View Full Version : Hypnosis Stage Show Ethics
Poodle
08-26-2009, 07:12 PM
Recently saw a video of a stage show hypnotist who had his "participants" believing that his belt was a nasty snake and he would "torment these victims" by shaking his belt at, near and by them. They were screeching, jumping and running in terror and fear.
I am wondering about the ethics of this as many people have snake phobias and if not a full blown phobia, a really deep fear as many snakes are really dangerous.
No doubt about the fact it showed how powerful hypnosis is but I can't "see" doing this to people unless they had been prescreened and if prescreened would the show have the same results? This was in the USA, btw.
Comments appreciated. Pood
I can't see that there's ever a need to terrorize people unless you're part of Al Qaeda or a talk radio host.
On the other hand, where do you draw the line? There is a common skit where the hypnotist tells someone that he or she only speaks Martian. Then they try to communicate and the person speaking Martian is talking gibberish. The hypnotist then tell another person that they're the only person who can translate Martian and English, and the "interpret" what the Martian speaker is saying. Everyone laughs and laughs, both at the gibberish and at the translation.
But what if the person speaking Martian has trouble communicating and thinks that nobody understands them. Couldn't this make things worse?
Another popular skit is the hypnotists telling someone that their butt is missing. The hypnotized person can't sit down and ends up running all over looking for their butt. Everyone laughs. But (no pun intended) what if the person has body issues about the size of their bottom, thinking that it's already too small or too large? Couldn't this make things worse?
In fact, if you do just about anything that is funny, it's quite possible that it could have an effect on someone. That's why during quality trainings hypnotists are taught to remove all suggestions and to suggest that the "actors" feel great about having responded to them during the show.
Natura
08-27-2009, 03:02 AM
In my opinion the point of Stage hypnosis should be fun for everybody. Sometimes little fear is good but at the end everybody should feel good and should have new good memories.
Connie
08-27-2009, 07:58 AM
Love this topic!! To me, a big difference is participant expectation, and agreement. The shows I've seen, people VOLUNTEER to participate. They are eager for the experience, and often know in quite specific detail what to expect. (They've seen the show before.)
What disturbed me when I observed it is one stage hypnotist who pulls people out of the audience who "succumb" to the induction while safely tucked away in their chair in the back of the auditorium--and the hypnotist (while they're still in trance) just brings them up on stage. They never volunteered. They never agreed. Consciously. Where's the consent?
I also had a chat with a hypnotist who has a skit of men giving birth. He has them writhing on the floor in pain and encourages them to "scream louder." I don't like that skit. It's nasty. The frame is: women, you're going to love this, it's good revenge. He assured me (with absolutely no qualms) that the pain is REAL, and yes, the men are aching and have sore muscles for some time afterwards.
Every profession has it's ethical practitioners, and the not so ethical. Stage hypnosis is no different.
Connie
08-27-2009, 07:58 AM
I can't see that there's ever a need to terrorize people unless you're part of Al Qaeda or a talk radio host.
I love you, Don. :)
Merlin
08-27-2009, 09:31 AM
was there consent first?
Merlin
08-27-2009, 10:52 AM
I also had a chat with a hypnotist who has a skit of men giving birth. He has them writhing on the floor in pain and encourages them to "scream louder." I don't like that skit. It's nasty. The frame is: women, you're going to love this, it's good revenge. He assured me (with absolutely no qualms) that the pain is REAL, and yes, the men are aching and have sore muscles for some time afterwards.
Every profession has it's ethical practitioners, and the not so ethical. Stage hypnosis is no different.
imagined pain
nerve structure is different from us
they have no parts to hurt
Connie
08-27-2009, 11:08 AM
My unconscious mind just chimed in with: all pain is imagined pain.
I don't know what that means exactly, and I'm not sure I agree, but I feel compelled to type the words, and I'll think about it. :)
Merlin
08-27-2009, 12:22 PM
My unconscious mind just chimed in with: all pain is imagined pain. :)
sure, but a man wouldn't know what a uterus would feel like:eek:
sure, but a man wouldn't know what a uterus would feel like:eek:
No, but he could imagine it! :meow: :eek:
Merlin
08-27-2009, 01:06 PM
No, but he could imagine it! :meow: :eek:
exactly what i said
''imagined pain
nerve structure is different from us''
Poodle
08-27-2009, 04:13 PM
for my question and consented to "what" specifically (1) to be hypnotized and/or (2) what exactly do you think and feel about snakes in general? If participants had no real fear of the "snake", there would not have been a show. Oh humm, so boring, just an ordinary little snake that hurts no one. Drop it in your lap or wrap it around your neck. I "think" this person is one of the bigger names playing in that world.
Poodle
10-02-2009, 01:02 PM
I was very polite and very nice. I know that can be difficult to believe. The response was that it would have ruined the participants reactions to the hypno-snake had they any suspicion of there being one prior.
So, IMHO, even tho the show was fabulous and totally entertaining, it could have led to a complete and utter disaster. I did not ask how often this "routine" was used.
Something I'll store in my mind and maybe use when the time arrives but ethically, of course.
Pood