HYPNOSIS FACTS

The word Hypnosis comes from a Greek word "hypnos" meaning sleep.

The only serious problem with hypnosis is in its name. A hypnotic state as used in therapies going back to ancient times is not a state of being asleep. The word Trance, comes from a Latin word "transitus" meaning a passage which, to me is a better explanation of what is happening in this, so called, hypnotic state. It is a passage between the conscious and subconscious part of the mind. The hypnotic state, as I usually define it is when the "critical part of the conscious mind becomes passive," not asleep, just passive.

The critical part of the conscious mind is that part that interfaces with the outside world.

It is the part of the mind that can make judgements criticizes, evaluates. When it is passive you are in a trance. While in a trance the creative part of the mind can be very active and so can the memory. Guided imagery used in a variety of therapeutic situations is facilitated by the Trance State. Even while daydreaming one goes immediately into a light trance. Sitting in front of a television one can go to trance easily, particularly children. Driving down the highway most people are in a trance. In most driving handbooks it is referred to as "highway hypnosis." While reviewing memories of the past or pondering the future one slips into a trance.

Trance is a natural, normal state of mind.

It is not necessarily induced by artificial means as some dictionary might describe. It happens in the natural course of a day to everyone. The thing to understand is that the hypnotic state (trance) is one thing. What you do there is another. That is called the hypnotic effect.

HYPNOTIC EFFECT

A hypnotic effect is when, while in a trance, the subconscious mind gets an idea and acts upon it.

An example of a hypnotic effect would be when a person is daydreaming about having an argument with someone and begins to feel an increase in the heart rate and, perhaps, tensing of the muscles. Why? You're only daydreaming. Daydreaming is a trance and there is hypnotic and post-hypnotic effect whether you like it or not. While in a trance the subconscious cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality very well and cannot tell that you are not really in an argument. It thinks that you are, so the subconscious, which directs the autonomic nervous system, sends a message throughout the body that the battle is on and prepares the body for action.

The post-hypnotic effect is when the subconscious takes an idea that was received while in trance and acts upon it at a later time.

For example, Let's say you spent some time daydreaming the previously mentioned argument but never brought it to closure or a positive conclusion. The subconscious, which seems to take things literally, could very well construe that the person in the argument in the enemy so the next time you come into contact with that person these same feelings you had in the daydream come back all by themselves. And even when you try to consciously control those feeling you will find them oozing out in body language, facial expression, tone of voice, attitude, etc.