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i was watching howard stern on E! a few nights ago and it was one of the hypnotism episodes where that dude comes in and does his thing, makes people think they are strippers or attracted to whoever, etc.

but i got to thinking whether that shit is real or not. it just seems too ridiculous. you snap your fingers and all of a sudden an old fat dude thinks he's a hot chick? i just don't know... has anyone here been hypnotised or know anyone who has and is it the real deal?

 

[PunkBubba]

hypnotism=fake

 

[aoi tsuki]

From what i understand, in order to do those shows, they pick people in advance, see if they're susceptible to hypnotic suggestions ahead of time, then implant the hypnotic "trigger" in them ahead of time if they are. It's not like you can just look at a girl and tell her her eyes are getting very heavy and tell her to fuck a pillow or whatever.

Also, there's varying forms of hypnotism. At it's basic and most purist form, you could look at hypnotism as a loss of conscious awareness. In that sense, becoming absorbed into your favorite tv show is a form of hypnotism.

 

[Hitokage]

Indeed, you can induce a trance-like state in certain people especially susceptible to it, but what you can do from there isn't as extensive as many would hope.

 

[ckohler]

The key word here is hypnotic suggestion.

Everything I've ever seen says that you can't hypnotize someone who doesn't really want to be hypnotized. They must be willing to accept the suggestion (even if only on a subconscious level) for it to work. Hypnotism is a powerful form of persuasion, but like all persuasion, ultimately must rely on the subject to accept it.

 

[PotatoeMasher]

 

[Stryder]

I believe it to be real, this is after seeing a documentary in which a girl was hypnotised to have surgery done on her intestines. She was allergic to anaesthetics and so they had a hypnotist send her into a trance or whatever and she was on a picnic in her head, the hypnotist just kept her talking about the picnic she was on whilst they operated on her insides, it was freaking incredible. Afterwards, she said the only sensation she felt was the scalpel being drawn across her abdomen area to open her up, she said it felt like a pencil being drawn across her.

After seeing this, I believe this shit is real.

 

[DDayton]

There are a few different things lumped under the name "hypnotism."

True hypnotism, putting a person's into a trance like state or suggestion, can be induced via rhythmic patterns, flashing lights, and the like. It has been used in some medical tests and procedures.

Stage hypnotism, on the other hand, is more like a magic act... people are willing to believe they can be put into a weird "trance", so they go up there and believe they are in that trance. This allows them to act like an idiot, as they have a vague excuse for it. Stage hypnotists are also careful to only pick folks who will believe in the power of "hypnotic suggestion". It seems to really be more of a mental "sleight of hand" -- folks have an excuse to do things they would normally not do, because they think they are hypnotised. It's sort of like being lightly drunk... you feel like you have an excuse to do things.

 

[6.8]

I agree with ckohler. A hypnotist came to my HS back when I was in HS... Everyone that wanted to be hypnotized went on stage, and he just removed the unlikely candidates one by one. Turns out there were 3 left in the middle of the show. One faking it, the other two were damned hypnotized. One of those two was a good friend of mine and we actually had time to play with him in the middle and after the show. He was TOTALLY fucked up.

In the middle of the show, he was lead to believe we were on December 24th, but it was in the middle of April. We asked him questions like "why is there no snow?" "wtf are we doing in school?" "what gifts did you buy for your family?" and he was on the verge of crying because he was totally freaking confused. After that, we told him what happened, and he grumpily said he didn't want to talk about it because "he never did those things", and had a huge headache. The next morning, he remembered everything. More laughter ensued.

My anecdotal evidence.

 

[slayn]

not in the way most people think of hypnotism.

you can put some people into an extremely relaxed trance where they are more likely to listen and do what you say, but you aren't gonna force them to flap like a chicken.

Its more akin to the way alchohol or something breaks down your barriers and inhibitions. I guess drunk people will bark like a dog, but its still their own choice to do so no matter how drunk off their ass they are.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I'm a hardcore skeptic, and I don't want to believe it as it's presented, but I also have friends who are not normally suggestible and ridiculous even when drunk that I have seen led by the nose by hypnotic suggestion. Put into truly laughable and embarassing positions. I get nothing out of it, personally.

So...I'm not sure what to make of it, but it seems to legitimately effect certain people beyond a "light drunkenness".

 

[human5892]

I don't know how valid it is, but my own anecdotal evidence: when I was a freshman in college, they had a hypnotist come in for the entire entering student body as a sort of ice breaker. I knew one of the guys who was picked (the hypnotist had him doing things like dancing with a mop and believing it to be a pretty girl, etc.). and so the next day, I asked him, "So how did that work? Did you know you were dancing with a mop or what?" He said that he knew it was a mop and that he didn't really think it was a girl or see the mop as hair or anything like that, but that at the same time it seemed perfectly acceptable and reasonable to dance with it as if it were a girl. I thought that was an interesting answer.

 

[LakeEarth]

A hypnotist came into my school and hypnotized two of my friends. One of them faked it, but the other one was SO fucking far gone it was hilarious. So yeah I know it can work.

 

[TheDuce22]

I had a friend volunteer for one of those stage hypnotism comedians. To this day he doesnt remember some of the things he did.

 

[teh_pwn]

Yes, look at all the Sony/MS/Nintendo fanboys. Or people that always vote Rep/Dem no matter what.

 

[Blackace]

I believe it to be real, this is after seeing a documentary in which a girl was hypnotised to have surgery done on her intestines. She was allergic to anaesthetics and so they had a hypnotist send her into a trance or whatever and she was on a picnic in her head, the hypnotist just kept her talking about the picnic she was on whilst they operated on her insides, it was freaking incredible. Afterwards, she said the only sensation she felt was the scalpel being drawn across her abdomen area to open her up, she said it felt like a pencil being drawn across her.

After seeing this, I believe this shit is real.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Ive been hypnotised and it does work. but it requires your co-operation most of the time. Apparently some people can be very suggestible and are more easily hypnotised if you have been hypnotised before. I went on stage with the intention to do my best to cooperate. Then the guy made a complete fucking fool out of me.

Also, most of the time you are under you are thinking "I could wake up if I wanted..... but he told me not to......" thats what everybody after the show told me they felt like as well. yet we all danced to techno music, acted like the guy was invisible, snuggled up with other dudes or ugly women that were basically dudes in imaginary beds etc etc......

If anyone has a specific question about it, ask me I can probably tell you.

Also, I am convinced that at church when people go up the front and the preacher knocks them out using the god hand, this almost action for action a hypnosis procedure. I also remember the entire hypnosis procedure and if I was a convincing enough person, I reckon I could perform it. I don't think I'm cocky enough or serious enough though.

 

[CB3]

100% Real. Ive seen my sister go under when a hypnotist came to Six Flags Magic Mountain for their Halloween Events, and ive heard that someone else i know has went under. Pretty crazy

 

[Stench]

It seems to really be more of a mental "sleight of hand" -- folks have an excuse to do things they would normally not do, because they think they are hypnotised. It's sort of like being lightly drunk... you feel like you have an excuse to do things.

I have been hypnotized before, and this is EXACTLY what it's like.

Basically, when you're under the spell, your mind is aware and alert. You still think things, you're conscious of where you are and what you're doing, but it's like you don't want to stop. I specifically remember saying to myself "Man, I could really just stop flapping my arms around right now, but... I don't really feel like it...". Imagine being super-super tired and groggy, and doing whatever you're told just so you'll be able to lie down for a bit.

That was trippy shit. I did some messed up things that night.

But yeah, it's real, just perhaps not in the way some may think.

 

[Umpteen]

My mom could hypnotize people. She did it to my brother on many occasions so that he would study and remember what he had studied - no joke he was pretty stupid.

 

[DDayton]

Eh. I'm still of the opinion that stage hypnotism (as opposed to real hypnotism) is truly just the power of suggestion. Folks who want to believe they can be hypnotised are the ones chosen, and the most willing to "play along". I'm not saying they know it's fake; I'm saying they truly believe they are being controlled. It's the willing suspension of disbelief that does the trick... you aren't worried about acting out of character, because you believe you're being made to do it. Thus, you act out of character.

 

[Papi]

I saw this hypnotism thing where a bunch of people were hypnotised and put into a cold room. Then the hypnosis dude told them that it was getting hotter, when in fact it was getting colder, and their actual body temperature increased and they started taking off pieces of clothing.

 

[achilles]

You just gotta... you know...

Believe.

 

[kablooey]

You just gotta... you know...

Believe.

Believe.

On that note, I'd say Drink Crow would make a damn fine hypnoticist.

 

[iceDragon7]

100% Real. Ive seen my sister go under when a hypnotist came to Six Flags Magic Mountain for their Halloween Events, and ive heard that someone else i know has went under. Pretty crazy

And you still think it was real :lol
100% Cows manure

 

[Ninja Scooter]

a little OT, but somewhat similar, when i was 16 we (as a catholic at the time) had to do our confirmation and go to this retreat, which is basically a boring ass meeting where a bunch of kids gather together ALL weekend to pray and listen to people talk about how god saved their lives. Anyway, at the end of it, they took us all to the church at the end of the event, lined all the kids up on their knees in front of the altar and had us pray, and one by one the priest would come by, say some shit, and touch us on the forehead and people would faint and pass out. Some people were actually out for like a couple minutes. When he got to me, he touched my head, i looked around a little bit, and then pretended to pass out. I always wondered if everyone else was faking it too, or if they just wanted to faint to badly (to show they "believe" or whatthefuckever) that they actually did it.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Eh. I'm still of the opinion that stage hypnotism (as opposed to real hypnotism) is truly just the power of suggestion. Folks who want to believe they can be hypnotised are the ones chosen, and the most willing to "play along". I'm not saying they know it's fake; I'm saying they truly believe they are being controlled. It's the willing suspension of disbelief that does the trick... you aren't worried about acting out of character, because you believe you're being made to do it. Thus, you act out of character.

There isn't a difference, stage hypnotists are real hypnotists.

I'm not sure whats being disputed here

hypnotic sleep I thought was actually scientifically proven *shrug* anyway, apparently hypnotic sleep is a number of degrees more restful than standard sleep. Also after being hypnotised i felt extremely groggy for like an hour an a half.

I think some people might be confused as to what hypnosis really is. It does require the subjects cooperation, its not some amazing power that people can click their fingers and make you do things. for instance, you couldn't hypnotise someone and say "murder that dude" if it's against your moral code, you won't do it. there are also varying degrees of hypnotic state. When I got hypnotised, apparently I was in a "very light state" the lady that got up on stage and fell over as soon as the guy looked at her was in a very heavy state. etc etc.

If you get up and say "you are not going to hypnotise me" you won't be hypnotised. its really just somebody leading you through a number of brain exercises to put your brain into a certain (more suggestible) state.

Also, hypnotic stop smoking programs by reputable hypnotists are apparently very effective.....

 

[Umpteen]

Ya I think a lot of people give hypnotism more power than it really has.

It is basically just guided meditation into a trance like state, and then the implanting of suggestions while the consciousness (or higher mind) is on vacation. It is real, though. I've had it done to me to get rid of migraines that wouldn't even respond to darvocett.

As stated before, if you go into a hypnotism session thinking it is crap then it won't work on you. You have to just go with it, no one can make you do something under hypnosis that you are dead set against.

 

[Teknopathetic]

As said before, hypnotism is real, but not quite as magical as TV shows like to make it look. A hypnotist came to my school and hypnotised a few of the kids, they said roughly the same thing others have said here. They were conscious and could think, but they just felt compelled to do things.

 

[eLGee]

Dang, that stuff is witchcraft, boy! You gone better stay away from that!

 

[PunkBubba]

Hypnotism is clearly aimed toward "below-average IQ" individuals.

Basically, you've been OWN3D bitches!

 

[Pellham]

a little OT, but somewhat similar, when i was 16 we (as a catholic at the time) had to do our confirmation and go to this retreat, which is basically a boring ass meeting where a bunch of kids gather together ALL weekend to pray and listen to people talk about how god saved their lives. Anyway, at the end of it, they took us all to the church at the end of the event, lined all the kids up on their knees in front of the altar and had us pray, and one by one the priest would come by, say some shit, and touch us on the forehead and people would faint and pass out. Some people were actually out for like a couple minutes. When he got to me, he touched my head, i looked around a little bit, and then pretended to pass out. I always wondered if everyone else was faking it too, or if they just wanted to faint to badly (to show they "believe" or whatthefuckever) that they actually did it.

sounds like the kind of shit benny hinn does.