Just How Real Is Hypnosis, Anyway? - Part I |
From: L. Michael Hall
Meta Reflections – 2010 – #14
March 29, 2010
You may have notice a little comment that I tucked away in the last Meta
Reflection, many did. And quite a few wrote and asked me about it. What did I
really mean by the comment that “too many people think that hypnosis is real”?
How come you don’t refer often to Milton Erickson since he was a key contributor
to NLP? The one I liked best was: What does your unconscious mind think about
hypnosis? :)
First a little historical trip down memory lane. At the beginning, NLP did not
begin with Erickson, but Perls and Satir and as the co-founders attempted to
model “the magic” that they were doing with their words in terms of effecting
tremendous transformation in the lives of people. And they began their modeling
by using two models from Cognitive Psychology. Did you know that? That, by the
way, is why and how NLP is a Cognitive Psychology Model.
First they used Noam Chomsky’s Transformational Grammar (TG). Actually,
Mr. G. was looking for some way to popularize his understanding of TG. Just two
years prior to “The Meta-Model of Language in Therapy” (today simply referred to
as the Meta-Model) Mr. G. wrote with Suzette Haden Guide to Transformational
Grammar: History, Theory, Practice.1 Read that book and discover
for yourself that in it are nearly all of the distinctions in the Meta-Model. So
when John met Richard who was mimicking Perls and Satir, he found a great
context for using and promoting TG.
The second source of NLP in Cognitive Psychology was the extensive use of George
Miller’s Plan and Structure of Behavior (1960) which is where B. & G. got
the TOTE model. And both of these men, George Miller and Noam Chomsky are
credited with founding the Cognitive Psychology Movement in 1956. From modeling
how the original magicians did their magic came the two volumes of The
Structure of Magic (1975, 1976).
It was only after these original formulations of the NLP Model that Bateson
pointed B.&G. to Erickson as someone they should meet. And from this came the
next two books, the two volumes of Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques
of Milton H. Erickson (1976, 1977). Now at first Mr. B. said that
“everything is hypnosis” and Mr. G. said that “nothing is hypnosis.” And they
were both right.
So what is hypnosis and is it real? Hypnosis is simply a state of mind— a highly
focused state of mind. That’s why it is actually an everyday occurrence for
everybody. Hypnosis is also an altered state, again, something that we all
experience everyday. That’s why a trance state of hypnosis occurs when we drive
on the highway, step into an elevator, wait for a traffic light, find a seat in
a movie theater, etc.
Now for the tricky question, Is it real? Ah, “real!” Do you mean that it can be
quantified by the same science that has brought us most of the technological
marvels of the Industrial and Information Ages? Then no, it is not real. We
can’t even prove the existence of the “mind” by quantitative science let alone a
focused or altered mind. Do you mean that the hypnotic state is a subjective
phenomenon that you and I can experience and learn how to experience more fully
to obtain various results? Then yes, it is real in that way.
But NLP is not hypnosis. NLP modeled hypnotic processes, language patterns, and
numerous hypnotic states for healing, psychotherapy, wellness, sports
excellence, and the genius state of flow. NLP as a Communication Model has used,
and continues to use, various hypnotic linguistic and non-linguistic patterns.
All of the 77 NLP Patterns that I put in
The Sourcebook of Magic Volume I are essentially hypnotic processes, so
are the 143 Meta-State patterns in Volume II.
Hypnosis mostly works by words, by language. Yes, there is pacing and leading
using breath and movements and posture. Yet the most powerful hypnotic tool that
you can learn and use lies in language. Now by words you can do all kinds of
magical things. By words you can invite people on various kinds of inner
journeys and that is the power of “hypnotic language patterns.”
We can use words that carry ourselves and others away to wild and wonderful
places— places of enchantment, places of excitement, possibility, wonder, value,
meaning, and sadly, we can also take people to places of mediocrity, boredom,
skepticism, irritation, anger, depression. We can induce all kinds of hypnotic
states.
Yet none of these things or places are real— you can’t call up your favorite
travel agency and book a ticket on United or Lufthansa or Virgin or Singapore
Air. Nor is there a train going there or a Cruise ship. Instead, they are
entities of the mind— “the communication world” (to use Gregory Bateson’s
terminology).
While it is not externally real, hypnosis does describe the very real subjective
states that can enhance or diminish our lives. In fact, given all of the
unresourceful and sabotaging states we humans create and live in, this is why
de-hypnotizing is ever bit as important as hypnotizing (probably more so). After
all, it is by certain words and linguistic expressions that so many people today
are living out various post-hypnotic suggestions that they heard or invented in
childhood which is making their lives living hells: “You’ll never amount to
anything!” “What’s wrong with you? You must be stupid or something!” “You don’t
deserve to succeed!”
How real is hypnosis? Empirically, not real at all. It doesn’t exist.
Subjectively, it is one description, one model, one theory, one way to map out
how our minds-emotions work. It is not a panacea; it can’t do everything. It is
just a way of talking about our states and meta-states. And when you know that,
you know about the power of meta-trance which also isn’t real, but can be a
powerful tool for actualizing your highest and best.
Reference:
1Grinder, John T.; Elgin, Suzette Haden. (1973).
Guide to transformational grammar: History, theory, practice. NY: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, Inc. “We had intended to call this book The
Demystification of Transformational Grammar.” (p. xi)
Author:
L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.
(ISNS) International Society
of Neuro-Semantics
The International Meta-Coach System
P.O. Box 8
Clifton, CO. 81520 USA
1-970-523-7877
meta(at)acsol.net
www.neuro-semantics-trainings.com
©2010 L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. All rights reserved.