Hypnosis
and the Magical World of Words.
One
of the many things that I find fascinating about hypnosis
is the power of words. The same words spoken to someone in
normal conversation take on an almost mystical power when
they are spoken during a hypnotic trance.
When
we are in our normal everyday, alert, aware, waking state
we are in a state of defensiveness. There is a part of our
mind that is constantly on the lookout for danger. This is
nothing sinister - it's just healthy self-protectiveness.
Now in the good old days, from an evolutionary point of view,
there was constant danger. Those who weren't that alert didn't
survive for very long and so if you buy into the idea of Natural
Selection it makes sense to assume that the most frightened
individuals were the ones who lived to pass on their genetic
material.
Now
there isn't really that much physical danger around in our
day-to-day lives. Crossing the road is perhaps the biggest
threat many of us experience in a normal day. So, given that
a significant part of ourselves evolved to ensure we survive,
and that this part doesn't have much to occupy it in the physical
realm, and perhaps it gets a little bored, then maybe, just
maybe, this boredom causes it to look for threat where there
isn't any - in thoughts, and in words.
The
consequence of this is that when we listen to the words of
another our defensive systems are on the alert. You can tell
this easily because if any words are spoken that are hurtful,
disrespecting, unloving, angry… your body reacts instantaneously
with an emotional experience. The uncomfortable emotion that
you experience happens faster than thought so it may be the
symptom of built-in defence-mechanisms.
Next
time you are in conversation, particularly a conversation
with someone you have only just met (often the case in therapy),
watch your thoughts. Notice the thoughts that magically appear
in response to the words of the other. Notice how you are
watching for signs of approval or disapproval of you. Notice
your sensitivities. Notice how the things you watch for are
different depending on whether or not you have an inner feeling
of liking or disliking for this person. Notice how your thoughts
are forming responses and watching for the gap to appear so
that you can express them and see whether or not your words
are valued. Notice how you are aware at a deep level of whether
or not this stranger is interested in you as a person. Notice
how your words will be moulded in order to ensure that they
see you in a good light and form a positive impression of
you.
This
whole experience is a defensive dance.
And
it's fine. We all do it. It's good to be aware of it and watch
it, but it's perfectly normal.
Except
when the only tools available to heal your mind are the only
tools your mind is defended against - Words!
So
what the trance experience achieves is to distract this defensive
aspect of self by sending it off into the half-asleep world
of daydream; where sufficient awareness is retained about
what is happening so that should real danger arise, effective
action could be taken more easily than rousing from full sleep.
And so first of all words are used to direct conscious defensive
awareness into this half-awake/half-asleep world. And not
just any words - words that direct conscious attention to
focus on certain thoughts and ideas gradually moving from
an awareness of the outside world to the inside world.
Once
words have achieved this then the defensive part of the mind
is drifting and half-dreaming and generally isn't very bothered
about what's being said, and so whatever is said has more
power because it moves directly into subconscious awareness
unfiltered and unchallenged - as long as the words do not
themselves threaten deeper values and beliefs that are close
to the very core of being. This is why no hypnotist can make
you do anything you don't want to do, or cause you to act
against a deeply held moral or ethical value.
And
so hypnotists sometimes tell stories - stories with a lesson
that isn't obvious. Because the lesson isn't obvious no critical
judgements kick in from the conscious mind, but the subconscious
mind stores the information, evaluates it and brings about
the necessary behaviour changes.
On
other occasions hypnotists just tell you, in trance, what
new behaviour you are going to find yourself engaging in -
like not smoking, or not eating out of habit. Sometimes they
even just encourage the creation of pictures in your mind
and these pictures symbolically represent the desired changes
to the subconscious mind, and the subconscious mind just evaluates
the symbol and behaviour changes result.
And
all that is used are words - words that cause withdrawal from
the cares of the world, words that cause behavioural changes,
words that describe a new future or change an uncomfortable
past; but most importantly words that inspire you to believe
that you are capable of more than you ever thought possible,
and words that encourage you to see that your past does not
have to be an anchor holding you in a cold and stormy sea.
Words
are powerful. They can be used to bring about changes you
didn't believe were possible. But they can only do this if
you are undefended against them.
So
notice your words and the words of others and see if they
really mean what they seem to mean, or if they are conveying
some other message to your subconscious mind. You don't have
to be in a trance to be influenced. And while hypnotic trance
is designed to allow you to be influenced in a positive way
- not everyone who uses words has your best interest at heart.
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