Covert Hypnosis. A Walk On The dark Side

By Mark Boardman

The word 'hypnosis' is misleading. Hypnosis is derived from a Greek root word which means sleep and is as much related to sleep as I am to George Bush. When in the hypnotic state you will not be asleep, far from it, often your senses become sharpened and also you possess a deeper concentration and inward focus. The hypnotic state is more often referred to as a 'trance' and is a state we enter into numerous times each day.

When reading a book or watching a film you suspend belief and really live the experience. At the same time you may be so involved, and so focussed on the film that someone could be having a conversation with you and you don't even notice (or if you are hen-pecked you pretend not to notice.)

Trance is normal, relaxing, wonderful and very useful. With a Hypnotherapist you are guided into the trance in order to resolve your physical or mental issue, and you have given the Hypnotherapist your full cooperation to proceed. The trance you slip in and out of many times daily is a very personal state. Maybe just a daydream as you look out of the window for five minutes while sipping a cup of coffee at your desk.

There's no doubt in my mind that the individual's mind has an extraordinary capability to mend itself and the human body. I have seen it personally and know what I am talking about.

However there is a general feeling amongst society still that hypnosis is some kind of mind control. This really is vehemently denied by the hypnosis community and quite right too. However....and here's the rub...I also have no doubt that we (and by 'we' I mean everybody, not only hypnotists) are in fact able to utilise very subtle hypnotic procedures to effect others.

In the hypnotic state you are totally conscious and fully in control. You will not do a single thing that contravenes your moral code. If, for example, you were on a stage throughout a hypnotic display and the hypnotist asked you to hit another member of the audience then you would not. Simply because you are in a trance doesn't mean you might be out of control. This is an extreme example to illustrate a point, to my knowledge no stage hypnotists would ever do this!

However if that same hypnotist asked you to walk like a chicken, well then this probably isn't something you would normally do in the street obviously, but on a stage show why not! It certainly doesn't contravene your ethics and does no harm, not until you see the video anyway.

And that is the point. You can sometimes be lead into performing an act or doing something you wouldn't ordinarily do if the environment is conducive and the language is permissive. And hypnotism has a large base in the language and words used. Believe me, salesmen and marketing folk have been using hypnotic techniques, often probably without knowing, for years to make us buy anything from a bag of sweets to a new house.

Hypnosis isn't new, it isn't hazardous (quite the opposite - it is an incredibly powerful therapeutic tool) and it isn't witchcraft. But it can be used in insidious ways without our conscious knowledge. And this could be labeled as covert hypnosis. To be able to persuade individuals is a talent a few people have naturally and others can be taught, but it is there and it is a skill we all can use.Covert hypnosis exists, but don't let that worry you!

About the Author:

Mark Boardman BSc dip.hyp is a leading author and expert on Hypnosis. For more information about Conversational Hypnosis, feel free to visit these sites.