Conversational Hypnosis
Conversational Hypnosis is now a well-recognized method of psychological therapy. The experts or being relegated as mere hocus-pocus or parlor trick does not anymore ridicule it.
Professional psychologists and psychiatrists often recommend and utilize hypnosis as a means of treating their patients. Although it is far from being an exact science, its basic principles can be explained.
Contrary to some people might think, hypnosis is not considered as supernatural or magical. There is a scientific basis for it. Hypnosis is a method of putting people in a state of trance.
It is a state of semi-consciousness between sleep and being awake. It is during this state that the brain’s alpha waves are more active. It is similar to REM sleep that is associated with dreaming. It is during the high activity stage of the brain’s alpha waves that the subconscious is highly susceptible to the power of suggestion. This is what is being exploited in hypnosis.
There is very little that most people know that they are all subjected to some degree of hypnosis in their everyday existence. Conversely, most people also unconsciously and passively subject others under hypnosis.
Simple suggestions, comments, compliments, and even body language can prompt people to think or act in certain ways. Mass hypnosis if best demonstrated in commercial advertisements. This is not the classical fictitious zombie-like trance of the mass of consumers.
However, the power of suggestion is used in subtle or explicit manner in commercial advertisements. You would be amazed how effective commercial advertisements can be. Million-dollar sales and losses are directly affected by advertisements.
People buy and trust products that have old reputations gained from advertisements. Commercial advertisement is one proof that mass hypnosis works to some degree of effectiveness.
On the other hand, hypnosis is more scientifically verifiable under clinical scrutiny. Modern medical methods may also use pharmaceutical drugs to induce hypnotic trance.
Patients who undergo therapeutic hypnosis are typically seeking help to reject bad habits such as smoking, compulsive gambling, or excessive drinking. Therapeutic hypnosis is also used to help people cope with stress and traumatic experiences. It can help relieve anxiety and fears.
It can also be used to treat phobias. However, the most popular application of hypnosis is in helping people to lose weight. Many books and audio packages are offering fast self-help solution to being overweight. However, not all of these really deliver effective results. Few information products in the market are really credible.
Like other ingenious devices of man hypnosis can be used both for good and for bad. If hypnosis can be used as therapeutic method, unscrupulous people for criminal intents can also use it. It is typically employed in confidence tricks.
Some people are naturally gifted the intricacies and subtleties of the power of suggestions. Contrary to common notions, even intelligent and educated people are fooled by con artists. Some of these confidence tricksters are able to steal thousands and even millions of dollars from people that they fool.
Although the basic elements of greed are involved in people who are easily fooled, the power of suggestion still plays a vital role in a successful confidence fraud.
The con artist himself might not be aware of it but he is already implementing some basic principles of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a dangerous weapon in the hands of a criminal-minded person.