Hypnosis has been defined as a state of increased suggestibility in which the subject is ready to uncritically accept ideas for self-improvement and act on them reasonably. When a hypnotist hypnotizes his subject, it is sometimes known as hetero-hypnosis. When an individual puts himself into a state of hypnosis, it is known as self-hypnosis. In both cases, the subject has achieved an increased state of suggestibility. Even in hetero-hypnosis, the topic really controls the reply to suggestions. In actual fact all hypnosis is really a matter of self-hypnosis. The topic enters into the hypnotic state when he's completely ready to do so. This may require from one to many attempts before it is achieved . Even if the subject insists that he wants to be hypnotised immediately, he could be resisting hypnosis unconsciously.

In self-hypnosis a similar thing customarily occurs. The subject is anxious to realize self-hypnosis, but somehow the state eludes him. What's wrong? It could be that he's [12] subconsciously resisting it, hasn't conditioned himself adequately, or has achieved the hypnotic state and doesn't know he is in the state. This last statement might be surprising, but we're going to examine it in detail a little later on.

Most professionals agree that about ninety p.c of the populace can be hypnotised. My feeling is that doubtless 99 p.c can be hypnotised. Who among us is not influenced by suggestion? Aren't we all, as we have seen, influenced by the ideas of advertising? Don't everyone has a tendency to believe what we read in the paper, hear on the radio or see on television? Aren't we all convinced that a name-brand article trumps one that isn't so well-known?

Suggestion plays a tremendously crucial role in our day-to-day lives. It begins from naming the baby with an appropriate name to securing an appropriate place for interment. I want to call the reader's attention to an interesting book dealing with the comatose reasons why we do many of the things that we do. You will be charmed with each page of the book. It is named The concealed Persuaders by Vance Packard.

My contention is that we're all suggestible and, therefore , being hypnotized or hypnotizing ourselves is just a matter of increasing the suggestibility that we already possess. Doesn't the hypnotist start by advising relaxation? Doesn't he typically begin by requesting the subject to mend his attention on a particular object? Next, he recommends to the topic that his eyes are becoming heavy and knackered. As quickly as the topic closes his eyes, he recommends that he will be in a deep hypnotic state. I'm certain you're acquainted with this process. With each step, the hypnotist is directing the topic along directed lines to get him to accept further ideas without question or doubt. [13] When the topic achieves the ultimate state in this process, he's been hypnotized. He then accepts suggestions without equivocation.

Let us keep going with this same thought. Suspect I say to you, "I'm going to stick you with this pin. It will not hurt." Would you let me stick you with the pin? Obviously not. Let us imagine you have been hypnotized and I repeat the same recommendation. What happens then? You instantly accept the suggestion as being factual. Should I carry on to stick you with the pin, you do not even flinch. In fact , you do not even feel the pain. Does this sound amazing? Isn't this exactly the same process that the dentist uses with his patient when he has hypnotized him with the goal of painless dentistry?