Ever been hypnotized?
- Thread starter BigonaBianchi
- Start date
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. Unless you're incredibly gullible.
swee'pea99
Squire
I saw a stage hypnotist once - it was great! Among other things he took this woman back to her sixth birthday party and asked about her presents, and this lisping voice said: 'and Annie gave me a doll and Dora gave me a teddy' and so on. And when he brought her round, the hypnotist asked her 'what did you get for your sixth birthday?' She said 'I don't know.' And he said 'We do!' I remember it being very entertaining, and quite thought-provoking too.
barq
Senior Member
- Location
- Birmingham, UK
When I was a psychology undergrad I spent loads of time in the library reading about hypnosis.
The stage hypnotists have tricks to help speed up the process. e.g. You get someone to look forwards at eye level and then get them to tilt their head backwards. As their eyes roll downwards and their head tips back their eyelids will shut. That trick is enough to convince people they are becoming hypnotised. Whether the rest is just social pressure to believe they are hypnotised or a real effect is a moot point.
Interestingly I saw exactly the same technique being used by a Baptist minister. He would tilt a person's head back while they fixated on a crucifix and they'd fall to the ground (well, into the arms of nearby people anyway). I suspect he had unwittingly stumbled across the technique, plus there was massive social pressure to undergo the experience so it worked pretty flawlessly.
The stage hypnotists have tricks to help speed up the process. e.g. You get someone to look forwards at eye level and then get them to tilt their head backwards. As their eyes roll downwards and their head tips back their eyelids will shut. That trick is enough to convince people they are becoming hypnotised. Whether the rest is just social pressure to believe they are hypnotised or a real effect is a moot point.
Interestingly I saw exactly the same technique being used by a Baptist minister. He would tilt a person's head back while they fixated on a crucifix and they'd fall to the ground (well, into the arms of nearby people anyway). I suspect he had unwittingly stumbled across the technique, plus there was massive social pressure to undergo the experience so it worked pretty flawlessly.
swee'pea99
Squire
You wouldn't think so if you saw it. Some of the things the one I saw did were literally inexplicable otherwise. For example, he told one bloke he was as rigid as an iron bar. Then he put two chairs on the stage, about five foot apart, and got a couple of volunteers to lift this guy up and rest him on the two chairs - one under the back of his head, t'other supporting his heels - so he was a kind of human bridge. That was amazing. Then he got a woman to come out and sit on his stomach...barq said:
Piemaster
Guru
- Location
- UK City of Culture
Please, please someone take bonj up on his offer.
When he's under get him to put mudguards on his bikes.
When he's under get him to put mudguards on his bikes.
Regarding stage hypnosis: I have never witnessed the 'human plank trick' (as described above) except on TV (probably there is a youtube somewhere), but I have heard of it many times. I am still sceptical about it. I believe that a reasonably fit person can make his body, if properly supported, far more rigid than the audience might suppose: perhaps someone skilled in anatomy (or PE!) can enlarge on this?
My own recollections of witnessed stage hypnosis are far more mundane. For example, on one party occasion, I recall, the 'victim' was planted with a post-hypnotic suggestion to go and wash his hair, on a specified signal from the hypnotist (a sneeze I think it was). The victim duly excused himself, ran to the bathroom, and re-appeared on schedule with his head dripping wet. Trick complete: round of applause for the hypnotist. But I'm still not convinced about that one!
My own recollections of witnessed stage hypnosis are far more mundane. For example, on one party occasion, I recall, the 'victim' was planted with a post-hypnotic suggestion to go and wash his hair, on a specified signal from the hypnotist (a sneeze I think it was). The victim duly excused himself, ran to the bathroom, and re-appeared on schedule with his head dripping wet. Trick complete: round of applause for the hypnotist. But I'm still not convinced about that one!
John Ponting
Guru
- Location
- Herts
parnes said:
Didn't you feel a prick ?
col
Legendary Member
ColinJ said:I hypnotised myself into stopping smoking when I was about 23! I was sat in the pub with my mates and having about my 10th ciggie of the night when I suddenly thought "Why am I doing this to myself? I am not a smoker! I am not a smoker, I am not a smoker..."
So, I picked up my packet of cigarettes, tore them up and that was that...
A year later, I hypnotised myself into starting smoking! I was sitting in the same pub with my mates and realised that it was exactly a year since I had come to the conclusion that I was not a smoker. My friend was on about his 10th ciggie of the night and I found myself staring at the glow on the end of it. "I am a smoker, I am a smoker, I am a smoker..." I lunged for his packet, took one out and lit up!
It took me another year to give up again!
Aha, see how powerful this hypnosis stuff is? We had better be carefull, or we might be able to do allsorts of things we want to do.
