Hypnosis in Unexpected Places

While the focus of this book is specifically hypnosis,
the characteristics underlying trance states (altered
states of consciousness) exist elsewhere. Thus while
the settings and situations will not always produce a
trance state, the danger is nonetheless there.

The Bible and Hypnosis

Hypnosis has been among the dark arts throughout
ancient history until the present. In his book on
the history of hypnosis, Maurice Tinterow says, “Probably
the early soothsayers and oracles relied largely
on the hypnotic state.”

Hypnosis: Medical, Scientific, or Occultic?

The words most used by those who support hypnosis
for Christians are medical and scientific. These
words not only provide prestige, but also a feeling of
safety. When the word medical comes up, the guard
goes down. Any practice labeled medical, and therefore
scientific, is an “open sesame” to the saints. Those
who encourage hypnosis for Christians rely upon this
questionable label of science to support its use. However,
Donald Hebb says in “Psychology Today/The State
of the Science” that “hypnosis has persistently lacked
satisfactory explanation.”

Deep Hypnosis

Professor of psychology Charles Tart spent much
laboratory time investigating hypnosis. He reports an
experiment measuring hypnotic depth with a man
whom he identifies as William. He recorded the experiences
of William, an intelligent, well-adjusted twentyyear-old
college student.1
 After hypnotizing William a
few times to explore hypnotic depth, he asked William
to indicate the various depths while under hypnosis.

Hypnotic Memory

The most important factor in early life or past life
hypnotherapy is memory. Hilgard says, “No matter how
one dips into the recesses of the mind, one stumbles
on the same problems – the storage and retrieval of
information, some true, some false.”
 From examining
the research on memory, social psychologist Carol
Tavris concludes:
Memory is, in a word, lousy. It is a traitor at worst,
a mischief-maker at best. It gives us vivid recollections
of events that could never have happened,
and it obscures critical details of events that did.

Age Regression and Progression/Hypnosis

Age regression is a common procedure in hypnosis,
because so many people erroneously believe that
hypnosis will help a person recover forgotten memories
or details from vague memories. Mark Twain once
said, “I find the further back I go, the better I remember
things, whether they happened or not.”

Induction/Seduction/Hypnosis

Pierre Janet, an early practitioner of modern
hypnotherapy, had no qualms about deceiving his
patients into a trance. He clearly declared:
There are some patients to whom . . . we must tell
part of the truth; and there are some to whom, as
a matter of strict moral obligation, we must lie.1
These startling words call us to take a closer look at
hypnosis and how it is being used today. Let’s start at
the beginning. What happens when a hypnotist begins
hypnotizing someone?