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Various types of hypnosis. Hypnosis, auto-hypnosis and hypnotic influence State of the hypnotist

Everyone has heard about hypnosis, however, few people really imagine what the action and benefits of hypnosis are.
(and maybe harm).

In this article, I would like to dot the questions: what is hypnosis?' and 'how does it work'? And also, to explain why I am a supporter of "hard will" and why, in my vision, manipulations become an effective mechanism of human communication.

What is hypnosis?

To understand the mechanisms of hypnotic influence on a person, you should first think about what, in fact, we mean by the word "".

Since the tricks of tele-hypnotists in the mass consciousness suddenly moved from the category of miracles to the category of charlatanism and a weapon for manipulating public opinion (bypassing its true therapeutic incarnation), we have become so accustomed to this word that we have ceased to think about its meaning.
Hypnosis- this is also an altered state of consciousness, intermediate between dreamless sleep, wakefulness and a dream, in which a person arrives under the influence of certain conditions;

Hypnosis- this is the directed influence of the hypnotist in order to bring a person into this state;

Hypnosis- this is also a targeted effect on the psyche of a person who is in a state of hypnosis.

But, agree that these are “three big differences”?

I suggest looking into it.

What is hypnosis: the history of occurrence

Hypnosis, translated from Greek, simply means a dream. However, the state of hypnotic sleep, of course, is very different from physiological sleep. Hypnotic sleep (or hypnotic trance) is characterized by a complete or partial blocking of consciousness associated with inhibition of the reactions of the cerebral cortex to signals from the sense organs and internal aspirations of a person coming from outside, with the exception of signals coming from the hypnotist.

That is, in fact, it is a state. And it is natural for a person.

The possibility of immersion is a physiological phenomenon and does not contradict the nature of our body.

Mankind has been using it for over 3000 years, calling it by different names. Eastern healers, Indian fakirs, Egyptian priests, Greek and Roman scientists knew about the possibility of influencing a person in a state of hypnotic sleep.

But, a more or less intelligible history of hypnosis begins in 1842, when James Braid showed how an altered state of mind occurs when fixing a shiny object, and gave this phenomenon the name "".

Interesting fact

By the way, before that, such phenomena were called mesmerism. Named after Anton Franz Mesmer, who lived in the 18th century, and considered the ability to carry out hypnotic effects as a manifestation of animal magnetism. :)

Already at that time, there was a division of scientists who studied into two camps:

some believed that the hypnotic state arises under the influence of the "fluid" of the hypnotist (the Parisian school of Jean Charcot);
others - under the influence of suggestion that affects the imagination (the Nancy school of Hippolyte Bernheim).

Note

At present, the division into two schools remains, only the terminology has changed.

It should be noted that Russian scientists V.M. Bekhterev, I.P. Pavlov, K.I. Platonov also had a great influence on the formation of modern ideas about hypnosis.

What is hypnosis: hypnotic influence

A person performing hypnotic influence simultaneously performs at least two tasks:

first, he introduces another person into a state of hypnosis,
secondly, gives him some instructions or conducts a therapeutic effect through suggestion.

It should be understood that suggestion can be carried out in many other ways, for example, by causing disposition and sympathy, and as a result, an uncritical perception of information by the suggested person (which can be seen in the NLP communication practice).

There is only one thing that hypnosis and other forms of suggestion have in common:

appeal to the unconscious part of the psyche for certain purposes.

Note

In this sense, autosuggestion is still not a hypnotic effect, since it is carried out by a person under the influence of his own conscious aspiration, using methods of influencing his own subconscious

This is where the true purpose of hypnosis opens up.

It consists in the possibility of a direct appeal to the subconscious information field of a person who is temporarily not aware of himself and, as a result, does not control his actions.

It turns out that the main goal of hypnosis is to reveal the contents of the subconscious, which includes all the events in a person's life and his values and much more.

At the same time, the purposes for which you can use or change the contents of the subconscious can be very different. Finding out the cause of fear, for example, can save a person from painful phobias. Hypnotic influence can also change some biophysical parameters, for example, increase the threshold of pain sensitivity, lower blood pressure, get rid of addiction, increase a person’s muscle strength, and reveal superpowers.

However, while the benefits of using hypnosis for the treatment of mental and psychosomatic illnesses are not disputed, the use of hypnosis to change a person's physical abilities is often considered unjustified: if you do not feel pain, this will most likely lead to injury or the development of a disease; and if an athlete, under the influence of hypnosis, begins to run faster than the rest, this will make the competition unfair and, therefore, uninteresting.

But as they say, "the taste and color" ...

Interesting fact

For example, using hypnotic influence, I was able to reveal hidden creative abilities in a person (although the original goal was to go through catharsis - cleansing the psyche from negative attitudes)

Nice bonus, right? :)

By the way, studies have been conducted that have shown that after a hypnosis session, people can begin to draw, sculpt, sing, compose poetry, learn foreign languages, their memory and attention improve.

How does hypnosis work?

Introduction to a hypnotic state is based on the ability of the brain to go into a state of inhibition under the influence of rhythmic, monotonous stimulation of the sense organs (touch - stroking; hearing - quiet music, monotonous speech of the doctor; vision - fixing the gaze on a shiny object), or partial blockage of the senses (closed eyes, relaxed muscles). The verbal influence of the hypnotist in this case is precisely aimed at reducing the flow of information entering the consciousness from the outside. Attention is focused only on the words of the hypnotist, so verbal suggestion remains possible in the state of hypnotic sleep.

There are frequent cases of introduction into a hypnotic state and simply under the influence of the will, or, as they say, the gaze of a hypnotist. This phenomenon is associated with the peculiarities of the psyche and the nature of the hypnotist and the person being influenced.

For example, if the hypnotist is confident in the success of his work and has sufficient authority in a person who is distinguished by increased suggestibility, then the introduction to (and suggestibility in general) is much easier than if the hypnotized person was critical and did not trust the hypnotist, while maintaining a high level of concentration of consciousness. .

I hope it is now clear why you need an unshakable will and a firm look into the "one eye" of the interlocutor during a conversation?

Here the main mechanism of action of hypnosis is revealed. When consciousness does not perceive signals from its own senses, it begins to respond to the signals that the hypnotist gives it, perceiving them as its own. . And then what happens is what we know: the person performs the actions (physical or mental) that the hypnotist asks him to do.

Note

The action of the subconscious in response to the command of the hypnotist, as if bypassing consciousness, is a manifestation of the mechanism of idiodynamics, which provides a connection between the body and consciousness in the human body.

Finally, it is worth remembering what usually happens after the end of hypnotic exposure. Correct: “I didn’t see anything, I don’t know anything.”

This state is called post-hypnotic amnesia, which arises by itself if a person was in a deep trance, and his consciousness did not perceive what was happening to him; or "amnesia" occurs due to the appropriate suggestion of the hypnotist in the case of a shallow trance.

In the post-hypnotic state, the action of the suggestions received during the trance continues. But a person, not understanding why he starts behaving differently than before, is ALWAYS looking for acceptable explanations for this.

Interesting fact

One day, a doctor conducting a hypnosis session with a woman who came to his appointment with an umbrella decided to conduct an experiment. He suggested to her that when the session was over, she should leave the office, take her umbrella and open it. Of course, the woman did just that, and the doctor asked her: “Why did you open the umbrella in my waiting room?” The woman immediately began to look for an explanation for her act, not knowing its true reason, and after some thought said that she wanted to check whether it was dry or not.

Those. a person ALWAYS seeks to logically explain his actions, giving them credibility and adequacy. And this means that a person can be inspired by anything and he will consider it his conviction, his logic and his thoughts.

And this is true strength.

However, not all so simple. Under hypnosis, it's easy enough to get a person to do something out of the ordinary, like eat a lemon they hate. But after the end of the hypnotic effect, only those commands that do not contradict the person's own system of values are easily executed, and the rest can be blocked by the awakened consciousness.

This means that turning a person into a completely unconscious robot using hypnosis, as is often shown in movies, is almost impossible. And the lack of trust in the hypnotist and the desire to be suggested, as a rule, is a fairly serious "contraindication" for hypnosis.

So,

In this article, we figured out that what is hypnosis? and “how does it work?”. In the next one, you will get acquainted with the specifics of the forms of modern hypnosis: mass, gypsy and Ericksonian.

Sincerely, Vadim Berlin.

Need more minerals? Read more:

How to Develop the Ability to Hypnotize and Persuade Anyone Smith Sven

hypnotic influence

What is hypnosis?

... The hypnotist waves something shiny - and everyone around them plunges into a trance, following any of his instructions ...

... The fakir plays the pipe - and the snake in a trance slowly sways in front of him ...

…The shaman goes into a trance to the rhythmic beat of drums and, returning from it, reports what the gods told him…

All these actions can be called the introduction into a hypnotic state or trance. And exactly the same effect of “self-hypnosis” can be achieved in different ways: when you wearily switch channels on your TV, when you look at fire or water, when you just think deeply about something, when you are engaged in some kind of spiritual practice or meditation ...

There is nothing unusual about this. Since ancient times, various spiritual practices have used these states for their own purposes. Today, science has already well studied the causes, methods and consequences of such influences.

brain waves

Neurophysiologists distinguish several groups of electromagnetic waves of low intensity - "brain waves" (brainwaves), emitted by our brain and easily recorded by devices (for example, an electroencephalograph). The type of waves depends on the state of the person emitting them. In total, these waves are distinguished by 5 types (and, accordingly, 5 types of the state of human consciousness).

gamma waves(from 40 Hz and above) - still almost unexplored waves of the so-called "hyperconsciousness" (Nobel Prize winner Sir Francis Crick and some other scientists insist on this).

beta waves(14-40 Hz) - fast waves that are observed in any person in a waking state. If they are in excess, a person feels anxiety, fear, panic. If they are not enough, the person is depressed, his attention and memory are weakened.

alpha waves(8-13 Hz) are observed in people in a relaxed state, they cause positive emotions, a sense of harmony and comfort. It is in the state of alpha waves that people meditate, begin to plunge into a trance, “turn on” their creative energy, invent, find answers to difficult questions.

Theta waves(4-7 Hz) occur in the "twilight consciousness" when we fall asleep. This is the threshold state between relaxation, peace and sleep. Such waves are observed during deep hypnotic immersion and trance. In this state, peaks of creativity and self-improvement are reached.

delta waves(0.5–3 Hz) is a state of sleep, an almost unconscious state. It is with such waves that the brain releases the maximum amount of growth hormones, and the body most fully and deeply goes through the processes of recovery and self-healing. Some people are able to maintain consciousness in this state, for example, during a deep trance.

The height and duration of the wave is greater, the lower the oscillations. For someone who wants to be able to influence other people, three of these wave groups are of greatest interest: beta, alpha, and theta rhythms.

Approximately these waves can be depicted as follows:

beta waves

However, in the previous description and in the figure, you see a sequence of different groups of waves. In practice, they can exist simultaneously:

beta waves

The more interested you are in something, the more kinds of waves your brain emits at the same time. Moreover, the more efficient the work of the brain, the more harmoniously the oscillations of all types of waves are combined. During periods of maximum insight, the oscillations are almost perfectly synchronized.

It is the existence of simultaneously different groups of waves that gives us the opportunity to carry out a hypnotic effect.

Using Brain Waves for Yourself

It is impossible to influence other people if you yourself do not know how to relax, to feel at least the alpha rhythm. Therefore, it is very important to learn to notice changes in consciousness - first in oneself, and then in other people.

It's better to start with yourself. And at the beginning, fix it separately: “Here I am cheerful, now I am relaxing, now I am immersed in a trance” ... You are unlikely to be able to fix the moment of falling asleep, although it is at this moment (theta rhythm) that the best ideas come to you.

From the book Weapon - the word. Defense and attack with... author Kotlyachkov Alexander

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HYPNOTIC STUDY OF PSYCHOSOMATIC PHENOMENA; PSYCHOSOMATIC RELATIONS STUDYING WITH THE HELP OF EXPERIMENTAL HYPNOSIS Journal of psychosomatic medicine, 1943, No 5, pp. 51-58. This work is a description of various psychosomatic relationships, often

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CHAPTER 5. INFLUENCE It is much better to venture on grandiose things, to achieve brilliant victories, even interspersed with failures, than to be on a par with those who have a bad state of mind, who have never had great pleasure and have not suffered much, because

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From the book Language and Consciousness author Luria Alexander Romanovich

"Influence of meanings" It would be wrong to think that a whole message or text consists only of a chain of separate, isolated phrases and that in order to understand the text, it is enough to understand the meaning of each isolated phrase. Phrases are not isolated links of a single chain:

From the book Breakthrough! 11 Best Personal Growth Trainings author Parabellum Andrey Alekseevich

Day 20 Influence One measure of self-discipline is the ability to organize and discipline others. This is the main criterion that will determine how effectively you completed the training. If you have a high level of self-discipline, others will find it easier for you.

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From the book Master the Power of Suggestion! Get everything you want! author Smith Sven

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From the book HYPNOSIS. Hidden Depths: A History of Discovery and Application author Waterfield Robin

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From the book New Reflections on Personal Development author Adizes Itzhak Calderon

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From the author's book

Influence of the Holocaust I recently finished writing my memoirs, and in doing so, I learned something about myself that I did not suspect until ... I re-read what I had written. The Holocaust, which I experienced from the age of three to eight years, had a profound effect on my life. I guess

Svetlana Rumyantseva

"Hypnosis" is a word fanned with mysticism and legends, it inspires fear and apprehension. It has been known since time immemorial. Hypnotic techniques were used mainly in cult activities. Since the second half of the 18th century, hypnosis has become a useful tool in the hands of experienced and especially sophisticated healers. It has long been used in India as an anesthetic during operations. In the 40-70s in the USSR, hypnosis gained popularity in the form of public performances. But back in the middle of the last century, secret services became interested in this method of mind control. There were fewer publications, and the research results were closed from the bulk of the people.

Today there are two types of hypnosis:

Classical.

This view is similar to a ritual action that requires compliance with a number of formalities. A person gives himself into the hands of a hypnotist voluntarily, giving him power over consciousness and obeying his will. Such sessions are carried out with a therapeutic purpose. But, they are considered ineffective. Less than 20% of people are exposed to classical hypnosis.

Non-classical or hidden.

Softer, imperceptible introduction to trance. To immerse a person in a state of covert hypnosis, permission is not asked. Most often, these types of subconscious control are used for profit.

You can learn the skills of classical hypnosis by obtaining the appropriate specialty of a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. It is almost impossible to find available literature on this subject. But learning covert hypnosis is not difficult. The services market is actively offering courses, lessons and lectures on the techniques of covert hypnotic influence. The basic techniques are taught to management and sales professionals, media workers, politicians and other people whose profession is to influence the masses. Some people are born with hidden skills and unconsciously use the simplest forms of hypnosis in life.

Types of covert hypnosis

Covert hypnosis is a common phenomenon today. Each person encounters him daily when communicating, watching television, reading newspapers and. The study of human consciousness is one of the most sought-after scientific fields.

What types of covert hypnosis exist?

Manipulation. The simplest form of hypnosis available to everyone. Management of a person occurs in a hidden form. The manipulator uses knowledge about the stereotyped organization of the human psyche and influences the victim's stereotypes. The main one is discomfort. Manipulators offer the victim deliberately unfavorable conditions and on other people's shoulders. A favorite method is playing on weaknesses.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming. This type of covert hypnosis is the most harmless. NLP methods are used in trainings that develop human communication skills. Experts in this field take knowledge from experienced psychologists, psychotherapists, linguists. NLP is an applied science that allows a person to open up. Studying it has become fashionable among top managers, leading specialists in the field of personnel management. Despite the benefits of NLP, some people find this interference in their lives unreasonable and unethical.

Criminal hypnosis. It is used to deceive and commit fraud. The essence of criminal hypnosis: the introduction of a person into a vague state of fascination, interest, fear. The victim under the influence of the hypnotist loses clear control over the mind, becomes malleable and follows the swindler's lead. Criminal hypnosis is a favorite method of deception among street cheats. First, they offer to tell fortunes or play a game of chance. In the process of dialogue, they look for the weak points of the future victim. After that, street hypnotists skillfully influence the subconscious, causing fear, excitement, awakening greed.

Zombies. The main technique of religious business recruiters who skillfully combine soft and hard zombies. Initially, a person is immersed in an environment of love, understanding, care. Recruiters immediately determine the weaknesses of the victim, the main of which is oppressive loneliness or tormenting curiosity. Gradually, new ideas are woven into the trusted consciousness. As soon as the victim accepts them, the stage of hard zombification begins: a change in living conditions to extremely difficult ones with an exhausting work schedule, prayers, a meager diet and purposeful coding. After the “test”, the weakened person is gradually returned to small worldly joys, explaining this by the fact that he deserved them by obedience. The tormented consciousness perceives the giver as a benefactor, and the connection between the victim and the hypnotist becomes almost inseparable.

How to uncover a hypnotist?

You can learn about the intentions of the hypnotist only at the first stages of his strategy, until he finally entered into your confidence. Once the fraudster has gained mind control, it is impossible to detect the hypnotic effect. Each type of covert hypnosis uses its own technique and tricks, but the first steps are similar.

How does a covert hypnosis session begin?

Too much information. If the brain cannot cope with the flow of words, actions, and events coming from outside, it turns on a stressful mode in which the subconscious mind is especially unarmed. You will hear many incomprehensible phrases, sounds, feel touches, react to incomprehensible movement behind your back. Fraudsters will try to influence all the senses at the same time in order to disorient you. This tactic is especially characteristic of criminal hypnosis. In the case of soft zombification, the flow of information is aimed at generating interest. However, you will not receive direct answers to the question.

Change of purpose. People who use hypnosis for profit seek to put a new goal in the person's head. Behind the apparent external attractiveness lies a disadvantageous offer that is contrary to the interests, views, moral principles of the victim. This stage is especially abused by manipulators.

Violation of personal space. It is easier to influence a person by crossing the boundaries of the comfort zone. If a stranger is too close, this is an unkind sign.

How to resist covert hypnosis?

To prevent hypnosis, follow these guidelines:

- the fear of rejection will lead you straight into the hands of the manipulator.
Be aware of the distance - do not allow strangers to cross the border of personal space.
Give up patterns in behavior and reactions - this is the best way to disrupt the plans of the hypnotist.
Hide weaknesses - do not show the manipulator vulnerable sides: insecurity, passion, fear.

Hypnosis is not a mystical power. Now you know the true face of the enemy and can resist the hidden hypnotic effect.

April 11, 2014, 14:10

The practice of hypnotic influence on the human mind dates back about two millennia. During this time, scientists managed to learn a lot about the phenomenon of hypnosis and learned how to use it to alleviate the condition of patients suffering from serious illnesses.

However, most non-medical people continue to share misconceptions no less ancient than the method of hypnotherapy itself. Today we will dispel the most common myths about hypnosis.

Source: depositphotos.com

Hypnotists use the help of external forces

About 200-250 years ago, even the most successful and talented hypnotherapists really believed that they put people into a trance state with the help of some mysterious external forces. In the early 19th century, scientists discovered that the hypnotherapist was not the root cause of trance. The specialist only helps the patient to concentrate, using techniques developed over the centuries, and a person falls into a hypnotic state on his own.

Confirmation of the conclusion is the fact that in order to master the skills of hypnosis, a person should not have any exceptional abilities. Of course, some people learn the practice of hypnotherapy more easily and apply it more successfully than others, but this applies to any area of \u200b\u200bhuman activity.

In a state of trance, a person follows any instruction of the hypnotist

The notion of the unconditional controllability of a person subjected to hypnosis originated on the basis of theatrical shows conducted by not entirely conscientious hypnotists, circus performances or movies. In fact, in a state of trance, a person is fully aware of what is happening. The hypnotist cannot force the patient to perform actions that are contrary to his moral and ethical principles or sense of self-preservation. Stories about how a hypnotized person jumped out of a window or robbed a bank are just nonsense fiction.

After careful study, the allegations that in a state of trance a person blurts out all the secrets turned out to be untenable. That is why hypnosis has never been used in forensic science: information obtained from hypnotized witnesses or suspects is often unreliable.

Hypnosis is a strange and unusual state

There is nothing exceptional about hypnotic trance. Every day, each of us plunges into a similar state for a few minutes. This can happen while traveling in transport (a person is slightly turned off, thoughtlessly looking out the car window), listening to music, reading an interesting book, etc. We believe that at such moments we just dream or think, but in fact, the state of our brain is very similar to the one that occurs under hypnosis.

After coming out of a trance, a person does not remember his actions

Most people remember events that happened to them during a hypnotic session. Sometimes a person forgets about some of his actions during a trance, but memories are easily restored.

Under hypnosis, you can master skills of exceptional power

At this time, the patient's attention is maximally concentrated. He is really capable of actions that in reality represented a certain difficulty for him. In addition, hypnosis helps to liberate and do what in the normal state a person does not dare or is embarrassed to do.

In this case, we are not talking about some kind of awakening of superpowers, it is simply easier for the patient to do what he is capable of in ordinary life.

The practice of hypnosis is originally pagan and therefore condemned by the church.

The misconception is associated with the belief that shamans and some representatives of alternative medicine practice trance induction. Given that the hypnotherapist does not seek the help of external forces and cannot subjugate the free will of the patient, most of the world's religions refer to the practice of inducing a hypnotic trance without judgment. For example, the Roman Catholic Church recognized hypnosis treatment as acceptable as early as 1847.

Hypnotherapy itself does not carry any religious overtones. True, it is often used by representatives of totalitarian sects for unscrupulous purposes, but because of this, the method itself cannot be considered unethical.

Some people are not hypnotic

The only reason that creates the impossibility of introducing a patient into a state of hypnosis is severe brain damage. A qualified hypnotherapist can help almost anyone to concentrate and fall into a trance, but the susceptibility to this kind of effort (hypnotizability) varies from person to person.

To conduct a successful hypnotic session, the active cooperation of the specialist and the patient is necessary, since it is impossible to put a person into a trance against his will.

A weak person is easily hypnotized

The hypnotizability of a person has nothing to do with his moral and volitional qualities. Here, rather, the ability to quickly concentrate attention, rich imagination, developed imaginative thinking and high intelligence play a role.

It is easier for a specialist to put into a trance a person who is intelligent, well-educated and emotional, with a desire to cooperate with the hypnotist and the absence of prejudice against the method itself.

1. Terminology of hypnosis

The term "hypnosis" (from the Greek: hypnos - sleep; Hypnos - the ancient Greek god of sleep, the son of the Goddess of the Night) in Russian has two meanings: as a special, temporary state of human consciousness ("being under hypnosis") and as a process of influence that leads to to this state (“to succumb to hypnosis” = to succumb to hypnotic influence).

Hypnosis artificially is caused either by another person (for example, a hypnotist) and then they talk about heterohypnosis, or by the person himself and then they talk about autohypnosis.

Hypnotic influence also has two meanings: influence with the aim of inducing hypnosis and influence on a person already in hypnosis for some other purpose (for example, hypnotherapy, i.e. so-called"treatment").

Hypnosis is considered as a general concept in relation to the concepts of "hypnotic sleep" and "hypnotic trance".

The concepts of "hypnosis" (as a process) and "suggestion" (as a process) should be differentiated: the first is private in relation to a broader concept in psychology - the concept of "suggestion" as an effect not only with the aim of inducing hypnosis, but with other goals (location to oneself, a person committing certain behavioral acts, etc.). At the same time, although an inspiring effect can be exerted on a person in a waking state, the information is mainly addressed to the subconscious.

Thus, in principle, the concepts of "suggestibility" and "hypnotizability" should be differentiated, although in many respects they are synonymous.

NB! Hypnotic influence is violence against a person's personality, no matter what "good" goals it is used for.

2. Hypnosis as a state of consciousness

The consciousness of a person in hypnosis is turned off completely (during hypnotic sleep) or partially (during hypnotic trance, when a person realizes that he is in hypnosis), which is physiologically expressed in inhibition of the cerebral cortex, with the exception of one area - the so-called sentinel point, thanks to which rapport is carried out - a kind energy information the relationship between the hypnotist and the hypnotized.

Thus, hypnosis as a state is an altered state of consciousness; according to the accepted classification - not normal (in the sense - not typical), not pathological, partially or completely non-functioning consciousness.

The state of hypnosis is characterized by a kind of blocking "active" or "top" level consciousness: while the sense organs (hearing, vision ...) work normally and nerve impulses come from them to the brain, this information does not penetrate into consciousness: it is blocked by the verbal influence of the hypnotist - a possessed person, through whose consciousness those deprived of the right to reincarnate essence act ; as a result, the hypnotized person is not aware of the information supplied to him (his consciousness) by his own senses. Thus, a hypnotized person can be with his eyes open and still not see anything around him; more precisely, external objects are reflected on the retina of his eyes, nerve impulses reach the brain through the optic nerves, but they do not enter the cortex (the head of consciousness) (this condition is called “negative hallucination” - a term, in our opinion, not very successful).

At the same time, in such a state, a person can be evoked visions of what is missing in his environment (“You are in the garden” - and the person sees the trees). There is an effect of "central vision", when the images appearing in the brain are caused not by the senses, but by the words of the hypnotist (the so-called positive hallucination). And this phenomenon gives us reason to make a very important (although not directly related to the topic of “hypnosis”) conclusion for understanding the problems of extrasensory perception: a person can see (in the sense of being aware of visual images) not only with his eyes (as you see these letters now) , but also by the brain: a visual image can arise in consciousness not only due to the action of the sensory organ - the eyes, but also in spite of its action, but due to the focus of excitation in the visual cortex arising from direct external influence on the cerebral cortex. Hence: you can see without eyes, i.e. in addition to the sense organs, i.e. psychic way. Another conversation is what to see: what is created by the senses, or what is created in addition to the senses - by extrasensory perception (after all, when I ask you to imagine the face of a person you know well, you will see this face by extrasensory perception). Thus, a direct impact on the cortical zones of the sense organs, bypassing the organs themselves, is quite realistic. moreover, this influence can be produced both by the person himself, and through the hypnotist - "operator" .

And since we are talking about the physiology of the central nervous system, it should also be noted that there is an opinion (the author does not know its experimental evidence, although this does not contradict the theory) that in a state of hypnosis, the activity of the left hemisphere of the brain decreases and its right hemisphere is activated.

The hypnotic state of consciousness is characterized not only by the blocking of consciousness from external signals (except for the hypnotist's voice), but also by the blocking of one's own desires, needs, and attitudes. Under hypnosis, a person desires only what comes from the hypnotist; any initiative is completely absent; free will is practically suppressed, as is criticism suppressed.

And in this regard, the following problem is very important:

3. Hypnosis and the degree of freedom in actions

The personality system of each person is a framework of values such as “this is good”, “this is bad” (“loving people is good”, “stealing is bad”, “brushing teeth is good”, “doing dishonestly is bad " and so on.). And it is precisely by these value orientations that a person is guided in life: if he is not forced by circumstances, then he usually does what he considers good and does not do what he himself considers bad.

But the state of hypnosis is a state of blocking consciousness not only for information from the outside, but also for information "from the inside" - from the personal value system of a given person (where it is written what is good and what is bad).

A person in his normal (not hypnotic) state is given a sheet of paper and told: "Tear this sheet." Most of our listeners (at our trainings) reacted to this like this: “Why?” And in this question is hidden the desire to find out whether the purpose of this request, the purpose of this act (tearing a sheet of paper) corresponds to his own values. When asked to do this again, many of them do it, but at the same time they experience a certain mental dissonance: after all, destroying something “just like that” does not correspond to one of their value orientations - “do not destroy” property unnecessarily. But how strong is this value (“do not destroy”)? After all, someone did not begin to ask “why?”, but simply took it and, without experiencing almost any discomfort, tore the sheet; someone asked and then did it almost calmly; and someone, doing this, "overpowered himself" - sacrificed one value ("do not destroy") for the sake of achieving another value (either in order for a respected person - a professor to realize his request, which is a value; or for the sake of the value of "obedience" - this is how he was brought up: “one must obey the elders”).

But if all these people were immersed in hypnosis and given the same command, practically all of them would fulfill it without any internal resistance - their own value orientation “do not destroy” would turn out to be weaker than the order of the hypnologist. Also, many performed without hypnosis the command “tear this pamphlet”, although “many” means that some still “worried” at the same time, which can be seen from some slowness in execution (compared to the execution of the command “tear the sheet”) . And this is understandable: the attitude “do not tear books” is stronger than the attitude “do not tear paper (and also clean)”. Nevertheless, they tore apart the brochure (in terms of content, it was completely insignificant for them), thus sacrificing one of their values in order to achieve another, which now dominates - the value of obedience (which in this case was created artificially: “You will obey me and fulfill all my commands). Well, under hypnosis, they did the same thing with a brochure as with a blank sheet of paper - they tore it up.

NB! Here, nothing more than total control of consciousness takes place, and this kind of influence may not be felt by the victim himself (the so-called "hidden" or "induced" hypnosis: subliminal suggestion, widely and uncontrollably used, for example, in the media).

But how far can one go, what other values can a person under hypnosis sacrifice for the value of obedience? The answer to this question is the answer to the problem of free will under hypnosis: can a person under hypnosis do whatever the hypnotist wants, contrary to all his values, or not?

The subject, who was under hypnosis, was given a flask in his hands and was told that it contained nitric acid (the subject, by his education, knew what it was). In fact, the vial contained a harmless liquid. Then the man was brought to another man and ordered to pour "acid" in his face. The subject did not comply with the command - the value of "obedience" was still less than the value of "health of another person." Then followed a new order from the hypnotist with the information that the person standing in front of him was ready to kill the child. The hypnotized person followed the command - he splashed "acid" in his face, thus showing his system of values: the value of "child's life" plus the value of "obedience" turned out to be higher than the value of "health of another person."

And here is another example of an experiment in which the author was a participant. A hypnotized subject was given a cardboard knife and told that it was a real knife. He was then given the command to "stab in the chest" of another person. The hypnotized person did not follow the command (the value of "human life" turned out to be higher than the value of "obedience"); they repeated the command to him again and again (increased the value of "obedience"), and, finally, he fulfilled the command - "hit the chest with a knife", but - with the handle in the chest, and not with the edge of the blade. And thus his subconscious (and in hypnosis only the subconscious controls a person) seemed to “cheat” - satisfied the value of obedience (hit) and satisfied the value of the life of another person (did not kill).

Thus, a person under hypnosis will resist a command if his actions are contrary to a value that is high enough for him (compared to the value of obedience); and will not actively resist the command if, although it contradicts any of his values, the latter is not very high for him - “you can’t tear brochures” (including in comparison with the value of obedience, which could be quite expressed and before hypnotization - by its nature).

And it turns out that in this way it is possible to reveal what is very valuable for a person, what is less valuable, and what is not valuable at all, although he tells us that this is important for him. But it is known that what is in a person’s mind (and saying “believe me, this is very important for me,” he showed his information field of consciousness) does not always correspond to what is in his subconscious, which basically controls people’s behavior. Consequently, the command sent under hypnosis will be implemented or not implemented, depending not on the system of perceived values (“I know that cruelty is bad” - this is in the human mind), but on the subconscious value system (where cruelty can be evaluated with a plus). Hence the conclusion: what is called "will" in relation to the hypnotic state is a system of subconscious values, which manifests itself in the implementation or non-realization of the hypnotist's commands. In other words, hypnosis could also be used for psychodiagnostics of a person's system of true (subconscious) values. However, hypnosis is usually used for other purposes.

NB! This kind of "diagnosis", unfortunately, is quite often applied to people who, not realizing that they are being "tested", give themselves away "with all the giblets." The results of these "tests" are then processed and used to purposefully control the masses of people. Moreover, people who are at the mercy of "operators" do not even understand the reasons for this or that of their behavior - they become puppets, tightly controlled from the outside.

4. Purposes of using hypnosis

There are several such goals, and all of them are based on the same principle of hypnotization - inactivation of consciousness and, as a result, activation of the subconscious information field, revealing what is in the subconscious of a person.

And it turns out that one of the main goals of hypnosis is to reveal the content of the subconscious, which is important, for example, in the interests of psychopathological diagnosis, as well as - revealing the abilities of Other people, hidden Technoids and others like them .

After all, it is known that everything that has ever happened to a person, everything that has ever affected him (and it doesn’t matter whether the person was aware of this effect or not, for example, “he saw, but did not pay attention (did not realize what he saw)” ), all this settles in his subconscious information field, including the so-called psychotraumatic situations. For example, in childhood, a child was treated in a terrible way, over time this event was “forgotten” (it turned out to be forced out into the subconscious due to psychological protection), but the information forced out in this way continues to influence a person’s mental life in the form of, for example, inexplicable phobias (fears) , it is not known how the attitudes formed (“this woman, for unknown reasons, does not like all men and tries to avoid contact with them, although she does not remember that a real threat has ever come from them”).

So, by plunging a person into hypnosis and blocking his consciousness from external information = providing access to the consciousness of subconscious information (ensuring its awareness), it is possible to identify such a traumatic event in his “forgotten pages” of his biography, which is successfully done in the course of regression therapy (and hypnosis in this case is called regression hypnosis).

Moreover, there is an assumption that such psychodiagnostics is possible if the traumatic event occurred not in this life of a person, but in one of his past lives.

In regression hypnosis (which practically does not differ in technique from ordinary hypnosis, with the exception of some details), it is possible not only to identify a traumatic situation or factor in the past, but even to erase it, suggesting to the patient in hypnosis that “this never happened, but everything this - only dreamed once ... ". This technique of regression psychotherapy was developed by M. Erickson and received his name - Ericksonian hypnosis.

Suggestion to a person under hypnosis can not only change his knowledge of his own history, but even some of the biophysical characteristics of his body. For example, change pain sensitivity - block it, and then the person will not feel pain (which, by the way, is dangerous, since pain is our watchman; but it is quite acceptable for any medical manipulations that can cause pain; hence the operation is quite real " under hypnosis). Moreover, it is possible, for example, to change the strength of the muscles, and then a person can lift a load that he could not normally lift.

In hypnosis, one can not only change physical abilities, but also provoke, bring to life those creative abilities that a person has, but for some reason were not realized in his life. In this regard, a case is cited when “200 test persons who were tested by Professor V. Raikov at the Moscow Psychoneurological Clinic, in a state of hypnosis, suddenly demonstrated amazing creative abilities, for example, in drawing, clay modeling or glass blowing. There was also an increase in the memory capabilities of all the subjects: for example, they were able to learn six times more foreign words in a hypnotic state at the same time. Indeed, the possibilities of man are endless.

The last remark in the quote brings us to another practical goal of hypnotization - the introduction of educational information in a state of hypnosis, which is akin to hypnopedia (learning during physiological, natural sleep). A certain place in the practical application of hypnosis belongs to auto-hypnosis.

5. Hypnosis, auto-hypnosis and meditation

When people talk about hypnosis, they most often mean heterohypnosis - hypnotization by one person of another. But sometimes they write about so-called "auto-hypnosis"- introduction to a special state of the psyche of oneself. At the same time, it should be noted that numerous manuals on hypnosis usually only mention autohypnosis, presenting mainly the technique of heterohypnosis. And at the same time, information is given that differs little from autohypnosis meditation on the technique of immersion and on the state of consciousness: both there and there they talk about the narrowing of consciousness, about freeing it from any information, about achieving “purity” of consciousness, etc. But this convinces that the state of consciousness that occurs during autohypnosis is similar to the state of meditative trance, but the technology and technique for autohypnosis are not identical to the initial meditation techniques.

NB! In fact, "autohypnosis" (artificial, violent self-induced trance for the purpose of conducting "autogenic training" and similar effects on the subconscious) and real meditation are fundamentally different. You should not buy into the dubious effects of this kind of "mind manipulation", it is extremely dangerous!

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