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Hypnosis and Religion

By Bunny Vreeland, Ph.D

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 07Jul2007 Word count: 786 Viewed: 814 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

As a Christian hypnotherapist I believe it is important to know that Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state, commonly experienced on a daily basis when we lose awareness of surrounding distractions. We all enter the hypnotic state just before we fall asleep at night, and again just before awakening in the morning.

Other forms of hypnosis include daydreaming, becoming engrossed in a book, movie, or sport. While in hypnosis, the subconscious mind will not allow a person to do or say anything against their moral or ethical beliefs. Hypnosis is neither a belief nor a religion. It is not even a matter of conviction. Used in therapy, it is simply another tool, further, hypnosis has no need to be defended. When properly used by a trained professional, it defends itself by the results obtained.

The good it does speaks on its behalf. I wonder if God used hypnosis when He "...caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam..." (Genesis 2: 21). Was formal hypnosis used in Bible? Were hypnotic techniques used? Paul speaks of being in a trance [Acts 22:17) and Peter "fell into trance" [Acts 10:1-48] Paul gazed into his eyes and he was healed [Acts 14:9-10) Something else is evident. Not for his own benefit, but rather for the sake of those He helped, Jesus very frequently used the power of suggestion in his ministry. In fact in all his parables He suggests some specific truth regarding his Kingdom. He said: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto..."

We see what may be considered the classical example of Jesus using the power of suggestion in His great parable of The Good Samaritan. He ends the incident by telling the lawyer: "...go, do likewise." That lawyer nor any of those with him or anyone present was hypnotized by Jesus. Yet, they received the same suggestion. What they did need but had failed to recognize was the one thing Jesus suggested: "Show mercy to him who is in need!" "Be his neighbor!" In all his teaching, Jesus often used metaphors. His message of the passing of a camel through a needle's eye can readily be understood as teaching about values and priorities. How can anyone miss the message conveyed in Jesus' statement about faith enabling the individual to cause mountains to be removed!

A powerful suggestion this is of self-confidence based not on self-sufficiency, but on divine help. Besides Jesus' divine power working, in many of his signs and wonders we can see the power of the suggestions. Trained in Clinical Hypnosis by instructors who teach the Ericksonian Approach, I think it is reasonable for me to submit these views.

Helping people meet their needs, solve their problems or find a feasible way to cope with them is the goal of therapy. Hypnosis is merely one more means of helping the client reach his/her goals. I have the privilege of helping my subjects understand that hypnosis will help them work toward their good. People with whom I have worked have corrected previous misconceptions and have actually been complementary about hypnosis. Many have remarked that it helped them significantly and some have simply stated that "It is just simply relaxing and wonderful"

Hypnosis is a great and wonderful tool and more professionals should use it. CEO's use it, pro athletes use it and so do the most successful people in all areas of life. It is without doubt the most beneficial, powerful and result oriented tool available to all of us, yet most people never even know it. Better yet, after you master it, it costs nothing, is easy to do and can be utilized immediately. Many practitioners in the various areas of health care have incorporated it in their practice. More and more, regardless of their specialties, medical doctors use hypnosis to better treat their patients. Many of them are now referring their patients to hypnotherapists. For a long time most scientists opposed the use of hypnosis in therapy. They considered it as of little or no value. Many discarded it as "hocus pocus". Nevertheless, thanks to the constant, indefatigable efforts of those who see its true value, Hypnotherapy is now recognized as a true science in the medical field. Surely this should help the general public to have a better view about it.

All things can be used for good or evil. Even religion. Wars have been fought and are still being fought in the name of religion. There is nothing new under the sun and that includes "hypnosis". Godly people and prophets went into "trances" to receive revelation from God. When you are trying to replace a bad habit with a good one, you are, in essence, renewing your mind.

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