Dr

[Insight]

I am a neuropsychologist trying to understand the intricacies of hypnosis. I know that suggestibility varies from person to person along a spectrum. The phenomenon I am particularly focused on is the capacity of the hypnotist to turn the conscious awareness system of a subject/patient on and off simply with commands "wake" and "sleep".

Does suceptibility to these wake/sleep suggestions vary along the usual spectrum, or is the conscious awareness system of every person open to this suggestion either immediately, or as part of a trance deepening process?

[skip]

Not sure I can answer your question as asked.

How about I talk for a bit around the questions and see if I can make some sense?

Everyone is suggestable, completely. Everyone is hypnotizable, no exceptions.

However, everyone responds to suggestions differently.

If I were to make up some standardized induction script and deliver it to people in the same way (this has been done) you would see suggestability responses describe a bell curve.

However if I were to use the same hypnotic elements, used in the script, but tailor them according to the ongoing responses of the subject, you would see 100% hypnotizability.

Turning 'conscious awareness' "on and off" with commands is more of a conditioned response. Once a subject is "taught" how to go into trance, and thats easy to do, because we go into and out of trance all the time, you can ask a subject to simply "go", and they will, if they have the desire to.

And turning the conscious "on and off" is somewhat of a misnomer, your conscious never "turns off", as in unconscious, it is more as if it is off somewhre enguaged in something and simply not paying attention. Functionally I suppose that is the same as "turned off", but neurologically I feel sure it isnt.

The definition, that perhaps most agree on, is that hypnosis is the "bypassing of the critical faculty and the establishment of selective thinking". This can be done in the "waking state", and it can be done with either 'instant' or prolonged induction processes.

Did that help any?

skip

[Merlin]

Hello,

Just another angle. (BTW, good answer Skip)

>I am particularly focused on is the capacity of the hypnotist to turn the conscious awareness system of a subject/patient on and off...

Conscious awareness doesn't get turned on/off with hypnosis, but it does get reduced with 'trance'.
This answer may seem confusing, but what you do makes a great deal of difference as to the results you get.

Reading old Erickson papers, his subjects would have less conscious awareness. Reading Elman, what he did would not reduce conscious awareness.

>simply with commands "wake" and "sleep"

Those words have *nothing* to do with hypnosis.
Hypnosis may be done silently, without any words spoken.

Wake & sleep are simply good one-syllable words which are easily recognised.

Personally I use 'emerge' & 'go' more often than "wake" and "sleep".

>Does suceptibility to these wake/sleep suggestions vary along the usual spectrum

No because the words are irrelevant.
You can tell a person 'sleep' until the cows come home with no effect, or you can hypnotise someone without any words spoken.

[Terry (existing)]

From the symplicity of your comments, it would seem that you know as little about hypnosis as I know about your field of expertise, which is nothing. I have a suggestion however, since I suspect you are interested in inducting hypnosis into your practise if it seems to have value, as is likely. Why not find a competent practitioner locally, and invite them to demonstrate what hypnosis can do to assist your patients. This offers the cnance to see an actual demonstration, and if it proves of use, you have a skilled person to work with you, or you can if you wish, take a training under that person. Any competent practitioner would likely accept your offer, and if they didn't, I would suspect them of lacking skill, and not up to the cnallenge....If perchance I am wrong and your interest is not for application to your practise, I stand corrected, but still suggest you consult a local......

[Terry (existing)]

Some old stuff you might find of interest, try http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/james/principles/prin27.htm.

[Terry (existing)]

Some old stuff you might find of interest, try http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/james/principles/prin27.htm. correction, what follows /james, should read /principles/prin sorry