monitor the client's emotional state and maintain a state of calmness.
This simply cannot be done in a stage environment. The reports of stage hypnotists getting people terrified is extremely worrying to me - highly hypnotic people are the same ones who are more at risk of developing phobic and post traumatic responses, and the way to create PTSD in someone is to scare them silly ("you have lost a breast" could do it).
For me, hypnosis and high emotion don't go together; the potential for conditioning, and therefore post-hypnotic response is too great.
I totally agree on the program's lack of balance, but then this is almost always the case with this sort of thing (he said cynically).
Added to that were factual inaccuracies that were left unchallenged ("the human body works just like a cantilever bridge and all the force goes down the chairs") in the human bridge demonstration.
As we know, what is happening here is REM paralysis, and no, cantilever bridges do not work that way (there, I knew that engineering degree would come in handy somewhere
)
But that's as far as my technological know-how stretches. Servers and timezones?
I don't think stage hypnosis should be banned, just that those connected with the field should be made aware of recent science on related matters. I'm not sure how many would continue once they had that knowledge.
All the best
Roger
I just watched that too. To be honest, I'm someone who thinks that hypnosis should be used in a controlled environment by someone who's aim is to closely monitor the client's emotional state and maintain a state of calmness.
This simply cannot be done in a stage environment. The reports of stage hypnotists getting people terrified is extremely worrying to me - highly hypnotic people are the same ones who are more at risk of developing phobic and post traumatic responses, and the way to create PTSD in someone is to scare them silly ("you have lost a breast" could do it).
For me, hypnosis and high emotion don't go together; the potential for conditioning, and therefore post-hypnotic response is too great.
I totally agree on the program's lack of balance, but then this is almost always the case with this sort of thing (he said cynically).
Added to that were factual inaccuracies that were left unchallenged ("the human body works just like a cantilever bridge and all the force goes down the chairs") in the human bridge demonstration.
As we know, what is happening here is REM paralysis, and no, cantilever bridges do not work that way (there, I knew that engineering degree would come in handy somewhere
)
But that's as far as my technological know-how stretches. Servers and timezones?
I don't think stage hypnosis should be banned, just that those connected with the field should be made aware of recent science on related matters. I'm not sure how many would continue once they had that knowledge.
All the best
Roger
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by Paul Myszor » Fri Sep 26, 2003 1:08 pm
Absolutely agree Roger.
The programme was emotive, leaving too many threads undone, though paradoxically showed how powerful hypnosis actually is. It might have been good to mention all the positive and therapeutic aspects of hynosis.
Stage hynosis makes me angry; it has set back the therapeutic use of hypnosis a long way. OK some people will not confuse the two but for many the linkage is there and creates a load of baggage for therapists.
I'm not really into doing a Scandinavian style banning thing though I feel pretty close.
The programme was emotive, leaving too many threads undone, though paradoxically showed how powerful hypnosis actually is. It might have been good to mention all the positive and therapeutic aspects of hynosis.
Stage hynosis makes me angry; it has set back the therapeutic use of hypnosis a long way. OK some people will not confuse the two but for many the linkage is there and creates a load of baggage for therapists.
I'm not really into doing a Scandinavian style banning thing though I feel pretty close.
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by Rex » Wed Feb 04, 2004 4:30 am
RogerE wrote:Hi Kathleen
I just watched that too. To be honest, I'm someone who thinks that hypnosis should be used in a controlled environment by someone who's aim is to closely monitor the client's emotional state and maintain a state of calmness.
Roger
By this reasoning aren't the availability of self-hypnosis downloads dangerous?
Rex
by Roger Elliott » Wed Feb 04, 2004 6:59 am
HI Rex
Good question! My comment you quoted was really to illustrate that such a high-impact environment can give rise to high levels of emotion, dangerous due to conditioning factors. In my opinion, self hypnosis downloads are no more dangerous than doing meditation or some other form of relaxation. The individual is calm, in a safe environment and is in control (they can stop at any time).
Roger
Good question! My comment you quoted was really to illustrate that such a high-impact environment can give rise to high levels of emotion, dangerous due to conditioning factors. In my opinion, self hypnosis downloads are no more dangerous than doing meditation or some other form of relaxation. The individual is calm, in a safe environment and is in control (they can stop at any time).
Roger
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by Rex » Thu Feb 05, 2004 12:34 am
Thanks for you reply. Yes this is my experience...I was interested to hear your thoughts....I am exploring many of your hypnosis downloads and having tried mediation in the past...find that they have a similar effect ...but much easier to relax to, due to their guided nature.
I really am gaining a lot from this site....starting from the Learning Path and the downloads as a support...I have noticed a huge change in my outlook, my feelings, my interactions with people and even my eating habits - much healthier (I am not sure where that came from!) since December ..... in such a short time.
Thank you.
Rex
I really am gaining a lot from this site....starting from the Learning Path and the downloads as a support...I have noticed a huge change in my outlook, my feelings, my interactions with people and even my eating habits - much healthier (I am not sure where that came from!) since December ..... in such a short time.
Thank you.
Rex
by Roger Elliott » Thu Feb 05, 2004 8:24 am
Well that is fantastic to hear Rex, many thanks for letting us know - it's always nice to hear things like that 
Roger
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