Hypnosis - Anything to it?

15-06-2009 07:58PM #1

Just flicking through a local paper a little while ago and seen one of those hypnosis ads. "Stop smoking, lose weight" etc.

Back and forth argument ensued with my brother. He reckons there's something in it and it does work, i reckon it's useless. Personally I think it's like giving someone a bottle of water and telling them it's medicine. They'll only feel better because they think they've took medicine.

But anyway, just thought i'd ask what ye olde boards.ie members think of it all?

Is it a legitimate help in losing weight, smoking, depression, etc. or is it all just a load of codswallop?

AlmightyCushion · 15-06-2009 07:59PM

It's all bullshít.

*clucks like a chicken*

wudangclan · 15-06-2009 08:02PM

yes it works quite well in most cases.
check out derren brown on youtube,.not a hypnotist per se,but amazing use of the power of suggestion.

ScumLord · 15-06-2009 08:21PM

I have Derren Browns book, it can be very hit and miss and if you don't believe it, it probably wont work for you. It'll work for people that have convinced them selfs it works for them but your really just using your willpower.

minidazzler · 15-06-2009 08:31PM

I was "hypnotised" on the night of my 18th Bday. While I know it's bullsh1t I did everything the "hypnotist" told me to. I could have just not done it but I chose to. Hypnotism is simply the power of suggestion and most people will fall for whats suggested.

Blisterman · 15-06-2009 08:35PM

I downloaded a self hynosis thing for my iPhone. You can choose "Eat more healtily". "Lower stress" "Stop smoking" or a few other things.

I tried out the eat more healthily one. I turned off the lights, put on headphones and lied down to listen to it.

It's basically a mans voice saying "Eating healthy foods makes you happy" 100 times.

What a load of crap. Reading the reviews though, a lot of people claim it works, so I dunno. Either they're very gullible or it just doesn't work on me.

Mr Benevolent · 15-06-2009 08:41PM

There's a lot of crap talked about hypnosis everywhere. People get worried about it for really stupid reasons, mainly because of those moronic stage hypnotists. I've qualified as an hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner (not practicing at the moment though) and have directly experienced hypnosis working well. I see people in trance all day - while driving or thinking or having a coffee... you see them staring into space. That's hypnosis. Nothing to it, we've all experienced that state. It works, it's safe and it's always been with us.

Hypnotherapy is bullsh!t though. NLP ftw.

15-06-2009 08:44PM

KKV wrote: »

Personally I think it's like giving someone a bottle of water and telling them it's medicine. They'll only feel better because they think they've took medicine.

But the placebo effect is well documented in medicine, and regularly used by modern physicians. If hypnosis is basically an attempt to control the brain, then does it matter whether the subject is under another's control, or just thinks they are?

minidazzler wrote:

I was "hypnotised" on the night of my 18th Bday. While I know it's bullsh1t I did everything the "hypnotist" told me to. I could have just not done it but I chose to. Hypnotism is simply the power of suggestion and most people will fall for whats suggested.

How do you know? Maybe it's part of what makes hypnotism so effective, that you think you're doing it because it's your idea and you're just going along with it because you want to, but it's actually impossible to resist

dr.bollocko · 15-06-2009 08:45PM

It's a complete load of nonsense BTW. Just in case anyone was wondering.

Saibh · 15-06-2009 08:55PM

Never went to a hypnotist. Know a few who have to quit smoking. It worked for some, others it didn't.

Think it might depend on how much you believe in them.

ScumLord · 15-06-2009 09:06PM

Confab wrote: »

Hypnotherapy is bullsh!t though. NLP ftw.

NLP isn't all it's cracked up to be either. It's given more credibility than it deserves IMO. It's a good tool to have but it's not the end all and be all that some people seem to think it is.

gerrycollins · 15-06-2009 09:13PM

it cured me of smoking 40 a day in one session.

I have heard loads of other getting it done but im of the opnion that not all hypnosists are up to standard.

This guy was not cheap but i saved the money back in a few weeks not smoking and have been off them 4 years now.

so yes it works and I know a fella that used to work with me and he was "cured" of 80 a day habit in one session

biko · 15-06-2009 10:00PM

ALL GLORY TO HYPNOTOAD

EdgarAllenPoo · 15-06-2009 10:11PM

gerrycollins wrote: »

it cured me of smoking 40 a day in one session.

I have heard loads of other getting it done but im of the opnion that not all hypnosists are up to standard.

This guy was not cheap but i saved the money back in a few weeks not smoking and have been off them 4 years now.

so yes it works and I know a fella that used to work with me and he was "cured" of 80 a day habit in one session

I know two people that had it done by somone who is very well known(I'd name them but I might get banned or something) and whatever post hypnotic suggestion he used has left both of them with nightmares ever since, one hasn't smoked since(due to be irrational fear left by the post hypnotic suggestion) and the other is still on 40 a day.

Venom · 15-06-2009 11:03PM

Bah.

I figured the thread title made me think this thread was about people being made to dance like chickens

Mr Benevolent · 15-06-2009 11:06PM

GDM wrote: »

I know two people that had it done by somone who is very well known(I'd name them but I might get banned or something) and whatever post hypnotic suggestion he used has left both of them with nightmares ever since, one hasn't smoked since(due to be irrational fear left by the post hypnotic suggestion) and the other is still on 40 a day.

I know who you're talking about . He never knew what he was doing in the first place.

Blazer · 15-06-2009 11:14PM

Confab wrote: »

I know who you're talking about . He never knew what he was doing in the first place.

Always make sure you go to well recommended hypnotist...there's loads of chancers around.
Remember I went to one (after smoking 60 a day...was off them for 4 years after trying everything to give them up...was real easy..
I'm sorry now I was stupid enough to go back on them...as it's harder now to get the same motivation to get off them as I had back then.
He's based in Limerick and he's excellent if anyone ever wanted his number, pm me.

CrazyRabbit · 16-06-2009 12:26AM

Hypnosis is a greatly misunderstood term.

It's simple placing someone (or yourself) in a deeply relaxed state where you become more susceptible to suggestion. The effect is greater on some than others, and it's something you have to allow happen. Also, whilst 'hypnotised', you can't be forced to do something you would find morally objectionable.

It can be effective for some things like phobia's and helping to give up habits, but it's unlikely going to result in any drastic behavioral change.

cherryghost · 16-06-2009 12:32AM

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's all bullshít.

I sire, am a witness to being hypnotised. I volunteered myself up on stage and i lost 5 minutes of my life, I awoke to a crowd pointing and laughing at me. I never did find out what happened.

Crumble Froo · 16-06-2009 07:15AM

as a power of suggestion, and manipulating your subconscious, it does work.

you do need to open yourself to it, though. little things like sleeping, biting my nails and calming down, i have found it invaluable.

ha, actually, the biting my nails thing was quite funny, as i didnt know i had been hypnotised to do that at the time... he was mentioning a number of things, and i was doing my deep breathing/relaxation thing and my last memory was the thing before 'sleep'. apparently he mentioned sleep after that and nail biting after that. i didnt find out till 2 weeks later when i commented that i had nails for the first time since forever.

16-06-2009 07:32AM

You are getting sleepy, sleepy, sleepy!
http://hypnomark.com/images/hypnospiral.gif

Caoimhín · 16-06-2009 07:53AM

There has been some interesting research in neuroscience in the past decade which some suggest that many of our actions are involuntary. Even some of our thought processes may indeed be completely involuntary which could even suggest the absence of free will in many of our thoughts and actions.
The point is, we still dont know enough about the human brain or mind to completely rule out any effects of hypnosis. The power of suggestion on the subconscious mind is still uncharted territory and too little is known to disregard hypnosis totally.

16-06-2009 08:00AM

Some would say that millions of Americans were hypnotized by this woman late last year. What do some hypnotists say? LOOK into my eyes... LOOK into my eyes...? Well, this woman only used one eye for you to LOOK into:
http://latimes.image2.trb.com/lanews/media/photo/2008-10/42876696.jpg

Caoimhín · 16-06-2009 08:01AM

Gaud bless Mericia..

6th · 16-06-2009 08:47AM

Some of the guys over on the MAgic & Illusion forum are doing pretty well out of it. A few of us got a book by a guy in the Uk and learned how to do it, I'm nowhere near the level of the others but have had some fun with it.

Abi · 16-06-2009 10:12AM

I've never tried it. You would have to believe in it to have any effect I'd imagine.

KKV wrote: »

Just flicking through a local paper a little while ago and seen one of those hypnosis ads. "Stop smoking, lose weight" etc.

Back and forth argument ensued with my brother. He reckons there's something in it and it does work, i reckon it's useless. Personally I think it's like giving someone a bottle of water and telling them it's medicine. They'll only feel better because they think they've took medicine.

But anyway, just thought i'd ask what ye olde boards.ie members think of it all?

Is it a legitimate help in losing weight, smoking, depression, etc. or is it all just a load of codswallop?

*eye twitch*

It's taken. I'm sorry.. I couldn't help it..

/gets coat

The Mad Hatter · 16-06-2009 10:27AM

ScumLord wrote: »

NLP isn't all it's cracked up to be either. It's given more credibility than it deserves IMO. It's a good tool to have but it's not the end all and be all that some people seem to think it is.

Man, you're really following Derren Brown's line on this, aren't you? (I completely agree btw)

Hypnosis is mostly about suggestion. Good hypnotists will know how to work the power of suggestion and aspects of psychology in order to get the result you want. I wouldn't rely on just any 'hypnotherapist' who advertises in a newspaper, though. You'd want to know they were good.

Mr. Presentable · 16-06-2009 10:28AM

6th wrote: »

Some of the guys over on the MAgic & Illusion forum are doing pretty well out of it. A few of us got a book by a guy in the Uk and learned how to do it, I'm nowhere near the level of the others but have had some fun with it.

Have you made yourself invisible yet?

ShooterSF · 16-06-2009 11:03AM

The idea fascinates me. I love reading about how our minds work. You have to accept though that it's not mind control but rather powerful suggestion. If you go to a hypnotist with the mindset they can't hypnotise me I'm sure they won't.

Writing that sentence I'm weary of a similarity to psychics who claim you need to be open minded. But psychics are complete bull****.

speedboatchase · 16-06-2009 11:07AM

cherryghost wrote: »

I sire, am a witness to being hypnotised. I volunteered myself up on stage and i lost 5 minutes of my life, I awoke to a crowd pointing and laughing at me. I never did find out what happened.

Date rape?

ScumLord · 16-06-2009 11:28AM

Mathew Reilly wrote: »

Always make sure you go to well recommended hypnotist...there's loads of chancers around.

Their all chancers even the best of them, once they hold them selfs up to be "experts" I'd automatically lose allot of respect for their ability's.

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

Man, you're really following Derren Brown's line on this, aren't you? (I completely agree btw)

He's very honest and open about it and humble despite his talents, but I had read a book on NLP before I read his book and found it very disappointing allot of it was just common sense and positive thinking, the only new thing in the book was the thing about the eyes.

Hypnosis - Anything to it?

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