Hypnosis and the Human Mind

Though a subject put under hypnosis seems to take on the peculiarity of a person asleep, they are in reality extremely alert. Hypnosis is extremely tricky to describe, as nobody truly knows what is taking place inside the mind of a hypnotized subject. What we do know is that while in trance state the hypnotic subject becomes pretty suggestible. A subject`s attention, whilst they are going into hypnosis, is narrowed down progressively. Firstly, the sense of sight is lost as the subject is told to close their eyes. After a little while it is not unusual for the subject to lose full awareness of their body. Though one by one the senses are little by little slipping away, one sense is greatly enhanced by the process of induction. This is the sense of hearing. A subject under hypnosis can repeatedly hear vague sounds that they wouldn`t be able to hear in the standard waking state. This, obviously, means that during the whole process the subject can hear all the things that the hypnotist may say. When you begin inducing trance state in people you will frequently find that after awakening the hypnotic subject, they will consider they could not have been put under hypnosis as they could still hear your voice. The delusion that they won`t be able to hear your voice often comes from those persons who suppose hypnosis to be the same as sleep.

A person in the hypnotic state is exceedingly suggestible. One of the reasons for this is that, while in the hypnosis state, you are just able to concentrate on only one thing at a time. For example, if I were to tell you that you are a graceful ballerina, you would straightaway compare this hypnotic suggestion with what you already know to be valid, and, lest of course you are a ballerina, you would tell me I am talking nonsense. The hypnotised subject though is not able to entertain the thought that they might not be what I have suggested, as their partial attention is taken up by the thought that they are essentially a pretty ballerina. The outcome, as desired, ends in the hypnotic subject jumping to their feet to execute a series of pirouettes across the stage.

The human mind is split into two astonishingly different sections. The conscious mind, which is accountable for all our conscious thoughts and decisions, and the subconscious mind, which controls 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 sort of protector; it secures our body and helps us to survive.

Although our subconscious can do numeroustasks that consciously may be unachievable, it also has one truly essential feature. Somewhere between our two minds is what we call the critical factor. This is undoubtedly best depicted as a door, at which is a guardian. Our subconscious mind will process anything that enters it no matter how strange. So, as long as you can get a suggestion through the door it will be adhered to. This is precisely the reason why hypnosis works. The guardian's door can be thoughtlessly opened while we are under hypnosis.