Discussion Has anyone here ever been hypnotised?

[Forever Sleep]

How did it feel? Were you still aware but, not fully in control? Would you want to be hypnotised? Would you want it used as a form of therapy or, for fun?

There used to be a TV show in the UK that had a host hypnotise members of the audience to do all sorts:



I suppose, being cynical, I sometimes used to wonder whether it could be a hoax. I find it interesting though- don't you? That the mind can possibly be hijacked- as it were- at all.

The host I'm sure is genuine though. He later turned his skills to helping people overcome addiction, trauma etc. I probably read most of his self help books at one point or another.

But, would you be willing to potentially make a fool out of yourself under hypnosis? I don't think I would. Even if I wasn't fully conscious at the time, the embarassment of knowing I was a spectacle afterwards would be off putting. I actually admire people who don't mind. Who are happy to play the fool- consciously or not, for entertainment. I'm too self conscious though. Maybe it would feel good to be hypnotised not to be for a while though.

I also think it's interesting that supposedly, some people are more susceptible to it than others. My Grandpa was conscripted in the Second World War. One evening, they hired a hypnotist to entertain the troops and, for whatever reason, my Grandpa didn't/ couldn't go under. So, that's interesting. What makes some minds more influenceable than others I wonder.

 

[WhatCouldHaveBeen32]

Nah, it's most likely fake, I pretended for like 2 minutes and then got bored and outright told the therapist to try something else since I'm just messing with them.

 

[Dejected 55]

No.

Also, I'd be very surprised if it is real. I figure all the performative ones are always fake. Any time there's an audience, the old rules of performance magic are in play and anyone brought up "randomly" from the audience is most likely a plant.

As for use in therapy, that's harder to tell... because it's typically one on one, so no audience... so why would the patient fake it? But if it is a taped session, then it could be staged by the "patient" for that purpose... I've never known someone who claimed to be hypnotized, so either that is proof that it is all fake... or I jave no real basis to say one way or the other.

 

[Pluto]

 

[Scythe]

I'd want to see if I can be hypnotized, both short term hypnosis and long term hypnosis, since I believe I set counter-meassures against hypnosis in my head.

I feel skeptical towards stage hypnosis too, it's basically mind control and I don't believe that's possible unless it's over a long period of time and/or aided with drugs.

Also I feel like CBT is a kind of hypnosis because it rewires your brain to behave "correctly".

 

[Forveleth]

I think I am too anxious to be hypnotized. Saw a comedy show with a hypnotist once. It was hilarious. Got to talk to one of the people afterwards who had been to multiple shows. He said the first time he did not remember a thing but this time he remembered the whole show. He said it is kind of like being drunk in that your inhibitions are not there. The hypnotist tells you to do something and you are so relaxed you just do it. Would be interesting to experience, I think.

 

[Zardoz]

Paul McKenna is probably not fake. He's very famous in the UK. Bit cheesy, interested in promoting his book sales as much as anything. Some of TV work might be staged, granted.

Also check out Derren Brown, another UK 'mind controlist'.
He says his work is a mixture of mind control (hypnosis I suppose), and illusion (stage 'magic').
He has a long career of live and TV shows, 'experiments' in mind control, etc.
In his various TV series he has 'brainwashed' people into thinking they are committing murder, robbing banks etc for real from their point of view.
Never been but his his live shows are very popular too.
Good stuff.

Derren Brown - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org