Stage hypnosis..
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Hi Charles..
Please will you give your viewpoint about stage hypnosis..how it can adversly affect some..and if you think it can damage the perception people have of hypnosis as a therapy?
My view is that stage hypnosis is undesirable.. :?Stage Hypnosis does not do the profession of hypnotherapy any good at all.
I belong to the British Institute of Hypnotherapy who does not allow stage hypnotherapists to join.
Fortunately in the UK stage hypnosis is on decline.
Most peoples first reaction to hypnosis relates to something they saw or heard about through stage hypnotisms so understandably puts many people off seeing a therapist.
Clinical hypnotherapy is a million miles away from the things that happen on the stage.
The hypnotherapist during a stage performance takes place near alchohol, they look mainly for the drunk and the 'show-offs'
A lot of what you see on stage is people performing because they want to perform.
The safety angle has also been put into question.
Clinical hypnosis has always been shown to be safe with qualified therapists.
However in stage hypnosis, making someone do something they would not normally do can really cause serious psychological problems.
Charles (charles vald)
Thanks Charles for making that clear. I've never seen the point of those sort of shows they just seemed silly and highly unconvincing especially the televised ones. I think they gave hypnotherapy a slightly sinister name and am glad to read that they are on the decline in Britain. (Linda)I went to a stage hypnosis ‘show’ quite some years ago and found it to be a most uncomfortable experience . . . I mercifully remained a member of the audience although many were picked to go onto the stage.
The stage hypnotist was Paul Mckenna and I have greater respect for him now . . . for he uses his training for the betterment and greater good of those in need and uses his status to promote hypnotherapy in a positive light.
I can see how witnessing stage hypnosis would colour the views of those seeing hypnosis performed in this way for the first time . . . it certainly served to make me wary of hypnotherapy in general . . . my views changed for the better as I have learned more.
:D Blue Fairy x (Blue Fairy)
As you said Paul Mckenna has done a lot of good but he started off with stage hypnosis which is not so good.
I don't think he dabbles in stage hypnosis anymore and when he has been on TV recently it has been to help in health and other conditions so is most likely doing the hypnotherapy business a lot of good (charles vald)HI Charles I am so glad I have read this post. My poor sister was picked on one night to be the monkey as I would call it. But we had a very hard time after it was over. She was sent home in the car still under hypnosis and made us stop at every house with a light on to see her little elf. Of course she didn't have one. Anyway she ended up in such a state we thought we needed to get a doctor for her. We just could not stop her crying because she had lost it. Thank God though when we got her to the front door of the house she came out of it. For some reason my sister would just drop into hypnosis just by the click of your fingers. Why do think this is?? So I am glad to hear you don't take part in that side of it. It makes me feel a lot safer to be honest.
God Bless
Summer (Summer)
Your sister is one of the 10% of the population that are very susceptible to hypnosis they go into a very deep state quickly.
I'm sorry you had to deal with a stage hypnotherapist.
I recall when I was young one of the first times I saw a stage hypnotherapist when the hypnotherapist left the stage there was someone still in the audience motionless his friends were trying to get him to move buy they couldn't.
Hypnosis can help so many people it is shame its past has been so scared putting people off. (charles vald)Hi Charles I agree with you. There is so much help that can be done with hypnosis. I recieved my cd today for pain so will be having a listen in about 10 mins or so.
Thanks for your help
Summer (Summer)n its worst form, stage hypnosis has been accused of being manipulative and exploitative. Most professional stage hypnotists would counter this claim by demonstrating that subjects have volunteered to take part in the show and fully understand what to expect. This is seen by many as a grey area in that stage hypnotists often suggest indirectly that events are beyond the subject's control. Far less debatable is the willingness a client shows when entering a session of hypnotherapy. (bluefin)I am not in favour of it at all as I think it is devalueing the profession and causing harm. Thanks goodness it is going out of fashion in this country now. (James)
