With hypnosis people generally fall into two camps: They either feel utterly disbelieving and sceptical or at best, believe that hypnosis can have a profound affect resulting in resolution or a different perspective on any given thing, as a result of the interaction between the hypnotised person and the other (be it therapist, a CD, or indeed their own self determined inner thoughts).
Originally, I come from the camp where I once had limited knowledge or experience of hypnosis. I was happy to be less sceptical than most but never-the-less, I would try and notice the flaws when watching hypnosis ‘stage shows’ where the few ‘victims’ on the stage provided a theatre full and me watching telly, a rip roaring laugh!
I believe that unfortunately those very shows discredit the value that hypnosis can offer.
Whilst doing my hypnosis training at University College London, I was introduced to respectable scientific research, which until then I had been cynical about. However, having seen how ‘proper’ research is undertaken I have gained immense respect for it, so you can imagine my delight when I read this article on the BBC news website:
The research was conducted using MRI scans to determine brain activity between a group that was highly hypnotizable and a group that were not highly hypnotizable but just felt relaxed. The research suggested that both groups listen to a non-existent piece of music in their mind, but what they weren’t told was that the research and MRI scan was more interested in the brain activity, when there was no task set, in between activities, in the rest period between instructions…and what was shown was there is a reduced daydreaming activity in the hypnotised group.
This suggests that, the brain whilst in a state of hypnosis, is free to concentrate on the task (imagining the music), whilst the daydreaming or “wandering” aspect of the brain is reduced between tasks. As these brain patterns were only seen in the highly hypnotised group and not the relaxed group this illustrates that the changes were indeed due to hypnosis and not plain relaxation.
Dr Michael Heap, a clinical forensic psychologist based in Sheffield said “the experiment was unique in showing brain patterns supporting the theory that hypnosis works by “priming” the subject to respond more effectively to suggestions and by shutting off the parts of the brain linked with daydreaming or letting the mind wander, which leaves the brain free to concentrate on other tasks.”
“Importantly the data confirms that relaxation is not a critical factor.”
Do go to: BBC Article: Hypnosis Has Real Brain Effect
Study leader Dr William McGeown, a lecturer in the department of psychology, said the results were unequivocal because they only occurred in the highly suggestible subjects.
“This shows that the changes were due to hypnosis and not just simple relaxation. “Our study shows hypnosis is real.”
One of my lecturers a prominent researcher in hypnosis at the UCL hypnosis unit Professor David Oakley, also used MRI brain imaging during one of his pieces of research and looked at the difference between three groups. A hypnotised group; a relaxed group and a group purely using their imagination.
Each group was asked to do a task, the task was holding a heat rod. The relaxed group were given a real heat rod to hold and the ‘imagination’ group were given the suggestion that the heat rod they were holding was hot…when, in reality, it wasn’t, then their brain activity was scanned. The hypnotised group were set the task of imagining their hand becoming hot by the imagined rays of the sun.
The results were groundbreaking and demonstrated that the activity in the brain was surprisingly similar in the ‘real’ group and the ‘hypnotised’ group but different to the ‘imagination’ group, suggesting that what is experienced in hypnosis feels as if real! Fantastic! I haven’t done the research justice, so do read the research, by following the link:
http://www.hypnosisunituk.com/assets/files/Oakley2005.pdf
Why on earth would TOP athletes use hypnosis as part of their training?…by practicing going through their races, it actually feels real, whilst they are doing it in hypnosis. It also actually improves their performance after using hypnosis to practice their sport on a regular basis.
Try it…!!!!! Why not order one of our CD’s or MP3 downloads and see for yourself and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do let us know!!!! by clicking on the comments option under your chosen title and tell us what you experience.
I look forward to hearing from you all…Have a great week!
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