hypnosis process and treatment

The ever controversial therapist tool will forever be the use of hypnosis. Many will argue they are none other than a parlor trick or some sort of hoax that catches attention and fools, however others state that they can be very powerful if used correctly and by professional. Loosely defined, hypnosis is a procedure in which a hypnotist will induce a patient in a relaxed state and suggest certain changes that can help the patient alter and hopefully change certain behaviors they wish to ‘fix.’ These behaviors mostly consist of mental states such as perceptions, thoughts, feelings, but can also include sensations like pain (168). The theoretical idea of hypnosis is based upon personal opinion and belief at this point in time. The strength and effectiveness is all up to the eye of the beholder.
More Background Info
The idea of hypnosis is sometimes taken out of context and certain patients do not take effect to the treatment quite as easily as others or sometimes don’t take affect at all for reasons unknown. Many times the process will be a test to understand the performance of or the inability to perform certain acts while in the relaxed state of hypnosis. Before one can conceive the main point of the treatment or process, the misconceptions should be noted. Most researchers will discredit the idea of increased memory, the idea that the induced perform acts requested against their will, nor will it make one re-experience long ago events (168-169). The main point and purpose is to help psychological and medical problems. The process begins with the reassurance of relaxation and sometimes the concentration on colors or objects to put the patients in the desired mellow state. Once induced, pain management is a task of hypnosis to control. People with burns, cancer, women in childbirth, people with stress or anxiety, along with obese people and so forth will participate in a lesser stereotypical sort of hypnosis which helps them manage these pains or psychological problems.
Dissociation
One of the main ideas of what goes on during a hypnotic state would be classified as disassociation. An easy way to think of the radical idea is when one’s consciousness splits into two parts. One part of the brain listens and the other acts involuntarily to the one observing. A well known experiment done by Ernest Hilgard involved hypnotized subjects placing their arms into what would be painfully freezing water for any normal conscious mind. The subjects, once aware of their surroundings again, claimed to not feel discomfort (169-170). The idea is that the subject is split between the observer’s words and their own personal control of the situation.
Sociocognitive
The next most widely regarded theory as to explaining hypnosis is sociocognitive. In order to be induced, it strictly relies on one’s own belief in the possibility of hypnosis. A patient who firmly believes in the idea along with the influence of a hypnotist will affect the output. This idea is similar to one who leads a role play (170). The patient will typically have unexplained dreams or puzzling symptoms that they are looking for answers and once in these hypnotic states the role leader can try to work around finding the cause or purpose and analyze it.
Treatment by hypnosis will vary and seem notable similar to a stress management to a hoax in which men will walk around and quack. Influence and affectivness are credited by personal belief. There are many arguments against it, with researchers that still agree it can be affective. Through disassociation or sociocognitive, there are still unanswered questions out there that still leave it hard to fully deny the skeptics of the mind wandering experimentation.