Hypnosis

[Doc. Mentalist S.]

I recently came up on a topic about hypnosis. Do you think that this method is an effective method. Whether it would to help break a human's habit or aid them in them forgetting selective memories.

Keep in mind that this is a legitimate profession out in the fields.

CG what are your thought on this subject? Ethical or not. Effective or a scam?

Bonus points for Psychology majors and citations!

[Christovski]

Ok my experience of the subject is that it is directly affected by the 'placebo syndrome' so those who believe it will work are way more likely for the technique to work on, than those who are skeptical.  (I am speaking of hypnotism in the general sense)

I've seen a few entertainment type hypnotist acts back in college, and none ever worked on me but I had friends who were affected by the initial 'trance' before the hypnotist picked the people he would be using in his act, and either got really good at lying about it, or actually had their minds affected.  I went in skeptical of the whole thing, and was unaffected. 

I mean, I'm not talking facts or science here, but from my personal experience with hypnotism, it is something that can work if the mind is willing to accept it, just like placebo medication can improve people's health by tricking their mind in a similar fashion.  I don't believe it will ever be something that is 100% effective, or even close to that effective, but sometimes it works.

[Leetgrain]

Yeah, that's definitely the case - those who believe are more prone to being put into a 'trance-like state'.

I remember on TV a few years back, Darren Brown had a special on where he played a sequence of images and animations, so as to make the TV audiences completely stuck/frozen to their chairs. I had a few friends over when it was happening and once it was over most were stuck to their seats and had mixed reactions (Freaking out, amazement, etc), I thought they were joking but they really couldn't move by themselves until a few minutes after.

[Toku]

I agree with the other two that you have to actually go in believing it will work, and not skeptic of it. That being said however, if someone is under a hypnotists trance, and they tell them to do something that breaks said persons moral code (ie. kill someone or other various extremes) that the person will either snap out of the trance, or just sit there not really doing anything.

As for using hypnotism to help access repressed memories, I believe that is something that professional hypnotists, and even therapists can achieve. Since hypnotism is suppose to affect the subconscious mind, you can use the subconscious mind to slip past mental barriers constructed and therefore help people remember things. I have no idea if you could use the same method to help someone repress things, but if i had to guess, I would say probably not.

[Billy]

Ok my experience of the subject is that it is directly affected by the 'placebo syndrome' so those who believe it will work are way more likely for the technique to work on, than those who are skeptical.  (I am speaking of hypnotism in the general sense)

Have you heard of nocebo syndrome?

[Doc. Mentalist S.]

That's a good point, those that want to be hypnotized, like try it out are very susceptible to it.
What what really peaked my interest is hypnotherapy. Being able to go up to the subject, and remove a thought in their minds. Aid them in breaking a habit that they can't help control.

I love the thought of placebos. Studies have shown this method to be very highly effective,
even in today's medicine.