Merlin's FAQ

[markjacobs]

I'm an amateur hypnotist, still very much learning. But the more books I read and the more forums I lurk, the less and less I agree with a lot of the content in Merlin's FAQ. I'm not sure why it's pushed so strongly on this forum considering it doesn't tally with what most hypnotherapists would deem the "accepted facts of hypnosis".

I'll give some examples:

Typically trance and hypnosis are interchangeable terms. In Merlin's FAQ they are defined separately and differently. I appreciate this is highly subjective so a bad example to start with perhaps, but bear with me.

Mesmerism is actually an early form of hypnosis despite what the FAQ says. There was a deliberate move away from calling it mesmerism when the idea of "animal magnetism" fell out of favor. But I don't think there is much dispute about what mesmerism actually was - ie. hypnosis.

Meditation is actually a form of light hypnotic trance. This is a point the FAQ muddles by defining trance and hypnosis as separate states.

I have never come across the term "Relax-o-therapy" elsewhere. Hypnosis is often induced through relaxation, although not always. The FAQ goes way off the rails here.

The FAQ sticks to accepted facts then for a while, before it starts talking about hypnosis changing gene expression. This is fantastical and very much the _opinion_ of Merlin, not scientific fact.

The FAQ defines subconscious as separate to unconscious, despite the first term not being recognized at all by modern psychotherapists. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subconscious#The_.22subconscious.22_and_psychoanal ysis)

My apologies to Merlin but she seems to be confused on many topics. She says in the FAQ that "trigger words" exist which can put anybody into a hypnotic state. That is clearly not true. Trigger words can be created for individuals after conditioning them to recognize the words as triggers, but there is no universal word or set of words that have any hypnotic effect.

And finally the FAQ says that the human body can be changed through the use of hypnosis, especially the soft outward facing tissue. She is referring to changes in eye color, hair color, breast and penis size, eye-sight, etc. I would challenge her to present any scientific evidence that such changes are actually possible using hypnosis.

I don't mean this to be an attack against Merlin who I've seen help many a person here on this forum, but I feel I have to challenge the nonsense her FAQ perpetrates.

I welcome any comments on what I've written (sorry it's so long!).

[Don]

Mark, you make a bunch of claims but don't give any evidence to support your claims. Well, the only support you give is wikipedia. What does Wikipedia say about its own accuracy?




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So your one source admits that it should not be trusted. Now let's look at some of your other claims:

1) "Typically trance and hypnosis are interchangeable terms." Again, you provide no support for this claim in your use of a "weasel word," (typically) means you can simply discount anything that disagrees as being atypical. By the way, here's your source of choice, wikipedia's definition of hypnosis:

Hypnosis is a mental state (according to "state theory") or imaginative role-enactment (according to "non-state theory").[1][2][3][4] It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary instructions and suggestions.[5] Hypnotic suggestions may be delivered by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject, or may be self-administered ("self-suggestion" or "autosuggestion"). The use of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes is referred to as "hypnotherapy", while its use as a form of entertainment for an audience is known as "stage hypnosis".

How is it that there is NO mention of trance? Oh, right. Their answer is atypical.

2) "Mesmerism is actually an early form of hypnosis." Have you actually read ANYTHING about mesmerism? Which books? James Braid observed mesmerism and discovered that he could get the same results using a form of suggestion he called "neurhypnology" which became shortened to "hypnosis." Read some of Mesmer's actual writing and you'll see that his techniques were closer to Reiki or laying on of hands than to hypnotism.

3) "Meditation is actually a form of light hypnotic trance." Well, since you haven't defined meditation, trance, hypnotic trance, or light hypnotic trance, it could be. However, are you aware of the steps of meditation? Do you know the difference between pratyahara and dhyana? Are you aware of the goal of meditation and how it is not related to hypnosis at all?

4) "Relax-o-therapy" is a clever neologism. More important than the term is the meaning behind it, something you seem to have totally missed. Some people, listening to audios or reading books think that if they get really relaxed they are hypnotized. They are not. Suggestions given while a person is relaxed is more akin to positive affirmations than hypnotherapy. However, you add "Hypnosis is often induced through relaxation." This is 100% wrong. Hypnosis is NEVER induced through relaxation. In one of the simplest and most-used forms of inductions, progressive (muscle) relaxation, a person relaxes IN PREPARATION FOR hypnotic induction. A person is put in a relaxed state (usually taking a long time to accomplish this) and then hypnosis is induced.

5) You say that changing gene expression is "not scientific fact." Your evidence for this is...nothing. It is just your "fantastic" opinion.

6) Hypnotherapy is NOT psychotherapy. Why should hypnotists have the same definition of terms as an allied profession? That would be like saying baseball players and football players must have the same definitions of jargon because they're allied professions (sports).

7) You want proof that hypnosis can change physical properties. The fact is, there are an entire range of physiological properties that, at one time, were believed could not be change through the power of the mind. Now it is acknowledged that they can be changed. Classes and devices teach you how to do it. It's called "biofeedback."

Now usually, when someone says, "Prove that hypnosis can do X," I ask why. "What will you do when I provide evidence that hypnosis can do it?" Most responders refuse to give a direct answer to the challenge. So tell you what. I'll make a deal with you. I'll try to provide evidence to support one of those items, let's say hypnosis increasing breast size. If I can provide such evidence, you'll agree to save your money and take an in-person training in hypnosis. That way you'll not be limited to incomplete and inaccurate information. Instead, you can have in-depth knowledge. Of course, I can't make you do this, but I hope you will consider the fact that many of the people here are professionals, not amateurs, and know what they're talking about. With a good in-person training you can discover the truth instead of relying on questionable sources. Here goes:


The evidence of Hypnosis & Breast Enlargement

Excerpt of the Results section of the Willard study:

At the end of 12 weeks, 28% had reached the goal they had set at the beginning of the program and desired no further enlargement.

There were 85% who could tell a significant enlargement in their breasts had been accomplished, and 46% found it necessary to buy a larger brassiere. Forty-two percent had a loss in weight of greater than 4 pounds and still had enlargement of their breasts.

The average increase in circumference was 1.37 inches; the average increase in the vertical measurement was 0.67 inches and the average increase in horizontal measurement was 1.01 inches.... [note: the study was continued past 12 weeks to let those who hadn't reach their goals to do so.]

In this study, 63% of the subjects had had children and complained of pendulous breasts. These subjects expressed a desire to reclaim the fullness and contour of the breasts which they had before the pregnancies. All of these subjects reported they were very pleased with the increase in fullness and firmness of their breasts at the end of the study....

The only two subjects who subjectively felt there had been no significant increase, did have a measurable increase in size. Both subjects had difficulty obtaining the visualizations. All of the subjects reported an increase in firmness of their breasts. All of the subjects who began the study with one breast smaller than the other found them to be equal in size at the end of the twelve weeks.

Scientific Research on Hypnotic Breast Enlargement

Peter H.C. Mutke, M.D. (UCLA) - Submitted research paper on Mental Techniques for Breast Development to the Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, February 28, 1971.

Williams, J.E. conducted research on Stimulation of Breast Growth by Hypnosis. "Journal of Sex Research," 1974, 10:316-326. His thirteen volunteers averaged 2.11 inch increase in the circumference of their breasts (2 cup sizes).

Staib, A.R., and Logan, D.R., Hypnotic Stimulation of Breast Growth. "The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis," 1977, 4:201-208. They repeated Dr. Williams' results with similar results. They also found women's waist size decreased by 1.4 inches. Their follow up study showed that 81% of the breast enlargement was retained several months after the women stopped their visual imagery.

Willard, R. D., Breast enlargement through visual imagery and hypnosis. "The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis," 1977, 4:195-200. Dr Willard used a different technique than Dr. Williams (who used age regression and age progression) and achieved an average 1.44 inch increase in breast size for his 22 volunteers. Every woman had an increase in their breast circumference.

Beran, Roy (a neurologist at Adelaide Children's Hospital, England) presented the results of his study to the February 1979 National Convention of Hypnotherapists in Adelaide. Dr. Beran showed that the breast volume (he measured the breast's cubic displacement of water) more than doubled during the three month hypnosis program.

[Poodle]

To add to what Don wrote, do you know what gene expression is without going thru dear old Wiki? I've only had one client that knew and that client was a RN. Are you a RN or a MD?

Yes, we use the term relax-o-therapy, as too many people rely upon relaxation as a means to achieve a hypnotic trance. It actually BORES a person into trance to escape.

The famous Dave Elman who taught hypnosis to MD's, used relaxation in his induction. "Relax your eyes"; however, the Elman Induction is quite quick and not considered to be relax-o-therapy as it has built in convincers.

Seems as if you looked at book titles without reading the book.

Pood

[skip]

Well that is a brazen hussy of a 'maiden speech' Mark.

I hope you stick around, even if I disagree with you about Merlins FAQ.

skip

[Connie]

You said: "Trigger words can be created for individuals after conditioning them to recognize the words as triggers, but there is no universal word or set of words that have any hypnotic effect."

First half of the sentence: yes! Second half of the sentence: no! Words (and sounds) are massively hypnotic, in and of themselves, and in particular contexts. How about this one in a crowded theater?: "Fire!!"