We might not think about it much, but all
of us undergo hypnosis
all the time. Indeed, we are often under hypnosis
when our bodies need:
1.Undergoing deep rest
2. Speeding up our natural healing processes
3. Controlling pain
4. Increasing Performance under emergency/dangerous
situations
As most of us know, hypnosis is a state of intensified
concentration wherein the critical /analytical factor
of the conscious mind is bypassed, and suggestions
are more readily, yet selectively, are accepted.
Under hypnosis, a lot of our mental, emotional,
and physical abilities can be enhanced, erased,
magnified or modified in many ways. Hypnosis is
regularly used to: control pain, modify habits,
overcome addictions, control moods, improve memory,
hallucinate, run faster and lift more weight, to
name a few.
1. Undergoing Deep Rest
Under this form of hypnosis, we allow certain parts
of the brain- the parts that don't rest even while
we are asleep - to finally rest. To understand this
more clearly, let us go back to the time that man
was more like the animals in the jungle. When an
animal, (and we are, fundamentally, animals too),
is under no danger from predators, fed, satisfied,
and feels secure, it will sometimes go under a tree
or in a cave, rest and drift into hypnosis.
In this state, certain parts of the subconscious
mind (that don't normally get to rest even during
sleep)-will get some well-needed rest of which is
also a very powerful physical rest too.
Professional hypnotists estimate that one hour of
this hypnosis equals approximately eight to ten
hours of normal sleep.
2. Speeding Up Our Natural Healing Processes
When an animal is badly injured and has, for example,
broken it's leg, the muscles around the injury constrict
and harden in order to protect the injured area.
This is beneficial, but also problematic. The constriction
restricts the blood flow to the injured area and
thus slows the healing. The constriction also add
to the pain at a time when the feeling of pain is
needed to caution the injured animal. But, when
the animal has retreated into its den to heal, it
goes into hypnosis constituting powerful physical
and mental relaxation. The muscles around the injury
relax, the blood vessels loosen up and the healing
blood flow increases. Hypnosis also causes such
increased relaxation that more of the energies of
the body and brain can be channeled and directed
toward healing process. Some people from India and
the mountains of Tibet claim that they can completely
control their blood flow and direct it anywhere
in their body under hypnosis. This can speed up
healing even more.
3. Controlling Pain
An animal that breaks its leg, initially will go
into a very deep state of shock/hypnosis. Just at
the injury time, the animal will not feel any pain
so it can try to reach a safe place. After a time,
the pain returns in order to signal the body the
need to rest, repair it self and keep the animal
still. Similarly, we know that people under hypnosis
can reduce or even eliminate their pain at will.
Indeed, some hospitals have even operated on hypnotized
people without anesthesia.
The patient does not feel any pain and some think
that this is not a function that has been preprogrammed
by God/Nature into our subconscious mind, but solely
our own "invention".
4. Increasing Performance Under Emergency /
Dangerous Situations
Let us, for a moment, imagine an emergency or dangerous
situation in which a cat chases and pounces upon
a mouse. At the initial shock, the mouse goes into
a very deep state of hypnosis. In order to survive,
the mouse will need very deep concentration, magnified
physical and mental abilities, an increased ability
to focus, magnified senses and better pain control.
All of this and more will come to the naturally
hypnotized mouse by the emergency and that is why
it has been preprogrammed into animal's subconscious
mind (mouse and human alike). Think of a mouse that
stiffens its body in order to survive vigorous shaking
by the cat. This is very much like the stiffening
that stage hypnotists get volunteers to demonstrate.
Conclusion:
Why is hypnosis available to us? - What is it for"?
- Do we all have it? Yes! I believe that we have
taken this natural ability and harnessed its benefits,
for healing, better self control, and even for such
new areas as entertainment, forensic hypnosis, sport
performances and much more.
