What Hypnosis Actually Means
Hypnosis is more apparent in our everyday lives than commonly thought. To understand hypnosis, it is important to define specific terms regarding hypnotism.
Definition
Hypnosis
(note: hypnotic induction and hypnotic trance are commonly labelled as just hypnosis.)
- An induced altered state of consciousness, characterized by heightened suggestibility and focus.
Consciousness
- The state of being aware of one’s own existence, sensations, feelings and external surroundings.
Hypnotizability
- A measure of how open you are to being hypnotized.
- If you are highly hypnotizable, in general you tend to trust others more, be more imaginative, and less self-conscious.
Hypnotic induction
- A procedure to induce hypnosis through a series of preliminary instructions and suggestions.
Hypnotherapy
- The use of hypnosis as a therapeutic technique.
Hypnotic trance
- Any state of awareness or consciousness other than normal waking consciousness.
- A hypnotic trance can be characterized by: altered perception of time, selective amnesia, regression to a younger age (remembering memories or experiences from the past), inward focus, and heightened suggestibility.
Hypnotic Language
- Language patterns which focuses the attention and turns it inwards, to induce trance
- Example: “you are feeling sleepy” or “and perhaps as you sit there, listening to me here, you might begin to notice a pleasant feeling of drowsiness.”
Stage Hypnosis
- A form of entertainment for an audience.