The Resolution to Try Hypnotic Journaling

So here it is, 2008. There always seems to be a little sadness in leaving the old year behind us, but maybe that is part of the magic of moving forward.

I suspect the blogisphere is full of new resolutions this morning and it seems like a prime opportunity to create a list of some sort. But I am not today. Rather, I will let you in on my resolution. As a hypnotist, this is a popular time to tout the ideas of change since everyone seems primed to do so. Instead of coming up of one of many things to change, I am resolved this year to do something I have wanted to do for awhile. As mentioned yesterday, I am going to use 2008 as a ground for experimentation. I am going to go through the various process out there in the world that tout evolving the self, creating a peaceful consciousness, moving forward form the static. The new blog is being ready (have you suggested a name for it?).

My first exploration involves hypnosis, how could it not? We will be delving into Sophie Nicholls' Hypnotic Journaling: Learn powerful creative journaling techniques that will help you to explore yourself and your feelings in just five days. Sounds like the perfect beginning point for a blog. It is also easily accessible in an ebook format, so if any of you want to do this with me, please consider doing so. To learn more about this book, Sophie, or to purchase it, visit her web site at www.hypnoticjournaling.com. She has also agreed to be present during the process, so this is really exciting.

Here are her four key points for why one would be interested in her process:

1. If you’re the kind of person who wants to break free from old habits and limited patterns of thinking, this book will help you to do just that.
2. If you’ve already discovered the secrets of self-hypnosis as a powerful tool for personal transformation, but you’re always on the look out for new techniques, then this is the book for you.
3. If you love to write but never quite know how to begin, this is the book for you.
4. If there’s an issue or situation that you feel you’d like to work through, privately, in your own time, then you can start that process right now, even if it’s the middle of the night, by downloading Hypnotic Journaling.

The time frame:
I am deciding on blog titles until this Thursday.
On Friday, I hope to unveil the new blog.
I hope to begin Hypnotic Journaling next Monday.

Just How Analytical Are You?

When you think to yourself, do you want a cup of coffee because it is warm and comforting or do you want a cup of tea because it is refreshing, your decision is based on a series of analytical processes. For instance, I am drinking tea this morning because my analytic prowess's say that I am too lazy to make a pot of coffee. LOL.

When I learned about various hypnotism theories, it was stressed that there is an analytical scale on which everyone can be charted. Finding out a client's place on this chart would help the hypnotist know what sort of induction to use that would benefit the client. If the client was found to be very analytic, relaxing in general might be difficult for that person, so progressive relaxation would not be the best way to begin to bring about a state of hypnosis.

The Analytical Scale
On one side of the analytical scale is a person who is a hundred percent analytical, which seems to mean totally rational and not so prone to uses of the imagination. On the other side is the exact opposite of this. It is a person who is extremely creative and very imaginative. Often this is shown as a line chart, but I think the idea of scale is much better. A scale has to balance and it creates a whole. In a line chart, this does not matter and so how can a person be balanced?

Testing for the Analytic Client
Sounds ominous, does it not? Really, it is very simple stuff that is more fun than not. This sort of thing may also be called testing for hypnotizability (is that even a word?), which is often done during stage hypnosis shows. Perhaps you have seen or experienced the whole "clasping your hands together and not being able to separate them" phenomenon?

The Old Balloon and Sand Bag Test
One of the most famous test is that of closing your eyes, holding your arms straight out in front of the body, one palm turned up and the other down. Imagine or think about a balloon being tied to the wrist of the hand that is facing upwards. It is light and airy and begins to pull that arm upwards. Now, on the other wrist facing downwards, a bag of sand is looped over it and the weight drags the arm down. Mind you, the hypnotist guides you through this, also employing his or her voice to give the suggestions of the balloon pulling the arm up and the bag of sand pulling the other down. You are then asked to open your eyes and look at your arms. If the balloon arm is higher than then the sand one, it is believed that you are able to bypass the analytic side of your mind and use your imagination to image the weight changes. If your arms remained the same, it may mean that your analytic mind kicked in and said something to the affect of "there is no balloon or bag of sand, so why move the arms?"

So, what does this all mean? If the hypnotist believes that you are more analytical, the suggestion work of the session with revolve around giving your conscious mind tasks to focus on and occupy it while the hypnotist inputs the suggestions.

Also, confusion may be added into the mix on purpose to help bring about a new state of consciousness. What these procedures do is more of less catch you off guard and move you rapidly into a hypnotic state. They work on an element of surprise. Another confusion techniques is to overload the conscious mind to a point where it basically gives up critical thought processes and essentially takes a coffee break.

Where Words Fail
Some hypnotist use a form of hypnosis they term analytical hypnosis. To the transparent hypnotist, this would mean using the idea of keeping the mind focused on certain activities to create change. However, in researching this a bit, it sounds more like a hypnotherapy process of analysis, rather than analytic process. So, I will not be discussing "analytical" hypnosis because I disagree with the terminology, though I may cover the same concepts under a different title.

What say you?

Potential of Using Hypnosis with Deep Brain Stimulation

As a hypnotist I occasionally run into things that I would rather not know. This ranges from people growing up in abusive households to certain medical procedures. Just the idea of these procedures is enough to turn my blood cold, but then I have to remind myself I am too far into this to turn my back on a few queasy moments.

Today is a case in point. I had a consultation with a young woman whose mother is dealing with Parkinson's disease. It is not so much the disease that requires my services but to assist with another therapeutic procedure called Deep Brain Stimulation (this is the part I almost would rather not know about). According to an article on Bettercare.com about Parkinson's disease, this procedure is a form of brain surgery, where electrodes are implanted into areas of the brain to stimulate it. A battery runs this and is placed under the skin in the patient's chest. The battery creates electrical signals. These signals are there to block any abnormal nerve signals that cause the Parkinson tremors.

From what the daughter tells me, her mother has the same reaction I have to this therapy. It sounds great, but I would not want to go through it - neither does she. However, she has read about hypnosis as being a possible way to get through the treatment (that and from the recent post about hypnosis used for anesthesiology for tonsillectomies). If the treatment works out, it will be the difference between living with her family or living in nursing homes for the rest of her existance, not to mention the symptoms of Parkinson's, as well.

So, the next step will involve me meeting with her and if she feels good about me, we will go forward by discussing with her doctor the potential of her using hypnosis to get through the procedure.

A Question of Formality

Here I am, back again, coffee in hand, Cinnamon bread baking in the oven and a few moments to spend with you. As you may be aware, on this blog, we are slowly exploring the various forms of hypnosis. We have covered the concepts of traditional hypnosis and have begun exploring elements within it (that may also be used in other forms of hypnosis as well). One of these elements is the intake form and/or process.

Here is the question:

From your viewpoint what are the most important things a hypnotist should include on the intake form or intake process and why?

To Recline or Not Recline

Is there a perfect chair out there for doing hypnosis? I have begun to doubt it. What I think instead is that there is a perfect chair for each client, and it is luck of the draw if yours happens to be it. When it comes to my trsuty recliner, I have gotten everything from this recliner is perfect. This recliner is too big. This recliner is too soft. This recliner needs to recline more. And oh, I think I will just lie on the floor.

When I was going to school to learn hypnosis, we sat in hard uncomfortable chairs that did not recline in the slightest, and you know, the hypnosis worked as well as any done in the best recliners. (When I was in school, I had to walk fifty miles on bare feet, through snow...)

This had led me to remember my hypno massage I had back in May. It was pretty amazing. So, here is my latest thought - would one of those massage chairs like the Human Touch HT 7450 Zero Gravity Massage Chair be a good for hypnosis sessions? Might it provide a sense of comfort for some and could one time a session to coordinate with the chair's various settings and cycles?

I know I could go to massage therapy school, but it is just not for me, but the chair could be an interesting addition to an office setting. Any thoughts?

Talking Intake

He snickers, skips the questions on page two and hands back my intake form. I glance at it and hand it back, smiling at the skipped questions. He sighs and begins to answer them, every so often moaning about how hard they are. Sounds like an exam, does it not? Hardly. What he is moaning about is answering the questions about what peacefulness means to him or perhaps he does not feel like divulging his phobias.

In talking about hypnosis sessions in general, there are a few things that are fairly basic. The intake form or process is a big part of the session itself and provides a guiding focus for the hypnotist. It sounds elementary and maybe so, but there is an art to the intake. Whether the client fills out the form or the hypnotist ask questions and notes them, this is not just a formality. These questions help clients to pinpoint what it is that they want to work on and gives insight that the hypnotist can use to help in relaxation processes (such as taking the client to their own particular peaceful place and doing so with words that are familiar to the client - their own). Some intakes are more in depth than others. They may ask several potential questions that seem ultra personal, but again they point to clues that the hypnotist can use.

I once read someone's intake that asked specifically about a person's sexual preference. At first it seemed a little like privacy invasion, but the reason for it was sound. Say the client is wanting to work on intimacy in a relationship and part of the session includes focusing on the partner, if the hypnotist makes an assumption, the whole session may be a no go because the partner was described in the wrong sex.

So here are two questions for you out there.

Hypnotist - do you ask enough questions to get a true picture of the client?
Clients or potential clients - do you feel the intake forms you have filled out ask things that make you uncomfortable?

Hypnotist - do not be afraid to ask everything you need to know. Just be ready to explain why it will help you to know the items on your intake form.
Clients - do not be afraid to ask the hypnotist why he or she wants to know something, if it makes you uncomfortable.

A Definition of Hypnosis

Before going into lengthy diatribes about the various forms of hypnosis, I thought it might be fun to get a general definition.

What is Hypnosis?

Some might say this is a tough question. Merriam-Webster defines hypnosis as:

a trancelike state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject...

Nice. Cut and dry, yes? No. What exactly is a "trancelike state"? What does "induce" mean? Wait. Backtrack again to the word "state." Whoa Nellie.

Confused? It could be really easy to become confused when grappling with subjects of consciousness and the brain. Suffice to say, we are still learning what really goes on in the mind, which I suppose, is akin to the mystery of life.

To simplify or better yet - Ellie's Definition of hypnosis:

hypnosis is all about using suggestions to create some form of inner change, whether long-term or short-term.

Now one could take this farther and use the word "state" from the Merriam-Webster's definition, but again this gets fuzzy. There are a few different camps of hypnosis theory. One says that hypnosis is a "state of mind" or an "altered-state of consciousness." Another says it is focused concentration and expectation that create the results. Personally, I believe the answer is found in both. Focused concentration means putting your mind in a certain "state" of consciousness. The two go hand in hand. I suspect later we may need to devote sometime to delve into this more (and feel free, as always to leave you thoughts on this).

But for now, you have my definition, which may help clarify the perspective in which my words revolve on this blog.

An Ongoing List of Forms of Hypnosis

Last I week I mentioned we would be talking about the various forms of hypnosis, and guess what - we are. It is not something that can go in one post, but is going to take some time. Also, please feel free to jump in the comment section to voice your thoughts, opinions, and questions. It would be great if we could get a definitive list of types of hypnosis, but it seems to be ever growing and changing.

Here is a basic list of what comes to my mind this Tuesday morning:

• Traditional Hypnosis
• Authoritative Hypnosis
• Permissive Hypnosis
  
• Conversational Hypnosis
  
• Clinical Hypnosis
• Scripted Hypnosis
• Self-hypnosis
• Interactive Hypnosis
• Regression
• Parts Therapy
• Manchester Protocol
• North Carolina Protocol
• Theatrical Hypnosis
• Ericksonian Hypnosis
• Neuro-Linguistic Programming (I am torn on this one - I am not so sure that it should be considered hypnosis, as it is its own thing, but it is used in hypnosis...any thoughts?)
• Distance Hypnosis
• Emotional Freedom Technique (again this is its own thing, but is sometimes used in hypnosis)
• Forensic Hypnosis
• Emergency Hypnosis
• Non-verbal Hypnosis
  
• Group Hypnosis
• Driving Hypnosis
  
• Covert Hypnosis
• Media Hypnosis
• Tapping (this is more technique, but I think it counts)

Again, this is just what comes to my mind on my first cup of tea. I really would like to keep the list going, so please do add to it.

Answering the Question - Is All Hypnosis Equal

The thing about hypnosis that I think many people do not understand is that there are several different forms of it. This can be frustrating as a client because it may not be clear what the session will actually be like and from a hypnotist standpoint it makes it difficult when we look at studies to know what hypnotic procedure was used to get the response.

As hypnotists we are always finding ourselves explaining to people that hypnosis is not what you see on TV. There seems to be this mythic place people want to go to, almost wanting to be put into a zombie state and come out of it "fixed." It is never this way. There may be pendulums, pocket watched, swirlies, sounds, or words. But how the hypnotist proceeds can also vary. In other words you could go to two different hypnotist and have a completely different experience for the same issue.

This ultimately means that as long as you want to be hypnotized, it is possible. Just because you may have trouble with one hypnotist, does not mean you will have the same experience with another practitioner.

For the next little while, in addition to our regular segments (Esoteric Saturday, the Sunday Question, the Monday Poll, 10 Questions, and In the News), along with happenings in the practice, we will begin to look at the various forms of hypnosis that are practiced out in the world.

Hypnosis as a Cure

Yesterday I blogged about IBS and a study that found great success with using hypnosis as a cure. Yes, the source actually used the word "cure." Then of course, I found the usual medical sites saying that hypnosis can help eliminate the symptoms, but it does not "cure." Normally, the later just irritates me a little and I go about my day. But not today.

I guess it depends your school of thought on whether hypnosis is a cure or not. I suspect that those in the medical fields or organizations that more represent doctors and psychologist, one would probably say that hypnosis is not a cure, but a tool in complimentary medicine. I give you that, it is a great tool used in complimentary situations. But I think it can also be a cure, especially in cases where the client has eliminated or worked through some psychological concept that was creating a physical effect. But I can understand that this might be a threat to traditional medicine (or at least some pharmaceuticals).

Do I think it can always be a cure? No. It depends on the issue and the client. And as I say that, here is the paradox, though hypnosis can cause a curative outcome, it is the client who creates the cure. It is the client's work, mind, thoughts, and connection with his or her subconscious mind that brings about the result. Hypnosis is the vehicle in this case. So maybe when other's say hypnosis is not a cure, maybe this is correct. It is just a tool in self-healing.

Does this make sense? What are your thoughts?

The Greening of Hypnosis

Today is the day. Happy Blog Action Day. I am even drinking green tea to be a little greener.

The theme is environmental issues. So, the question becomes, how can hypnosis positively impact the environment.

So here goes.

How Hypnosis Can Impact the Environment in a Positive Way

• Helping people to quit smoking.
• Less toxic pollutants in the air.
• Less cigarette buts leaving their long-term disintegration in the earth itself.
• Less packaging waste.
• Helping people to adapt a healthier diet of natural foods
• More fresh vegetables means less packaging waste for the environment.
• The waste are biodegradable and better for the earth itself.
• Helping make the habit change to living greener.
• By helping people to change lifestyle habits, the environment can benefit.
• These habits could include being more conscious of energy used for lighting and temperature control.
• It could help people become more recycling conscious.
• It could help people become more waste conscious.

If you would like to add to this list, please use the comment section. I am sure there are more.

Hypnosis and Breast Cancer - The Proof

Do you ever have Mondays when you feel like it much surely be Wednesday? I have not been awake for long, but it feels like the middle of the week. More tea for me.

And it is hard to believe that it is October and has been so for a little while. Are any of you out there doing anything specific for Breast Cancer Awareness month? I am still compiling my thoughts on it, and though this is last month's news, if you have not heard about the study on hypnosis and breast cancer, than read on. This is very positive for both hypnosis and those suffering from breast cancer, and going out on a nice sturdy limb, any one who is about to undergo surgery.

On August 28, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute substantiated hypnotists claims that hypnosis, prior to breast cancer surgery has a few benefits. These include reduced amounts of anesthesia needed during the procedures and lessened the amount of pain endured after the procedure, as well as the amount of recovery time and the cost of it. Hypnosis helps the later by also reducing the need for medications after the surgery.

Here are the details:

• Dr. Guy Montgomery of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York) and colleagues conducted the clinical trial.
• The trail was to research the effects of hypnosis given within one hour before surgery.
• 200 women participated.
• The control group was given 15 minutes to talk to a psychologist.
• The test group was given 15 minutes of hypnosis.
• The hypnosis consisted of suggestions for relaxation, guided visualization, pain reduction, nausea reduction, and fatigue reduction. These participants also received instruction on self-hypnosis.
• The use of pain medications and sedatives during surgery, as well as pain levels and side effects were monitored.
• Results: The test (hypnosis) group needed less anesthesia and reported less pain and side effects after the procedure. An average of 11 minutes was shaved off of their time in surgery and medical costs were reduced by about $733 per patient (mainly from needing less time in surgery).

Sources
Science Daily

Hypnosis in the Mind Control Process

Coffee is on and I am still blurry eyed, but pretending to be ready to go.

So, here we are. We have discussed using self-hypnosis with the Silva Method (or in general) for gaining control over one's own mind and how a hypnotist does not control another's mind. Thanks Michael, for pointing out how Mythbusters did use unethical means in their hypnosis portion of the show (see his comment on yesterday's post). But let us move on to a bit of a darker horse, so we know it if we see it.

What is mind control exactly? According to F.A.C.T.net Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network) the world of academia definition of mind control:

refers to all coercive psychological systems, such as brainwashing, thought reform, and coercive persuasion.

This definition is based on Dr. Margaret Singer's definition of coercion:

Coercion is defined as, "to restrain or constrain by force..." Legally it often implies the use of PHYSICAL FORCE or physical or legal threat. This traditional concept of coercion is far better understood than the technological concepts of "coercive persuasion" which are effective restraining, impairing, or compelling through the gradual application of PSYCHOLOGICAL FORCES.

It is in the later interpretation that hypnosis begins to play a roll in all this, but it is just a tiny part of a larger system. It alone is again nothing more than giving a suggestion. It is the factor in the mind control process that I believe may be the weak link. One always has free will, so the hypnotic process may or may not work for various individuals based on the wording, etc. (one suggestion may work for one person, it may not for another).

But, we cannot let it off here, though. Those who are engaged in mind control know this about hypnosis. So the odds are stacked to make "the suggestion" take. This is through means of psychical and psychological manipulation. These are described as tactics. Dr. Singer list these as follows.

• TACTIC 1. The individual is prepared for thought reform through increased suggestibility and/or "softening up," specifically through hypnotic or other suggestibility-increasing techniques such as: A. Extended audio, visual, verbal, or tactile fixation drills; B. Excessive exact repetition of routine activities; C. Decreased sleep; D. Nutritional restriction.
• TACTIC 2. Using rewards and punishments, efforts are made to establish considerable control over a person's social environment, time, and sources of social support.
• TACTIC 3. Disconfirming information and nonsupporting opinions are prohibited in group communication.
• TACTIC 4. Frequent and intense attempts are made to cause a person to re-evaluate the most central aspects of his or her experience of self and prior conduct in negative ways.
• TACTIC 5. Intense and frequent attempts are made to undermine a person's confidence in himself and his judgment, creating a sense of powerlessness.
• TACTIC 6. Nonphysical punishments are used such as intense humiliation, loss of privilege, social isolation, social status changes, intense guilt, anxiety, manipulation and other techniques for creating strong aversive emotional arousals, etc.
• TACTIC 7. Certain secular psychological threats [force] are used or are present

So, we cannot completely exonerate hypnosis techniques in the process of mind control, but it is not the major player. It alone, especially used in a clinical setting, is not one and the same. Mind control is a long-term process using manipulative devises - coercion. It breaks down a person. Hypnosis builds up a person, empowers one to make the changes one seeks.

Hypnosis is not Mind Control

It is nothing but rush, rush, rush, this morning. So, my attention is somewhat out of focus for the moment.

So, I thought I would quickly sum up why hypnosis alone is not brain washing for those who may be thinking it is the ends to the means. There seems to be a lot of teenagers (at least they sound like teenage boys on the phone) who are fascinated by the concept of being able to force others to do their bidding. I admit in high school it would have been very pleasant to have snapped my fingers and make my Calculus professor believe all my wrong answers were correct. But alas, had I perfected my hypnotism skills back then, I still would have struggled with the subject.

The key to hypnosis is suggestibility - the acceptance of suggestions given during a hypnotic session. It is a person's free will to accept or decline such suggestions. For there even to begin to be the semblance of mind control, there has to be a lot more manipulation than just suggestions. If I suggest that you become my slave and you do so, you have chosen to do this.

This is the challenge for the modern clinical hypnotist. It is finding a route for the suggestions to be accepted by the client. This is why there is not a 100% sucess rate to the profession. Sometimes it is hard to find the right way to input a suggestion that the client's subconcious mind will accept.

So, if you are in a trance and someone suggest that you do something totally against your free will or that you do not accept, you simply will not do it. A good resource for this is the Mythbusters' TV show. In season five, they put this concept to test - can hypnosis make you do something against your will - and they busted the myth.

Hence with all this in mind, another person cannot control your mind. Hypnosis is not the same thing as mind control.

Lucid How-to's

Putting down the tea cup, what I want to know is how many of you have worked with lucid dreams using hypnotic suggestion, either as a hypnotist giving the suggestions or as the person being hypnotized? Or...have you used self-hypnosis to lucid dream?

I have to begun to think (and I may be slow on the uptake here) that maybe to become proficient with lucid dreams, the techniques are all self-hypnosis with maybe the exception being the use of the dream machines...but that seems hypnotic, too, just not so vocal based.

All this comes into my mind from perusing Bill Perry's Lucid Blog. Bill was kind enough to respond to the Sunday Question about lucid dreaming, and I am so glad he did. His experiences are pretty interesting, as is his approach. He uses an anchoring technique and it is as follows:

• As you are lying in bed, simply visualize the dream you would like to have. Experience it as you would like to experience it. Get as far into the visualization as you can. Hear the sounds, see the sights, smell how it smells. As you are getting into this visualization, clench your hands into fists. Not tightly, but relaxed fists. Use it as an anchor.
• Allow your brain to tie the feeling of clenching the hands into fists with he feeling of what your prospective dream feels like.
• Next time you are lucid, clench your dream fists and remember the dream you want to have. Much like running a computer program, your dream will now “load up” for you.
• And, since you are now altering the content of the dream, you don’t have to stick exactly to the “script” you’ve made in your visualization. You can now make things happen by the power of sheer thought.
• Dream on!

This was taken from his blog posting How to Control Your Dreams. Using both self-hypnosis techniques and NLP, is this just another fabulous tool of hypnosis? When I was debating using the home-made sunglasses dream machine to use the lights as an anchor to remind you that you were in a dream and now could take control of it, Bill's technique does this without all the gadgetry. Definitely worth exploring.

Redundant Sessions

So, have you looked at the world from an upside down perspective, yet? I am looking at the world from a sleepy perspective at the moment.

Here is a question (no, I am not waiting until Sunday): Where are people getting the idea that they need a potential booster session or that they need some sort of reinforcement for hypnosis to be truly effective?

Is it because hypnotists tell them this in order to get more business? Is it a lack of self-trust?

I do offer a more than one session option in my pricing, but I do this for the concept that there may be several things that the client would want to work on, such as is the case with weight loss, where one might need suggestions for portion control, self-esteem, and exercise motivation. So, I would do three sessions for this, not the same thing over and over again.

What I also wonder is if the brain occasionally rebels against repeating the suggestion over and over again for instance as one might do with an audio product. If they use the same audio to help them fall asleep at night, might it get to the point where it does just the opposite?

Another Snippett

It was good to hear that Paul is still getting the old, "do you use a pocket watch?" question when he tells people of his interest in hypnosis.

I thought of another type of comment I have gotten a few times upon telling people about my involvement with hypnosis.

"That's very interesting. I already quit smoking so I don't really have a need for any hypnosis, but that's very interesting."

This is a fun response because it says so much. It says that they at least heard what you said. It says they know just a little about hypnosis. It says either you are coming off with a marketing pitch in your introductions (which I suppose is quite possible) or that that is how they network: looking for that balance of what can I do for you, what can you do for me. I suspect the answer is how that comment is delivered. It may also say, I would like to hear more or change the subject please. Gosh but I love social communication.

But, no matter what, it is still a great opening for, "Ah, true enough, but there is so much more that hypnosis is used for these days."

That keeps the dialogue flowing and voilà, instant education opportunity.

Perhaps this is arcane subject matter for me to bring up, but there was a time when such comments would end the conversation with me (I can be a little slow on the uptake), but I have gotten it enough that I finally understand it could make for an interesting conversation.

The Command

Still on a parenting kick, as I have a few clients I am working with in this genre (coincident? Universal consciousness? After I posted about childing-birthing hypno, a client just came to me to help her lessen anxiety about an upcoming adoption). In finding resources to send her way, I stumbled across an interview on the New Millennium Series (I think they are not very recent) with Charles Thomas Cayce, a child psychologist.

During this interview on raising children intuitively, he mentioned a story about his own daughter. She was (is?) a teenager who had some insomnia issues. So Dr. Cayce created a suggestion tape for her to listen to at night so she would sleep better. It worked and it sounds like the issues have gone away.

It is all good up to this point. He suggest other parent try this route - remembering that this is not hypnosis. WHAT? The tape part is all good, but why is it not hypnosis? He goes on to explain this. It is not hypnosis because when giving the suggestions, you as the parent, do not use commands or a commanding voice. You give gentle suggestions.

Ummm.

So therefore, is the definition for hypnosis something to the effect of: Hypnosis is a command issued to another during a relaxed state?

It is interesting to hear what the psychology world thinks about hypnosis. The odd notions that are batted about and then you have people like Dr. Eimer and Dr. Peterson who utilize it in their practices in a very positive way, very worthy of a hurrah from those who only practice it.

Perhaps I am not being fair to Dr. Cayce. He is the grandson of Edgar Cayce. If you ever look at any of the Cayce Readings of which Edgar Cayce gave when in a state of hypnosis, his conductor (nice word) used commanding language. And I am not judging Dr. Cayce's utilization of hypnosis. I suspect if he does use it in his practice, he's probably brilliant. His use of suggestion with his daughter is a wonderful story, but a rose by any other name is still a rose.