What Happens In A Mesmerized Mind?

What actually happens when one is “in hypnosis?”

Even as a trained hypnotist, the answer to that question has not always been clear. In fact psychology is not really clear about what hypnosis is, or how it works.

But if you are curious (I was) you will be interested to read this article. And hey – the author (Susan Gaidos) is even from Maine! Very interesting stuff – especially the part about medical researchers being able to use “virtual patients” because of hypnotic interventions. I repeat – very cool!

Check this out:

The Mesmerized Mind (click to read full article)

Mention hypnosis, and the image that springs to mind is a caped magician swinging a pocket watch, seducing otherwise sensible people into barking like dogs.

But hypnosis is more than a stage show act. For years, psychologists have used it to help patients calm preflight jitters, get a good night’s sleep or chuck a cigarette habit. Hypnosis even has uses in mainstream medicine for reducing the side effects of cancer treatments and helping patients cope with pain. Some physicians routinely employ hypnosis as an adjunct to mainstream anesthesia to help block pain during surgery or childbirth.

Most recently, hypnosis has advanced from stage and clinic into the laboratory. It is now used as a research tool to temporarily create hallucinations, compulsions, delusions and certain types of seizures in the lab so that these phenomena can be investigated in detail.

Related posts:

1. What Is Hypnosis?