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Although car insurance has been used for centuries as a powerful means 4chan influencing and directing human behavior, many features of this ancient art are still shrouded in mystery. Today Hypnotism is widely used in the successful treatment of a wide range of physical and emotional disorders.
Hypnotism definitely works! But why it works and how it works are questions that have never been satisfactorily answered. Scientists Saturdaymorning this day have been unable to provide an explanation for the unusual state of "heightened suggestibility" that is a feature of the hypnotic state. The precise nature of hypnotism is still unknown.
Hypnotism has been used for in the East for at least forty centuries. In ancient Egypt it formed part of religious ceremonies and was used to cure a number of illnesses. The cures were attributed to the influence of various Gods, but there is little doubt that hypnotism was responsible for these cures.
It was only in the 1700's. that the full impact of hypnotism was felt in the West. This was due to the remarkable influence of Mesmer, who astounded the whole of Europe with his miraculous medical cures.
The influence of Mesmer and his theory of "animal magnetism"
Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician who studied medicine in Vienna, achieved astonishing success in curing people of a great variety of illnesses. He claimed these cures had been achieved with the aid of a mysterious magnetic fluid he was able to radiate which he termed "animal magnetism".
Mesmer claimed he was able to direct this magnetic fluid and cure any illness. He achieved such extraordinary success that his fame spread throughout Europe. "Mesmerism" became synonymous with the strange power he possessed which enabled him to induce a hypnotic trance in patients and cure illnesses.
The success that Mesmer achieved was so exceptional he aroused the antagonism of the orthodox medical community and was bad credit remortgages to leave Austria for the more liberated scientific atmosphere of Paris. He continued his medical career in France using "animal magnetism" as the means of inducing the hypnotic state and achieved the same outstanding success.
A royal commission discredits Mesmer and "animal magnetism".
In 1784 a royal commission was set up to investigate Mesmer's claim that the forces of "animal magnetism" were responsible for his amazing cures. The commission, of which Benjamin Franklin was a member, came to the conclusion that the cures were definitely genuine. But they were very critical of Mesmer's theory of "animal magnetism". They could find North Carolina Lemon Laws evidence that the fluid he referred to as "animal magnetism" existed.
The commission was unable to provide a satisfactory alternative to Mesmer's theory of "animal magnetism". They concluded it was brought about by .."by some as yet undetermined means".
As a result of the unfavorable publicity Mesmer was forced to abandon his practice and retired to Switzerland, where he died in comparative obscurity in 1815. To his dying day he steadfastly refused to abandon his theory of "animal magnetism".
The theory of "animal magnetism" is replaced with "suggestive therapeutics"
The study of hypnotism continued in France and spread to the rest of Europe. It was used extensively in the cure of a variety of illnesses. In the 1800's a number of major operations were carried out by the English physician James Esdaile, who used hypnotism as an anesthetic.
The idea of a magnetic fluid which Mesmer had introduced was abandoned and replaced with the concept of suggestive therapeutics. This is the generally accepted attitude towards hypnotism that persists today.
It is interesting to note that recently there has been a revival of interest in Mesmer's theory of "animal magnetism". Various scientific papers have suggested that there may have been some substance for Mesmer's theory that "animal magnetism" is in some way a contributory factor in inducing the hypnotic state.
The attitude of modern-day medicine towards hypnotism.
Modern medical authorities and psychologists describe hypnotism as.... "a temporary condition, artificially induced, which results in a state of heightened suggestibility. In this state the subject will accept suggestions made by the hypnotist and form images which are not dependent on the senses".
If you have ever witnessed a demonstration of hypnosis by a stage hypnotist you will have seen evidence of hypnotized subjects responding to suggestions in a manner which complete ignores their sense of touch, sight, hearing, smell or taste. Their response to these suggestions is the result of their "heightened suggestibility".
A typical example of this is when the hypnotist gives hypnotized subjects a glass of water to drink and suggests it is whiskey. The subjects ignore their normal sense of taste and accept the suggestion that the liquid is whiskey. They drink the water and show symptoms of intoxication.
There are numerous other instances where the subject is persuaded to form mental images which bear no relationship to their normal senses. The hypnotist may suggest that a sweet smelling flower has a very unpleasant odor. The subjects accept the suggestion, disregard their normal sense of smell, and respond with disgust to the imagined foul odor.
Similar suggestions can be given to hypnotized subjects to create powerful images which are not dependent on their sense of feeling. The hypnotist can suggest to subjects that they are in a bitterly cold blizzard. The subjects will react to this suggestion and show physical symptoms of suffering from intense cold.
The hypnotist is able to direct and influence the behavior of subjects by persuading - or "inducing" them to use their imagination to create powerful mental images. When subjects respond to the mental images which the hypnotist has persuaded them to create, their subconscious adjusts to these images and disregards the influence of their senses.
Although it is generally agreed that it is not possible to influence people in a hypnotic trance, to act in a way contrary to their moral code, there appear to be differences of opinion with regard to the power a trained hypnotist can have to influence people's opinions, especially when they do not have strong feeling about a particular subject.
The behavior of people in a crowd, in a mass political rally for example, when they are influenced by a powerfully persuasive speaker and the mass action of others, is similar in certain respects to a hypnotic trance. There is a school of thought that holds the view that certain forms of hypnotism can be used, in similar fashion, to direct people's behavior.
To find out more about the mysterious power of hypnotism and hypnotic techniques that can be used to persuade people to act in a certain way go to the following site:
www.expertfreeadvice.com/hypnotismadvice.htm">www.expertfreeadvice.com/hypnotismadvice.htm
Dennis Fisher is managing director of financial and investment Companies. In addition to his involvement in many areas of business, his interests include an in-depth study of hypnotism and various schools of practical psychology.