Have You Ever Been Hypnotized?

[RickJ]

I hold the power to fondle you all. Maybe I already have, you would never know!

Yeah, you bastard, you made Squinky vomit... ;}

[Pesty]

I hold the power to fondle you all. Maybe I already have, you would never know!

Yeah, you bastard, you made Squinky vomit... ;}

He enjoyed it! Or so I made him think!

[TerranRich]

A lot of the group hypnosis things are jokes... the way it works in these big production shows is that once on the stage, the hypnosis quietly, quickly explains that you just pretend to be hypnotized and do what he says. Otherwise if you don't want to play along with the game, just walk off the stage.

It allows people the chance to do anything they want and out-of-character things and not regret it, because after all, they were under hypnosis.

The people don't spoil the secret, of course, otherwise that could be quite embarassing for them...

Now I'm not saying that all group hypnosis is like this, just some. There IS such a thing as real hypnosis, don't get me wrong...

This is a very interesting -- although innacurate -- point of view. Do you know this for a fact? I've talked to people that have been to those group hypnosis things and I've seen them myself. Usually, if a person finds him/herself not under hypnosis anymore, they are quietly told to go back to the audience. I've known people that, to this day, claim that they were really under and I know for a fact would never do the things they did in front of an audience.

The way you put it, it sounds like one giant conspiracy.

[vict0r]

I've talked to people that have been to those group hypnosis things and I've seen them myself. Usually, if a person finds him/herself not under hypnosis anymore, they are quietly told to go back to the audience.

...the hypnosis quietly, quickly explains that you just pretend to be hypnotized and do what he says. Otherwise if you don't want to play along with the game, just walk off the stage.

Terran: Why is your explenation better that Geoffs? His version actually makes more sense.

The way you put it, it sounds like one giant conspiracy.

It's called making money.

[TerranRich]

Yes, but vict0r, that is suggested that every person (or nearly every person) who has ever been in a hypnosis group was told to perpetuate a lie.

I know it makes more sense to believe that hypnosis is phony. But can you honestly say that a large majority of the people who have participated in hypnosis groups are lying to everybody to help some stranger make money? I'm sorry, but I've seen hypnosis at work. It's a powerful tool, something explainable by science.

[Squinky]

And it is useful for Bank robberys apparently....

And Pesty, is that why I keep finding my shirt untucked?

[MrColossal]

They aren't lying. They are caught up in it and are told that what they are experiencing is hypnosis so therefore they equate what they are doing with hypnosis "Why did I just make out with my shoe? Oh I'm hypnotized!" "Why did you make out with your shoe?" "I was hypnotized!" That's not lying, that's being misdirected I guess...

as the Amazing Randi puts it:

"In any case, hypnosis is merely an agreement between the subject and the operator that they will fantasize together, nothing more. It may well have some limited value as a psychiatric tool, but it's not a "power," it's not a "force," it's a role-playing game"

http://www.fmsfonline.org/hypnosis.html

some interesting stuff in here

And Pesty, is that why I keep finding my shirt untucked?

Yea.... Pesty is the reason for that... yea.....

[Squinky]

This is somehow going to get back to the brown banana subjest isn't it?

[vict0r]

It's a powerful tool, something explainable by science.

So is the opposite

[Pesty]

This is somehow going to get back to the brown banana subjest isn't it?

Now now, I can't change the color of anyone's penis through hypnosis. If I could, I think I'd probably be the most powerful woman in the world.

[TerranRich]

This is a very important thing to note, from the site Eric linked to:

For instance, a common hypnotic item is the suggestion that an arm is stiff and rigid, and impossible to bend no matter how hard the hypnotized person tries. It is very difficult, on the sole basis of observing the behavior, to differentiate a person who truly believes that the arm is impossible to bend at the elbow, no matter how hard s/he tries, from a person who complies with the suggestion, in full knowledge that s/he can bend the arm.

I think this is very important to pay attention to. What he is saying is that there are some who knowingly comply with the suggestion, and others that truly believe the suggetsion is truth.

Is that not the definition of hypnosis? To be convinced that what is suggested is the truth and to believe it? Role-playing or not, it's still hypnosis.

[Helm]

Uh, please don't take the crap I write there seriously ^_^ It's my shit-talking outlet!

Oh ok, hypocrisy's cool with me.


^_^

[lo_res_man]

i know for a fact that hypnotisem works. how? well i hypnotized my self once. to see if it worked, i told my self to erm... to get an erection. ( sorry bout that) and you know what it worked!( notthing to be proud of)i was not fanizizing or any thing. but i was able to suggest that to myself. so nno its not a trick, and its a real (but weird )FACT

[Squinky]

Yes, the fact that you can pop a boner proves hypnotisms ultimate power....

[IM NOT TEH SPAM]

I've said it before, but i was once hypnotized by "Captain Muchly Drinks Bleach".  I couldn't even control myself.  I got up, walked towards the door, and then just collapsed on the floor and passed out for a second.

[Matt Damon]

as the Amazing Randi puts it:

"In any case, hypnosis is merely an agreement between the subject and the operator that they will fantasize together, nothing more. It may well have some limited value as a psychiatric tool, but it's not a "power," it's not a "force," it's a role-playing game"

And Pesty, is that why I keep finding my shirt untucked?

Be carefull not to falsely associate the Amazing Randi (a stage magician, not research scientist) and his band of Ayn Rand loving "objectivists" with scientists.  Real science takes multiple samples and examine them with a coherent, consistent method and state only the observations.

The "skeptics" take observed phenomena and slap on ad hoc interpretations that simply assume alternative interpretations, often without building any controll features.

Although the skeptics and Randi have unmasked more than one fraud, often it is with very poor methodology--they say "It could be done way X, and way X fits with our "objectivist" worldview  therefore it MUST be done way X"--many of their arguments are akin to saying the moon landing could be faked and would have been less expensive and more "believable" if faked--therefore, it was faked.

It was difficult for me to reject the skeptics society because they fight for a lot of things I believe in, anti-psedoscience, pro evolution, etc., but with my friend close to finishing his Sociology MA, and telling me a lot more about the scientific method and research in general, it has become apparent (especially after watching the first season of Penn and Teller's show "Bullshit") that the method used by Randi and others, while sometimes dramatically effective, is only scientific in the sense that blogging is award-winning journalism.

That's all I have to say though--there is plenty of scientific evidence showing that hypnotism is effective--though the past-lives and repressed memories stuff is highly questionable.

[MrColossal]

I don't see where I ever associated Randi with a scientist and The Amazing Randi is a hero of both Penn and Teller. And Bullshit, while awesome and entertaining, has the responsibility to be entertaining over informative so I don't see why I would have to question Randi's methods and not Bullshit's.

humbug

[Andail]

It was difficult for me to reject the skeptics society

Which society is this, pray? Hasn't the term "skeptic" - ever since the ancient days of Pyrrho - been used to loosely describe a kind of personality? You make it sound like a very homogenous group of people who have a local office in your town.

That's all I have to say though--there is plenty of scientific evidence showing that hypnotism is effective--though the past-lives and repressed memories stuff is highly questionable.

Repressed memories is one area where hypnotism has shown to be the most effective. Now, being a skeptic myself, I must add that I don't believe in the sort of hypnotism that makes Uncle Scrooge give his lucky coin to Magica De Spell, or, for that matter, that stuff TerranRich is doing to his girlfriend.

But as a psychological routine, carefully supervised and by mutual consent, it is widely used and accepted.

[Helm]

And not what most people thing it is. The effect is one of a very calmed and relaxed trance, quite shallow and easily broken if not cultivated over extended sessions and based on trust. Not hardcore YOU WILL DO AS I SAY YOU ARE FEELING MOIST YES MASTER MM FUCK ME NOW type of deal. Too much hollywood.

[InCreator]

...and easily broken if not cultivated over extended sessions and based on trust. Not hardcore YOU WILL DO AS I SAY YOU ARE FEELING MOIST YES MASTER MM FUCK ME NOW type of deal.

...Is it... true?

*sigh*

Another thing off from my "to learn someday" list...  :'(