Very interesting thought, using hypnosis to forget a fun experience to re experience

[The Mentalist]

I'm sure it's possible to make someone forget something using hypnosis? With that being said, fun things like a movie or a tv series are the most fun when they are new, and hardly any fun after several times, so couldn't you use hypnosis to forget the movie or series, and watch it over and over as if it were the first time?

[norbert]

Certainly possible but I would think not helpful. I think that one should focus on increasing choices rather than limiting them. So taking away experiences is not the thing I would propose. Changing the meaning of an experience on the other hand is.

What if you could change yourself in a way that would bring up the same emotions you had once, any time you remember them again?

[The Mentalist]

So, say I really like a tv show, and have seen each episode several times, you'd propose disconnecting the fun I've already had from it? I think forgetting would be best, more suspense and everything :p .

[The Mentalist]

What if you could change yourself in a way that would bring up the same emotions you had once, any time you remember them again? is that possible through hypnosis? Or is that more NLP?

[Merlin]

Hypnosis cannot make you forget. Memories are always there.
But hypnosis can prevent conscious recall which is just as good :)

[The Mentalist]

Even better, in case I want to restore the memories I could. Can anyone see anything wrong with making myself not be able to consciously recall my favorite tv show so I could watch it again with all the original suspense and everything?

[SarahJean]

Well it's an interesting thought. Not something I would do myself, but if you're only doing it to yourself then I guess you can do what you like. I wouldn't advise doing it to other people though....

[Steve]

hello,

I wonder, could the mind get tired or unsure of what is expected? could there be unforseen consequences to this long term?

[norbert]

smiles, from an NLP perspective (if something like this exists) hypnosis is a technique used to achieve results like other techniques as well. NLP is a way to model (program) techniques to achieve outcomes. So, from that point of view hypnosis is something a modeler might use (Milton model) to develop a technique. NLP is not a therapy. NLP models therapies (and other things) by describing the process and states that knowing the process is the way to achieve the outcome over and over again without the need to know the content.

[norbert]

As so often, Merlin gets to the bottom line *S*

[The Mentalist]

Well it's an interesting thought. Not something I would do myself, but if you're only doing it to yourself then I guess you can do what you like. I wouldn't advise doing it to other people though....lol why would you advise I do it to myself but not other people?

[The Mentalist]

I can't see how this would have side effects, but can anyone elaborate? I'd love to do it if it didn't have side effects.

[skip]

The times I have tried this, for exactly the reasons you list, as well as others, I have met with mixed results.

Say you would want to re-enjoy the movie "Titanic" without the fore knoweledge that the ship is going to sink.

You can ask your unconscious to prevent conscious recall of the movie or anything associated with the movie, and your unconscious recognizing the desire, the importance, which you attach to this desire, will generally comply.

Then as you are watching the movie, you are eagerly trying to anticipate what is going to happen. The unconscious recognizing the now, 'new desire' to "know" begins to offer hints, and finally will "give up" the whole package.

At least that is the explanation I offer for what seems to happen.

Trying to forget movies, tv shows, etc, so they can be enjoyed again, without foreknoweledge, has not worked out in a completely satisfactory way.

Other attempts involving 'changing history' do work, and work well.

One instance of reliving a first time sexual deflowering, for example worked very well. The young lady in question had a very poor 'first time' and she wanted to have a different "history". She and her husband were successful at achieving what she wanted.

My theory is that her desire about the experience never changed, and as a result the unconscious is 'satisfied' with continuing with the 'false mamory', as if it were real.

See the unconsicious doesnt care if something is true or not. Fantasy is just as real as reality. But the unconscious will try to protect you, sometimes in some very odd (non logical) ways. AND the unconscious will try to supply what you earnestly desire, again according to its own logic.

So memories can be changed, and or the meaning transformed, but it isnt a simple 'erase the black board', proceedure, you are working in cooperation with something that has its own intelligence, and sense of what's appropriate.

Hope that helps.

[Unregistered]

I would like to know if it would be possible to use hypnosis to forget about a person that has caused pain in your life? If not forget, then at least suppress the memories and prevent them from being associated with day to day activities.

[Don]

I would like to know if it would be possible to use hypnosis to forget about a person that has caused pain in your life? If not forget, then at least suppress the memories and prevent them from being associated with day to day activities.

This is a very popular question on hypnosis boards. Being hurt by another is a common experience in our lives, and so is the desire to get over that hurt.

But although there is pain, there is also something else: learnings. You learned how you react to such situations. You learned how other people react to you. If you talked to others, you learned about who cared for you. In short, you grew as a person, even though it was painful.

If you were to remove or surpress the memories, you would lose all of those learnings and much more.

But that doesn't mean we should live in pain! Rather, it means that several events have occured and you attribute "pain" to some of them. The key, then, is not to get rid of the memory, but to get rid of associating pain with those memories. Keep the learnings; get rid of the negative associations.

Any good hypnotherapist should be able to help you do this quickly, easily, and inexpensively.

[Merlin]

Using hypnosis to 'forget' creates undesired consequences.
Someone will mention the person, but you've forgot. You say WHO?? with a puzzled look on your face, your friend says, you know the person <blah blah...>
This will continue as everyone else remembers but you don't. It's enough to drive one insane!

A better solution is to keep the memory, but release the emotions from that memory.

A good NLP pratitioner or a good hypnotist can help.

[The Mentalist]

Right but Merlin, those undesireable consequences wouldn't affect someone wanting to forget a Xena episode :p . It seems like the only reason to keep these memories is to keep the learning, but since I'd just watch the tv show / movie over I'd learn it again anyway heh.

[Unregistered]

Mentalist, i understand your intention, and that is to use hypnosis for recreationalism, which most practisioners ae very serious and beleive themselves great healers, and almost unconsiously and unavoiably take offense to any other use for it, and are so engendered by the mechanics, and consistency, and diciplined tringent constraints of its function protection of the art, and use. Merlin, has an unwavering voutlook which is consistent and unchanging,m for what u should use hypnosis for. which is self betterment, not to play around andplay with it. I like your idea it's flexible, and could create real inovations in the art, which is so mokked up with superstition and protocal.
- Dav

[Annie]

Hi Dav,

I can both understand, as well as agree in large measure, with your perspective.
Yet -
I think you may have mis-perceived what Merlin is about, if I understand this woman correctly.

1. After 30 years in Medicine, I just smile at the Doc-establishment thinking themselves "a great Healer".
Now, don't get me wrong, when it comes to "Emergency doctoring", they've got some schtuff available, that if you ever (God forbid ! ) had a need for it, you would be smart taking advantage of; just a very few things, mind you !
Yet, it's a rare Doc, willing to admit : "People heal themselves", and it's the *same* thing for Alternative practitioners, choosing taking similar offense;
and
Hypnotists : we serve as "Tour-guides" to what/how a person came to make a decision to : develop prenatally Deformed; or develop diabetically, or make their heart dis-eased, or start cancer-ing, etc. And we can share with them, the few simple (self-Remedies = which every baby knows, actually) ... yet, in the end, the person gets to decide what/how they will live their life, and as soon as they decide to *self-Heal*, that "self-Betterment" -decision will manifest itself in a new Bodily-representation :)

2. Same thing for anything else, even more fun like : "Hypereading" : Lord ! imagine skipping those agonizingly boring 12 yrs. of US-public schooling plus more years of college, and finishing that drugdery in about 2 years :) : Heck,
how else would you prefer spending your valuable, precious time ?:
how about a Sport-involvement, (using *hypnosis*) leading to another Gold-medal :D, or -
changing some of your Body-shapes for some other reasons, or
what other playful recreational Hypnosis uses (of course, always remember : 1st. do no harm) can you think of "creating real innovations" ? Go for it !

Using our unwavering-flexible outlook, we are so playfully involved, continuously ! :D

Annie

[Don]

Right but Merlin, those undesireable consequences wouldn't affect someone wanting to forget a Xena episode :p . It seems like the only reason to keep these memories is to keep the learning, but since I'd just watch the tv show / movie over I'd learn it again anyway heh.

If you were in an air-tight black box, and all you did was watch Xena over and over with no commercials and never communicating with anyone or anything (i.e., looking out the window or reading a newspaper), you would be correct.

But whether you watch a heartbreaking documentary or light fluff like Xena (and that's not meant as an insult, I like Xena and Buffy, etc.), those experiences will have an effect and color everything you do and experience from then on. The learnings are not just the direct experience. They are the resulting experiences. They form a long line--sometimes called a "gestalt"--that forms your current reality.

Take away the memories, and you lose all context of that gestalt.

Besides, I think Xena deserves to be remembered! ;)

[The Mentalist]

If you think about it though, and losing only what is learned by the episode (is that the only consequence?) wouldn't it be worth being slightly less enlightened (only until you see it again of course) for all of the fun it adds to be surprised, etc? Being happy is good for your body :) .