Category: Psychology
“You are feeling sleepy – very sleepy,” the surgeon said as he inserted the needle into the patient’s flesh. The patient was not anesthetized but instead, he was hypnotized and he felt nothing. How did that happen?
Questions started to whirl in my head as I continued reading the Reader’s Digest magazine in my hand. I stumbled upon several true to life stories and news reports about hypnotism, which caused me to develop a keen interest about it. So, it was because of this that I decided to do a research about hypnotism in our Communication 2 class. I started to visit websites, magazines and spent hours in the library to have a background information since I have a very little idea about hypnotism.
I found out that hypnosis is a method of alternative healing. It is a simple, natural state of focused concentration that can allow us to use our own tapped resources to overcome our bad habits and feed ourselves positive images that can have a profound impact on our everyday lives. We can do hypnosis with a therapist or we can do it ourselves, a technique called self-hypnosis.No one knows why, but hypnosis does seem to work for certain conditions. Scientists speculate that they clearly occur because of the connections between the mind and the body. Suggestions have the capacity to affect all the systems and organs of the body in a variety of ways.
Scientists also believe that most illnesses are rooted from the subconscious problems of the mind rather than from actual infections or injuries. According to Dr. Dabney Ewin, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Louisiana State University, “ In almost every medical problem people have, there is a significant overlay of anxiety and tension”. This is why hypnotism was found very effective in boosting athletic performance, like in the case of Mary Lou Retton. Time Magazine reported that Mary Lou Retton, an Olympic gymnast, do visualization before her events to achieve top performance, which is a form of self-hypnotism. Mary Lou always perfectly imagined in her mind her gymnastic routines and developed a positive attitude that she would win the game. The results, of course, were great performances accompanied by gold medals, prestige and wealth. When she was asked what could she advise the all the other athletes and aspiring athletes, she just smiled and said, “It is all down to the power of thought”.
Hypnotism was also effective in losing weight, developing positive outlook in life, stopping smoking and use of drugs, reducing pain, preparing people for anesthesia and enhancing memory and mind power. It can also be used for overcoming fears and phobias, eliminating emotional problem and depressions, overcoming insomnia, overcoming inferiority, and anxiety and other character disorders. It was also very helpful in treating psychosomatic diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure, impotence and migraine.
How does it work? Hypnotism works by the power of suggestion. While in a hypnotic trance, the client accepts everything the therapist suggests. The positive ideas and images in turn will be stored in his mind. So by the power of his mind and by thinking positively, the body is likely to follow. For example, the therapist might suggest a person with insomnia that he will be able to sleep peacefully through the night etc.
Hypnotism, if used properly, can therefore be helpful in healing psychosomatic illnesses that might affect us. Although very useful, it should go hand in hand with proper medical attention, a positive outlook in life and a strong faith in God, our creator.
Written By: Lani Diana Santos
Date: 2002
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