This is the scratchpad for the next article in my column and newsletter: The CE4 Corner
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This morning, I attended a class at our church on understanding Islam. The class was excellent; the instructor was one of the kindest, most open-minded individuals I have met in a long time.
Afterwards, I asked him for his card, and gave him mine, which read, Craig R. Lang, Certified Hypnotherapist.
His response was curious, at best. I could tell there was something not quite right about his reaction. As we were walking out to the parking lot, we got to talking about the topic and I asked him what the issue had been. I have had clients of nearly every religion, including Baha'i, conservative Christian, Mormon, and ultra-rationalist. But I have never had a Muslim client. I asked him why this might be and his response was short and to the point. The practice of magic is forbidden to Muslims.
I asked him more about what he meant by that. He told me that Muslims viewed hypnosis just as they viewed mind altering drugs, sorcery, divination, etc. I asked him if he knew what hypnosis really was and he said no. So I explained it to him. In doing so, I saw his eyes light up in a way I have not seen in a long time. Granted, he was extremely open-minded. Yet he was able to see (and presumably correct) the misconception. Are others so open?
I asked him if he had ever found himself deeply buried in a good book, movie, television show, or other such medium. He said yes - often, in fact. I told him that at that moment, he had been hypnotized.
Had he ever daydreamed? Yes. - Good. At that moment he had been hypnotized.
Had he ever been deeply devoted to contemplative prayer, such that time seemed to stand still? Yes. At that moment he had been hypnotized.
Had he ever daydreamed? Yes. At that moment he had been hypnotized as well.
In short, there is nothing magical about hypnosis.
We spend a moderate percentage of our waking day in a hypnotic state. Any time you get a creative thought, ponder a question, consider an idea or deeply concentrate on a problem, you are in a form of hypnosis. So just exactly what is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is merely the state of selective focus along with the suspension of disbelief - the same thing that occurs when you read and enjoy a good novel. No magic; it is merely a gift of the human mind. If you have a religious perspective, you can think of it as a gift from God, a property of the human mind that allows us to apply the resources of our subconscious to the needs of the moment - as when you get into the groove in an athletic endeavor.
Every time I attend a classical concert at Orchestra Hall, I watch the faces and body language of the musicians. As they play, they become deeply entranced, becoming one with the music they are playing. Watching several of them during a recent concert, I could see the expressions on their faces - deep concentration and thus, deep hypnosis. They were bringing the talents within their subconscious, in this case the gift of music, to their work in the world. It is the gift from God called hypnosis.
In addition, hypnosis allows us to bring healing directly into the subconscious, where it can be most effective. With a trusted hypnotherapist, one can suspend disbelief for a time (though I've seen that such disbelief is never far away), focusing concentration directly on whatever needs to be healed. It is this use of hypnosis that is referred to as hypnotherapy - utilizing the gift that is hypnosis to bring positive change to the mind of the person.
I have had this discussion many a time. Sometimes, people have been open enough to see the misconception. Other times, my argument has been rebuffed. One fundamentalist Christian even said that since I was an evil hypnotist, anything I said must be deception and thus it would be a sin for her to listen to me. What can I say? One has to be at least open minded enough to consider the question - even if you don't necessarily agree with the other person's answer.
In the spirit of open mindedness, I have tried to understand the reason that many with deeply religious (usually conservative) backgrounds have come to believe that hypnosis is magic - usually evil magic. And it appears that the answer is startling, indeed.
Most of what people know of hypnosis comes from shows like CSI, where in one episode a hypnotist was making people jump off of tall buildings, or the like. Another is in science fiction or fantasy movies, where the evil wizard, the malevolent alien, the monster or other such antagonist, entrances the victim, thus gaining power over them. Fortunately, such portrayals are not accurate. But unfortunately, they appear believable. While fun and interesting entertainment, such portrayals end up doing people a disservice, frightening them away from what would otherwise be a wonderful healing medium.
Ultimately, one can only open a dialog and provide the truth about hypnosis. There is no magic involved. It is neither good nor evil, merely a gift. But it brings us a tool allowing humans to perform beyond what would otherwise be possible. It also allows us to bring healing to parts of the mind and body that would otherwise remain unhealed.
Each of us experiences hypnosis each day, a natural property of the human mind. Selective focus and the willful temporary suspension of disbelief - that, my friends, is all there is to hypnosis.
