Hypnosis

[The Truth]

Is it real or fake?

[Taraz]

Depends on what you mean. But broadly, yes hypnosis is very real.

[Woolygimp]

There is no clear cut answer to your question as it's both real and fake.

Real in that people can be put into a relaxed suggestive state.
Fake in that hypnosis isn't accurate with the definition perceived by the average person. You cannot hypnotize someone and then go tell them to kill a koala, unless that person has a deep down morbid desire to kill one anyway.

People in hypnosis know what's going on and they are entirely conscious perhaps not completely lucid.
The reason it only works on 20% of the population, is the other 80% don't want to 'play along'.

[Taraz]

[ QUOTE ]
There is no clear cut answer to your question as it's both real and fake.

Real in that people can be put into a relaxed suggestive state.
Fake in that hypnosis isn't accurate with the definition perceived by the average person. You cannot hypnotize someone and then go tell them to kill a koala, unless that person has a deep down morbid desire to kill one anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would agree with all of the above.

[ QUOTE ]

People in hypnosis know what's going on and they are entirely conscious perhaps not completely lucid.
The reason it only works on 20% of the population, is the other 80% don't want to 'play along'.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is not completely true. Being hypnotized is more than "playing along". Read some studies on the analgesic power of hypnosis. If people are just "playing along" do you think that they can just turn off excruciating pain and physical addictions? That would seem like a very bold claim.

[kerowo]

It's real but not as "real" as TV shows would make you believe.

[The Truth]

How can I hypnotize myself or one of my friends? Is there an easy way?

[Taraz]

[ QUOTE ]
How can I hypnotize myself or one of my friends? Is there an easy way?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are lots of self hypnosis techniques. You could probably also hypnotize your friends if they really wanted to be hypnotized and you learned how to do it. Just do a google search.

I wouldn't expect to be able to do all that much though. You're not going to be able to make the average person bark like a dog or anything like that. Basically most of what you'll get is deep relaxation.

[yukoncpa]

Hey Taraz, or anyone

Please solve an old bet. A room mate of mine swore that under hypnoses, people could remember the license plate numbers of long ago cars from 10 or 20 years ago. He said there have been studies demonstrating this. I call B.S. I said, that hypnoses may relax a person and serve as an aid to memory, but that it couldn’t cause a person to remember some obscure detail from 20 years ago, and that any detail remembered would likely just be made up to give the hypnotist the answer he wants. Also, I figure the hypnotized person may well believe and swear it's a real memory, when it's not.

Who’s right?

[Taraz]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Taraz, or anyone

Please solve an old bet. A room mate of mine swore that under hypnoses, people could remember the license plate numbers of long ago cars from 10 or 20 years ago. He said there have been studies demonstrating this. I call B.S. I said, that hypnoses may relax a person and serve as an aid to memory, but that it couldn’t cause a person to remember some obscure detail from 20 years ago, and that any detail remembered would likely just be made up to give the hypnotist the answer he wants. Also, I figure the hypnotized person may well believe and swear it's a real memory, when it's not.

Who’s right?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never heard of anything like that. I have heard about uncovering repressed memories and things of that sort, but nothing about specific details that wouldn't have any emotional salience to them.

I wouldn't really believe his claim unless he pointed me to the studies he's talking about. I'll do a quick search to see what I can find.

[Ringo]

I don't buy it.

Obviously stage hypnosis is different - give an extrovert a stage and an audience, and they'll play up to it. I read it was similar to "karaoke syndrom". Give them a microphone and a crowd, and they'll be up there thinking/acting like they're Celine Dion.

As for "clinical" hypnosis, I've seen nothing to convince me it's anything other than role-playing. The so called anesthetic properties, where people have undergone operations using no anesthetic are pretty unconvincing too. A lot of operations in the past were done with the "grit your teeth and bear it" method. It's probably not pleasant, but nothing close to evidence for the powers of hypnosis. Lets see someone use hypnosis whilst getting root-canal treatment or their wisdom teeth removed.

[Taraz]

[ QUOTE ]

I don't buy it.

Obviously stage hypnosis is different - give an extrovert a stage and an audience, and they'll play up to it. I read it was similar to "karaoke syndrom". Give them a microphone and a crowd, and they'll be up there thinking/acting like they're Celine Dion.

As for "clinical" hypnosis, I've seen nothing to convince me it's anything other than role-playing. The so called anesthetic properties, where people have undergone operations using no anesthetic are pretty unconvincing too. A lot of operations in the past were done with the "grit your teeth and bear it" method. It's probably not pleasant, but nothing close to evidence for the powers of hypnosis. Lets see someone use hypnosis whilst getting root-canal treatment or their wisdom teeth removed.

[/ QUOTE ]

So what would convince you even? Clinical trials on hypnosis as an analgesic don't convince you. The American Psychological Association's position on it doesn't convince you. What would it take?