John Henry

Just saw this thread on the paranoia board. Don't visit it if you're easily disturbed.

I'm quite happy to believe in subliminal suggestion etc, but this geezer claims to be able to mess with your hormones through hypnosis. Anyone know if this is really possible? Also, there are some quite cool-looking 'self-help' hypnoses on there, a couple of which I had been considering trying. Only thing is, most of the other ones are pretty wierd, so I think the guy's a bit of a psycho. D'you reckon it's safe to try even the 'safe' ones?

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"No one was behaving from very Buddhist motives. Then, thought Pigsy, he was hardly a Buddha, nor was he a monkey. Presently, he was a pig spirit changed into a little girl pretending to be a little boy to be offered to a water monster. It was all very simple to a pig spirit."

MSD

It's perfectly safe. A common myth about hypnosis is that it can control you. In reality, you are simply hypersensetive to stimuli and suggestions, and cannot be forced to do anything that you would not willingly do while "awake."

FleaCircus

Essentially all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. A hypnotist is only a guide for the process. It helps to have someone guide you so you don't have to focus on the process, and your conscious mind can essentially just "let go."

But MrSelfDestruct is right. You won't do anything you wouldn't normalyl do, and if you can always "wake yourself up" and bring yourself out of hypnosis at anytime.

As far as physiological changes as a result of hypnosis, the way I see it, something like that happenning is really no different than "contracting" a psychosomatic illness; i.e.: it appears in your body, but it's really all in your mind. (I hope that last bit made sense.)

Also, a live guide is much more useful than a recorded one. There are a number of physical signals you get from a hypnotic subject (breathing changes, muscular responses, etc.) that should cause a good hypnotist to adjust the process. Obviously, with a recording, it keeps on going regardless of the reactions of the subject.

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"We must have waffles. We must all have waffles, forthwith. Oh, we must think.
We must all have waffles and think, each and every one of us to the very best of his ability."
-- Professor Goldthwait Higginson Dorr, Ph.D.