A Layman's Guide to Hypnosis

Although a hypnotized subject appears to take on the characteristics of a person asleep, they are in reality very observant. Hypnosis is extremely difficult to depict, as nobody in fact knows what is going on inside the mind of a subject under hypnosis. What we do know is that whilst in trance state the subject becomes truly suggestible. A subject`s attention, while they are going into hypnosis, is narrowed down gradually. Firstly, the sense of sight is lost as the hypnotic subject is asked to close their eyes. After some time it is not surprising for the subject to lose entire responsiveness of their body. Even though one by one the senses are bit by bit slipping away, one sense is to a great extent enhanced by the process of induction. This is the sense of hearing. A subject put under hypnosis can regularly hear obscure sounds that they wouldn`t be able to hear in the typical waking state. This, of course, means that through the whole process the subject can easily hear everything that the hypnotist may say. When you begin to induce trance state in people you will frequently find that after awakening the hypnotic subject, they will suppose they could not have been hypnotized as they could still hear your voice. The mistaken belief that they will not be able to hear your voice often comes from those subjects who consider hypnosis to be the same as sleep.

A person in the hypnosis state is exceedingly susceptible to suggestion. One of the reasons for this is that, while in the state of hypnosis, you are only able to concentrate on only one thing at a time. For instance, if I were to tell you that you are a dainty ballerina, you would instantly compare this suggestion with what you already know to be genuine, and, lest of course you are a ballerina, you would tell me I am talking nonsense. The hypnotised subject then again is not able to entertain the thought that they might not be what I have suggested, as their inadequate focus is taken up by the thought that they are essentially a delicate ballerina. The end result, as desired, ends in the subject hopping to their feet to perform a series of pirouettes across the stage.

The human mind is split into two pretty distinctive sections. The conscious mind, which is responsible for all our conscious thoughts and decisions, and the subconscious mind, which regulates our autonomous activity. The mind can be best called a computer, the subconscious as the processor and the conscious as the monitor and keyboard. Our subconscious mind is a kind of guardian; it watches over our body and helps us to stay alive.

Although our subconscious can do varioustasks that consciously may be impossible, it also has one astonishingly basic feature. Somewhere between our two minds is what we call the critical factor. This is probably best illustrated as a door, at which is a protector. Our subconscious mind will process anything that enters it no matter how uncanny. So, as long as you can push a suggestion through the door it will be adhered to. This is precisely why hypnosis works. The guardian's door can be uncaringly opened while we are under hypnosis.

Milos Pesic is a professional hypnotist who runs a highly popular and comprehensive
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