I am often asked about what diseases and disorders and what requests are addressed to hypnotists. Moreover, psychologists themselves often ask such questions, which is very surprising, because hypnosis in all its forms is the basis for the psychological influence of one person on another.

Unfortunately, nowhere, except for specialized literature, known only to a narrow circle of practicing hypnotists and psychotherapists, is this issue covered, and in this literature it is covered superficially, based on the same specialists - with the appropriate terminology and style of presentation. Therefore, I decided, if possible, to briefly and succinctly cover those cases in which a person needs a hypnotist.

In modern society, the attitude towards hypnotists, especially the “classics” (those who work in the original, directive manner), is twofold. On the one hand, they are seen as sorcerers and magicians, “esotericists” - which is fundamentally wrong. On the other hand, hypnotists are classified as psychiatrists, believing that if a person turns to a hypnotist, there is something wrong with his psyche. This is equally incorrect, because hypnosis, of course, is applicable in psychiatry, but it can bring much greater benefit to a person who does not suffer from mental illness.

Conventionally, all client requests resolved using hypnosis techniques can be divided into four groups:

1. Requests for relief from psychosomatic diseases;
2. Treatment of neurological disorders;
3. Getting rid of dependencies;
4. Increasing physical and mental capabilities (“superpowers”).

Let's touch on each of the groups of client requests in more detail.

Hypnosis plays an important role when working with internal diseases of psychosomatic origin. Bronchial asthma, hypertension, gastritis, peptic ulcers, obesity, sexual disorders, angina pectoris and a number of other diseases are already classified by official medicine as diseases of psychogenic origin. In cases where such diseases have not led to irreversible organic changes in the patient’s body, we can talk about the successful use of hypnosis in the treatment of this group of diseases.

The author of the famous book "Self-Hypnosis. Good Power", a famous psychotherapist, the creator of the first US National Center for the Study and Use of Hypnosis, Leslie LeCron offers a far from complete list of psychosomatic diseases:

• Diseases of the respiratory system. Allergy. Sinusitis. Asthma. Emphysema.
• Skin diseases. Eczema. Urticaritis. Urticaria and similar allergic manifestations.
• Gastrointestinal diseases. Overweight. Constipation. Colitis. Diarrhea. Stomach ulcer. Chronic vomiting. Loss of appetite. Haemorrhoids. Gallbladder diseases.
• Cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension. Coronary heart diseases. Paroxysmal tachycardia. Renault's disease. Buerger's disease.
• Urination. Enuresis. Increased urge.
• Nervous and endocrine systems. Nervous tic. Trigeminal neuralgia. Migraine. Hiccups. Addiction. Alcoholism. Epilepsy. Multiple sclerosis. Myasthenia. Hyperthoriosis. Diabetes. Goiter. Hypoglycemia.
• Genital area. Impotence. Premature ejaculation. Infertility in men. Dysmenorrhea. Miscarriage. Frigidity.

With the help of hypnosis, nervous diseases of functional origin have been cured for many years - neuroses of all types, insomnia, mental trauma. The so-called “Chechen syndrome”, the consequences of stress, is successfully removed in hypnosis.

Hypnosis is highly effective for all types of phobias (fear of open and closed spaces, fear of heights, fear of hydrophobia, etc.) and panic attacks. This group of disorders cannot be cured with medication.

Hypnosis is effectively used in the treatment of a wide range of addictions: from nicotine and alcohol addiction to gambling addiction and the textures of unhappy love, when the “victim” is unable to forget the person for whom he has unrequited feelings.

Generally speaking, any processes in the body that do not lead to organic disorders in the body can be regulated by hypnosis. Poor vision at first is easily corrected to normal, hearing is restored, the main thing is to consult a specialist in time.

In other words, it is quite reasonable to compare a hypnotist to a programmer. He writes a program, switches the computer to the mode required for loading the program, loads the program and - the computer works faster, more efficiently, better! But if the printer, scanner (that is, one of the “organs”) is faulty (“organics” in human language), then the written program will not be able to fix or start the printer or scanner. A hypnotist can be a magician only in cases where the organs performing a particular function are not irreversibly diseased.

Improving memory, attention, the ability to remember what you hear, see, read - these and similar client requests are implemented with 100% efficiency only in hypnosis.

I will separately highlight a very promising area of ​​hypnosis - sports hypnosis. A professional of hypnosis is able to significantly improve the condition of the athlete who turns to him (and in some cases, create such condition). Personally, I have great pleasure working with hand-to-hand fighters of any kind and I can confidently say that the reaction speed, the force of an athlete’s blow, his accuracy, coordination, endurance, ability to “take a blow” and much more can be increased many times over with the help of properly applied hypnosis. Without any chemicals! I also have positive experience of “upgrading” a middle-class football player to a member of one national team, now very famous. In such cases, the “suggested role phenomenon” is often used, when the technical moves and skills of world-famous athletes in hypnosis are “transferred” to the client. And it works! This kind of work is very labor-intensive, not easy, but very interesting. Particularly important is working with “overtraining syndrome,” when a promising athlete stops developing, his capabilities do not grow, and his interest in training decreases. In this case, only a hypnotist, no matter what his name, can help: usually hypnotists who specialize in working with athletes are called “sports psychologists” out of habit, but this does not change the essence of the effect.

Recently, installation of “systems” based on individual client requests has become increasingly popular. If we translate this action into computer language, then this is the writing and installation of utilitarian computer programs (and a person, as you know, is a biocomputer), significantly expanding the capabilities of the computer in some specific direction. The effect of these programs ("systems") is sometimes amazing, and is limited only by the client's imagination, his hypnotizability and the skill of the hypnotist. Examples of the most famous “systems” in narrow circles:

• The “Hypnotist” system, designed to replace the hypnotist for the client and allows you to independently, without anyone’s help, plunge into the deepest stages of hypnosis and fulfill all the requests that a hypnotist could fulfill for the client; the “Intuition” system, which allows a person to develop the ability to anticipate selected events in his or someone else’s life.
• “Hypnoclairvoyance” is a system that allows you to “see” at a distance and through time, reading information in a way not yet known to science.
• “Storage” is a system that forms a person’s ability to remember in a structured manner and quickly reproduce large amounts of information.
• The "Mind Reading" system needs no introduction.
• “Diagnostic” is a system that allows you to diagnose all hidden human diseases... and so on - the limits of the human psyche are limitless, therefore, in these requests, the decisive factor is the client’s imagination and the qualifications of the hypnotist, as well as the hypnotizability of the first.

By the way, a great many such programs can be “composed”, and this is not an indicator of the hypnotist’s qualifications. Competently install a “system” for the client, taking into account his trance capabilities, either creating them, using “direct inputs” (classical hypnosis) during “loading”, or “lateral” ones, allowing to bypass the client’s unconscious resistance (such as, for example, D. Elman’s method) - this is what is an indicator of the skill of a hypnotist!

Here we should emphasize that the services of a hypnotist are never cheap, and in the case of installing “systems” they can be decently (and indecently!) expensive, which a client who decides to use this super-effective method and goes to see a hypnotist must take into account.

And yet, a hypnotist can completely change a person. It can make an irritable person soft, a hot-tempered person patient and forgiving, a doubtful and timid person confident. True, for this the hypnotist must be a Master, and the client must want to change. You can change yourself, but it always takes a lot of time and effort, and quick, concrete results are possible only with the use of trance. A textbook example of this is Saul, who became the Apostle Paul. Saul, having experienced shock (which is always accompanied by trance), changed instantly. But it is quite obvious that the Lord does not appear to people every day, therefore such a process is unpredictable and uncontrollable. The hypnotist, by creating and controlling the trance context, makes the necessary changes in the character, worldview and values ​​of a person, like a programmer writing a new computer program to replace an outdated and no longer needed one...

Hypnosis has nothing to do with magic, mysticism and “esotericism”. The hypnosis method is physiological and natural, like a night's sleep. And the fact that the possibilities of hypnosis sometimes amaze the imagination speaks of the enormous capabilities of the human psyche, which has not yet been fully studied by science.

Hypnosis is a trance state through which the subject comes into contact with his own unconscious, and serves to treat pain and some physical disorders of psychological origin.

Let us study the methods by which the hypnotic state is induced, the practice and the positive effects by which hypnosis helps to cure certain ailments.

What is hypnosis - what is trance for?

Hypnosis – state of relaxation and short-term alienation from the world that surrounds us, including slower perception of the outside world, to focus on your inner world.

The hypnotic state occurs every day in the life of every person and is determined by the presence of a kind of internal rhythm called ultradic cycle, which governs the state of concentration and dispersal, which, depending on the characteristics of each individual person, can occur every half hour, every hour, every hour and a half, and so on.

The hypnotic state can manifest itself with various “symptoms”: yawning, sighing, difficulty concentrating, absent-mindedness, carelessness, tendency to rock in a chair, tapping fingers, etc.

Enter in state of hypnosis can a psychotherapist through a method called hypnotherapy, in which the subject is placed in a state of relaxation, alienation from the outside world, but with partial preservation of consciousness and active will.

Hypnosis used in therapeutic practice and is a valuable method in the treatment of pain and physical ailments, which have a psychological component related to the sphere of emotionality, such as anxiety, depression, as well as timidity and lack of self-esteem.

The benefits of hypnosis - what can be cured

Experts use the hypnosis method to solve a wide range of health problems, including:

• Control of painful moments. The subjective perception of pain increases with increasing states of anxiety, the elimination of which through hypnosis helps to reduce the perception of pain. In addition, chronic pain creates negative expectations in the subject, creating additional psychological suffering that can be removed by the practice of hypnosis.
• Limit and control pain and stress. Hypnosis helps the subject to maintain a state of calm, even during difficult times, by attributing the correct meaning to them.
• Treatment of phobias, that is, irrational fear of people, animals, objects (agoraphobia: fear of open spaces; arachnophobia: fear of spiders; claustrophobia: fear of enclosed spaces, etc.). The hypnotist's job is to help the patient change their perceptual filters so that they can live without the anxiety and fear that usually accompany it.
• Dependence on smoking and other substances. In this case, the therapist strengthens the feeling of abstinence, in other cases, redirects the addiction to healthier habits; at the same time, it increases awareness of the harm that smoking causes to the person himself and his family.
• Excessive shyness. For very timid people who are afraid to create social relationships, hypnosis helps to find creative resources in the subconscious, which will increase their self-esteem and experience situations in which the problem of shyness was solved without struggling with oneself.
• Eating problems. Eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, obesity are often associated with the emotional and mental sphere. Hypnosis can be effective for those suffering from an eating disorder because it can find the root of the disorder, change it, and return the person to normal behavior.

Will hypnosis help you lose weight? Some are convinced of the effectiveness of hypnosis in the fight against obesity (if combined with a healthy diet and exercise), others consider it completely ineffective. Either way, through hypnosis you can get in touch with the deepest part of your own mind, better known as unconscious, and influence this part of the psyche in several ways: Reevaluating the traumas and experiences of the past that cause eating disorders. Restoring inner balance. By motivating yourself to follow a healthy diet. By establishing an emotional relationship with healthy foods. Hypnosis, on its own, can't do much... only when combined with proper and balanced nutrition, movement and exercise.

Hypnosis techniques - how to change perception

There are a lot of hypnosis methods and they are selected by the therapist depending on the theoretical and methodological orientation of the therapist, as well as depending on the problem and characteristics of the patient.

The most common methods of hypnosis are:

Traditional hypnosis

The typical state of trance and hypnosis is achieved using reading text. To induce a state of hypnosis, special words and voice are used.

The process consists of three stages:

• Preparing for hypnosis, which includes any techniques that allow you to achieve a trance state;
• A state of trance when the subject is not aware of the experience being experienced, is alienated from the external world and is directed towards the internal world;
• Awakening is when the therapist returns the patient to their natural state of consciousness.

Obviously, for hypnosis to work, the patient must completely trust the therapist.

Dynamic hypnosis

Unlike the traditional dynamic hypnosis uses additional elements such as gestures and symbols. The therapist makes gestures and noises to change the distance between the patient and himself to disorient the patient's perceptual abilities.

Tracing, which consists of repeating the patient's posture and orientation, is very effective with this method. After a series of repetitions of this type, the patient associates his reactions with the therapist and reproduces them automatically.

Dynamic hypnosis is based mainly on nonverbal communication, which is based on three archetypal symbols: “Rod”, “Circle” and “Triangle”.

This connection may be four different types:

• proximatics: hypnosis is achieved by rotating the body in space and maintaining patient-therapist positions
• kinesics: concerns body gestures, movements and postures
• digital which involves touching the patient's body
• paralinguistic, which is based on sounds that have no obvious meaning.

After the phase hypnosis induction the so-called hypnotic flash: The patient, in order to relieve accumulated tension, responds to a request made by the therapist, who tries to destroy the problem by replacing it with a new form of behavior.

At the end comes the stage restoration of a state of wakefulness, in which the patient returns to a state of active consciousness.

Regressive hypnosis

Another type of practice by which hypnotic trance is achieved is regressive hypnosis.

Hypnotic induction in a regressive hypnosis session is also carried out by a qualified therapist: the goal of such therapy is to return the patient to the traumatic experience that gives rise to the symptom, in order to change the influence he has on his current life.

Therapists who practice regression hypnosis claim that through this practice, patients can use very distant memories, in some cases even from past lives.

It must be said that in the scientific community many are skeptical about such statements: the memories that arise during a session, according to most scientists, are only vivid fantasies that have nothing to do with reality. Therefore, it is dangerous to use regressive hypnosis in highly suggestible or psychologically weak people.

More modern methods of hypnosis

Recently, hypnotherapy has once again become a very useful tool in clinical practice, thanks to the work of Milton Erickson. He developed a method of hypnotic technique, when a state called “expanded consciousness” is achieved, that is, a state of altered consciousness, which is not an alternative to the natural state of consciousness.

The therapist in this case does not look for motives, does not seek to find out “why”, he only stimulates the resources of the patient’s unconscious and uses them to force him to look for a new way of thinking and behaving in a situation that creates discomfort.

Where and when can hypnosis be performed?

Hypnosis is usually practiced in quiet environment and without additional sound stimulation, with soft lighting and a temperature not exceeding 20 degrees.

The walls of the room should have a certain color: blue, green, purple and pale pink, which directly affects the induction of a hypnotic state.

The best time for hypnosis is between 11 am and 5 pm and not too close to mealtimes.

Timing of the hypnotic course

The mode of therapeutic course in which hypnotherapy is used, as a rule, depends on the type of problems and the therapist (depending on his theoretical training. Sessions are carried out weekly or every two weeks; keeping the hypnotic state from 45 to 90 minutes.

False myths about hypnotherapy Before we talk about any contraindications, we should dispel some myths about hypnosis: Purpose of hypnotherapy not to obtain information about the patient, but to work in a state of altered consciousness (closer to unconsciousness), in which resources that are closed to the patient in a state of ordinary consciousness become available. Hypnosis is not a dream: Studies of brain activity have shown that these are two completely different conditions. Person under hypnosis can be forced to perform any action: the patient continues to maintain a system of unconscious beliefs (moral and ethical). In other words, the individual retains an active will even while in a hypnotic state.

Contraindications of hypnosis – when it is better not to practice

Having dispelled these myths, it must be said that hypnosis, as a rule, has no contraindications, but it is better to avoid it in some cases:

• In case of hypertension, hyperthyroidism and heart disease, because people with such pathologies do not tolerate strong emotions well;
• children and teenagers who do not yet have a well-defined individuality and hypnosis can disorient them.
• in the presence of serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, because in such individuals, mental problems are associated with chemical imbalances.

Considering the relevance of the problem of excess weight, it is understandable that there are a huge number of weight loss methods and many of them seem strange. These include hypnosis for weight loss, thanks to which you can develop new ones in yourself.

Is it possible to lose weight with hypnosis?

Since ancient times, hypnosis has been used to influence a person’s subconscious, so it is used to make adjustments in one’s life. If you are interested in whether hypnosis helps with weight loss, you should pay attention to the main benefits:

1. A person develops a new self-esteem, since the sessions help him see himself thinner and more beautiful.
2. Teaches not to react to stress, since it often provokes a person to overeat and eat junk food.
3. It encourages positive thinking, so you don’t have to worry about your own weight and losing weight, which helps you achieve your goals.

To understand whether hypnosis is effective for weight loss, studies were conducted over nine weeks. As a result, people who attended hypnosis sessions continued to lose weight for a couple of years after the experiments. In addition, hypnosis has become an effective method for those who lack the motivation and willpower to start fighting extra pounds.

There are some indications for the use of hypnosis, such as bulimia, obesity, emotional overeating and the inability to control one's own appetite. All these problems are related to the nervous system, which is why hypnotic effects are effective. It is important to know the existing contraindications that should be taken into account so as not to harm the body. These include epilepsy, schizophrenia, borderline mental states, alcohol and drug intoxication, and also acute somatic conditions.

Losing weight with hypnosis

There are many different techniques that can be used together with a specialist or independently. It is important to follow the rules when losing weight through hypnosis, and you should also familiarize yourself with existing myths in order to get rid of possible fears.

1. There is an opinion that a person subjected to hypnosis turns into a puppet that is easy to control. This is actually a myth.
2. There is a known version that while under hypnosis, one loses consciousness, but the opposite is true and it doesn’t even matter whether the person is asleep or awake during the session.
3. Another argument concerns the fact that you can’t get out of hypnosis, but this is a myth that arose from the movies.

Hypnosis for weight loss is useful because excess weight often occurs due to various psychological problems, numerous stresses and overexertion. Several sessions will help improve the functioning of the nervous system, which will naturally help you lose excess weight. With the help of hypnosis, you can reduce the feeling of hunger, cope with cravings for overeating and sweets, and also create a desire to exercise. In addition, sessions help you learn to perceive food not as a source of pleasure, but as a supplier of energy. There is a reprogramming for an active lifestyle.

"Neuroslim" hypnosis for weight loss

This version of hypnosis uses visualization and sound to put the patient into a trance and change their attitudes on a subconscious level. The technique was developed by a psychologist and hypnosis specialist. It can be used at home, since a person buys a special kit that includes augmented reality glasses and a program for a smartphone. Hypnosis for weight loss without dieting helps reduce hunger, speed up and start the fat burning process. Main features of Neuroslim hypnosis:

1. The program is installed on the smartphone and after turning it on, it should be inserted into a special holder on the glasses so that the screen is in front of the eyes.
2. You need to take a comfortable position so that you can relax. Visual images and sounds put a person into a half-asleep state, and the program begins to influence the subconscious.
3. The course of hypnosis for weight loss lasts 28 days and can be repeated if necessary. The session at the initial stages lasts 1-2 minutes, and it should be repeated several times a day.

Color hypnosis for weight loss

Scientists have long determined that different shades of color can have an impact on a person. Weight loss under hypnosis is based on the use of the color green, and the person conducts the session independently, while in a meditative state. Before going to bed, you need to take a comfortable position and imagine yourself in a green meadow, where you can enjoy the aroma of grass and feel how the energy of nature penetrates inside. The hypnosis session should last 10 minutes.

Music-hypnosis for weight loss

A very popular hypnosis technique that can be used at home. It includes suggestion phrases and relaxing music. There are audio courses that can be purchased on special resources or in stores. This is the best hypnosis for weight loss for lazy people, since you just need to download the song and listen to it at any convenient time, for example, while traveling on public transport, while walking, before going to bed, and so on. It is believed that music is especially effective for hypnosis during sleep.

Hypnosis-meditation for weight loss

There are different meditation techniques that you can use on your own. Hypnosis-meditation for weight loss and weight loss will give good results if you watch special videos that combine audio stimulation, color therapy, meditation and hypnosis. By regularly watching videos, you can gradually lose weight and get rid of depression. Hypnosis sessions should be performed twice a day. It is important to watch the video to the end and not skip or rewind parts to avoid side effects.

Self-hypnosis for weight loss

Not all people are willing to pay money to undergo a hypnosis session, so methods for home use are becoming much more popular. For this purpose, it is important to know the basic principles of self-hypnosis:

1. It is important to set aside time so that nothing distracts or interferes, otherwise you will not be able to immerse yourself in the desired state. It is better to conduct sessions alone.
2. It is better to go through the first stages at home, so that you are comfortable, and you need to lie or sit in a comfortable position.
3. For relaxation and better concentration, it is recommended to use quiet music. Thanks to her, you can forget about the outside world and immerse yourself in yourself.

To summarize, we can describe what a hypnosis session for weight loss should look like.

1. Sit in a comfortable position, free yourself from extraneous thoughts and concentrate on your own sensations or breathing.
2. After this, you can move on to, for which you slowly and clearly pronounce the texts of self-hypnosis for weight loss, for example, “I will cope with my complexes,” “I will no longer eat junk food,” and so on.
3. Use different phrases that should be different from each other, but have the same meaning. The first session can last 10 minutes.

Andrey Rakitsky - hypnosis for weight loss

A famous hypnologist is Andrey Rakitsky, who offers numerous sessions to combat various problems. He developed his own method to cope with extra pounds and launch the natural mechanism of using adipose tissue. Rakitsky offers enhanced hypnosis for weight loss, thanks to which you can reduce your appetite, learn to get full from small portions of food, improve the functioning of the digestive system and increase the metabolic rate. The GSI methodology has three main parts.

Hypnosis for weight loss – part 1 “Activation”

The first stage is a kind of primary setting for burning excess fat. To get results, you need to watch the presented video every day. Hypnosis for weight loss part 1 triggers the body's natural fat burning processes and suppresses appetite. It is not recommended to view the video for people who have serious mental disorders.

Hypnosis for weight loss – part 2 “Stabilization”

The next stage of hypnosis is aimed at recording intermediate results. You need to view the program, for example, if you managed to lose a couple of kilograms in a week and want to fix them in order to move on. As a result, a certain zeroing occurs, and the weight begins to decrease, as if from a new start. A hypnosis session for weight loss is carried out according to well-known rules.

Hypnosis for weight loss – part 3 “Finish”

The third part of the weight loss program is considered the strongest and most effective, thanks to which, according to its developer, most of the weight is lost and the body’s functioning is improved. The catch is that the program – hypnosis for weight loss part 3 – is paid, and to start using it, you need to order it on Rakitsky’s website. Access to the video will be open only to people who undergo consultation with their specialists. Strong hypnosis for weight loss is important for those who want to lose a lot of pounds.

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A modern person living with a weak psyche in a stream of stressful events is faced with a number of techniques that promise to quickly and effortlessly cope with his problems: mental, psychological and even physical illnesses. Doctors and psychologists often suggest that patients be treated using hypnosis. How to treat such proposals, what consequences of hypnosis treatment can be expected? Priests and doctors talk about this.

Priest Grigory Grigoriev about hypnosis

Answer to a question about hypnosis on the air of the Soyuz TV channel in the program “Conversations with Father” dated January 2, 2014.

Priest Grigory Grigoriev is an Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, psychotherapist, narcologist.

— As for hypnosis, I want to say that I have never done it. The accusations against me are due to a lack of understanding of what hypnosis is: only about twenty percent of people can enter into it, the rest do not succumb to it. This is a practice that was accepted a hundred years ago, but has gradually been abandoned.

Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko, censor of the Holy Synod, professor of the pre-revolutionary Kyiv Theological Academy, wrote in his book: hypnosis should not be perceived as something mysterious, it is a form of attracting attention, a physiological property of living objects. For example, when a driver drives along the road for a long time and looks at the lights of the car in front, he falls into a similar state. This hypnotic phase begins, and this phenomenon is characteristic of all living organisms. But we have never done or used anything like this in our work. Real hypnosis is when a person's consciousness turns off. Moreover, a person cannot be taught what he does not want.

Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko says in his book that in order for suggestion to turn into self-hypnosis, it is necessary that it correspond to the level of consciousness.

In psychology, there are generally four methods of influencing a person. The first is inspiration, when someone inspires someone, the second is imitation, the third is persuasion, the fourth is suggestion. Suggestion is the ability to perceive information without criticism. For suggestion it is necessary that the first three forms be realized.

I have never practiced hypnosis, not because it is bad, but because it is ineffective. One of the largest hypnologists, Pavel Ignatievich Bul, worked at my institute, who treated bronchial asthma in children and hypertension in adults with hypnosis. By hypnosis, he removed the children's fear of the hyperbaric chamber, which they needed.

In the sixties, Professor Buhl participated with a group of students in a television program, during which he invited viewers to test themselves for hypnosis. After a number of television viewers remained under the influence of the command given by the professor for a long time (“your hands are stuck together”), and he had to personally travel from house to house to remove this influence from hypnastic television viewers, it was decided that such influences on the television audience were inadmissible and that such influences were prohibited. transfers.

Kashpirovsky, who appeared on television during a difficult era when the Soviet Union was collapsing, needed to distract people. He knew about the existence of this prohibition and violated it. Kashpirovsky began to do what no self-respecting doctor would do. But that doesn't mean he didn't help anyone. The fact is that if people believe in something, then the system of self-hypnosis turns on, and they treat themselves, attributing it, for example, to Kashpirovsky. But what happened then around these programs looked like madness and was completely unacceptable.

At that time, Professor Buhl, Professor Vladimir Ivanovich Lebedev, and Yuri Gorny actively opposed this “television psychotherapy”. On television in the city of Norilsk, they conducted an experiment with the goal of exposing and prohibiting “television psychotherapy,” and this was achieved.

How it was? They came to Norilsk television, brought an ugly head they made from papier-mâché and said that it was supposedly a cast of the head of the famous Professor Zombie, who lives in the mountains of Tibet and has such a strong biofield that it is impossible to communicate with him personally, but the cast of the head charged with it and Voice recordings can heal a variety of diseases. Then they were asked to conduct a healing session for the residents of Norilsk. TV viewers were told that as a result of the session they would not only be healed of many diseases, but also that if they placed broken household appliances near the screens, they would start working again. The session began, and a huge self-hypnosis of people began from the influence of this crudely molded head of a non-existent professor and the sound of his voice, which was in fact a recording of inarticulate speeches of three representatives of Muslim peoples.

If you sit any person in front of a multi-million television audience, then the effect of mass potentiated influence on each other, induction, occurs. This affects people with various mental illnesses especially strongly, and it can be very dangerous.

Actually, Kashpirovsky showed us what the media are. Such experiments increase the number of self-hypnosis people in society, which is an extremely unfavorable situation. What Kashpirovsky did was not hypnosis, it was weakening the internal system of psychological defense. You can't do that kind of harm in hypnosis. Here a person begins to be manipulated, and he begins to believe in some doctor who replaces God. This is a violation of the first commandment, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” We have no right to evaluate the personal qualities of Anatoly Ivanovich Kashpirovsky; perhaps he repented a long time ago and takes communion, because the Lord forgives a person all his sins.

Artem writes: “Hello, Father Gregory! Please answer the question that concerns me: can a psychologist who is an Orthodox Christian use hypnosis in his work? My name is Artem, I entered university to become a psychologist, and also studied hypnosis. I was looking for information on the Internet. The clergy in their interviews do not approve of this method, except for Father Dimitry Smirnov. I would like to know your opinion, since you are a priest and a psychotherapist.

I understand that some hypnotic techniques can be spiritually dangerous, for example, mentally turning to a “wise being” for advice in a trance. But maybe hypnosis, with careful selective work by a psychologist, is acceptable? I am worried about whether I will harm myself by using hypnosis with people, and whether I will harm people by the very fact of using hypnosis? Really looking forward to your reply!"

– Dear Artem, to study this problem that interests you and other people, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the two-volume book of Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko. Before the revolution, Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko was a censor of the Holy Synod and a professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy. In his book he says that hypnosis should not be perceived as good or evil, it is a physiological property of living beings. In practice, we know hypnosis, when fakirs, magicians, and circus actors take, for example, a chicken and dramatically change its state. They take her by the paws and lay her on her side, and she falls into a hypnotic sleep.

Strictly speaking, hypnos is a dream. When we drive along the road in the dark and look at the lights of the car ahead, we enter a kind of drowsy state. This, in fact, is the prototype of hypnosis. In modern medical practice, hypnosis is practically not used in working with people due to its low effectiveness. It is impossible to influence a person's personality in a state of hypnosis. Here is an appeal to a mystical being, as you write, this is no longer hypnosis, this is occult sciences - of course, this is absolutely unacceptable. But if you pray to the Guardian Angel and read Orthodox prayers, then, naturally, this will not harm you.

The Holy Fathers said that the spiritual world is hidden from us by our All-loving and All-Good Lord Jesus Christ “with seven locks and seven seals.” A person should not climb there, because, according to St. Seraphim of Sarov, “the smallest demon can pierce the ground with one claw.” That's why you shouldn't look there. A person’s will is relevant in the visible world, but in the spiritual world, a person’s will will be either under God’s shield or under the enemy’s. Therefore, you should not go to the spiritual world with your will. We will immediately meet dark forces in this world, so, of course, the Lord protected us.

Hypnosis can relax a person, relieve monosymptoms such as spasm, pain - this is more psychosomatic than psychological. I don’t think that you will seriously need hypnosis in your practice as a psychologist, but at least you have an idea about it during the training process. But in general practice you will not have to use it. I don't think you need to use it. We got acquainted with it - he who is forewarned is forearmed.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov on the treatment of diseases with hypnosis

— Suggestion and hypnosis are the same thing. If you are afraid of hypnosis and not afraid of suggestion, then this is quite strange. Before you get into the water, you need to know the ford... Hypnosis has long been known and used and was used, for example, by many tribes in Africa as a method of treatment. You need to look at what diseases are treated with hypnosis. For example, there is a disease called hysteria, in which hypnosis helps if a person succumbs. Hypnosis also helps with alcoholism. It’s clear that if a person’s leg hurts for some reason, then no matter how you tell it, the pain may go away, but the disease itself will not go away.

How does Orthodoxy relate to neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), which many are now passionate about?

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is aimed at manipulating not only consciousness, but also the inner world of a person. Most often, hypnosis is used for this. NLP founders Richard Bandler and John Grinder write in their book Inducing a trance": “If you apply the same hypnotic induction to a group of people, only a few of them will go into trance. This is what traditional hypnotists do. But we will study unconventional hypnosis. We will study what is called Ericksonian hypnosis, following Milton G. Erickson. Ericksonian hypnosis means developing the skills of a hypnotist to the point where you can put a person into a trance in a conversation where the word “hypnosis” is not even mentioned. I learned a long time ago that it's not so much what you say, but how you say it. If you try to persuade someone consciously by overpowering them, it causes a reaction of resistance in them that is directed against you. There are people who do not resist when they are overpowered and go into a trance. But neither resistance nor cooperation proves anything other than that people are able to respond. Every living person can react. The only question is how and for what. When you practice hypnosis, your job is to notice what a person naturally responds to.” You can learn what this leads to from another book by the same authors: “At our last seminar, we studied strategies. We programmed one woman so that she forgot her name. One man then said: “There is no way in which I could be made to forget my own name!” I asked: “What is your name?” And he answered: “I don’t know!” I replied, “Congratulations to your subconscious mind, even if you don’t have one.” It amuses me that hypnosis is so systematically ignored these days. I think this happens because the consciousness that uses this method does not trust it. But in every form of therapy that I have studied, there is a trance experience" ( Introductory NLP training course). Representatives of NLP do not hide the fact that “in a certain sense, these are skills of unlimited power over a person, power over the state and mood, thinking and behavior of the people around you” (R. Bandler. Creating Beliefs).

From the point of view of Orthodox spirituality, this is prohibited. While in a state of hypnosis, a person almost completely loses control over himself: both body and mind. The highest suggestibility occurs in the deepest phase of the hypnotic trance (the so-called paradoxical phase), when weak factors (for example, a word) act more strongly than strong ones (acute pain). A person in such a state may be inspired with feelings and thoughts that are contrary to his beliefs (including moral and religious). In a state of hypnotic trance, a person becomes susceptible to demonic influence.

Word hypnosis(Greek hypnos - sleep) was introduced by the English physician James Braid (1795-1860) in 1843. This concept denotes a state that is outwardly similar to sleep or half-asleep, caused by suggestion. It is accompanied by the subordination of the will of the sleeper to the will of the one putting him to sleep. The most ancient written monuments indicate that already the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians used hypnosis for magical effects. There is no doubt that many occult phenomena of sorcerers, shamans, and spellcasters in all centuries were based on the use of hypnosis. The concept of hypnosis is often found among modern occultists.

The Holy Scriptures strictly prohibit any occult influence on a person. The activities of wizards, soothsayers, questioners of the dead, conjurers of spirits, fortune-tellers, and charmers are named in the Bible abomination(). Apparently they practiced hypnotic occultism charmers(; and etc.). In a word charmer the Hebrew word is translated in the Synodal text chabar. This word has several meanings: bind, conjure, unite. The hypnotist binds the will of a person and manipulates him. The Holy Fathers set us up for spiritual sobriety. Let us beg God to grant us purity and humility, the fruit of which is spiritual reasoning that accurately distinguishes good from evil!(St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. A Word on the Sensual and Spiritual Vision of Spirits. Conclusion).

Psychiatrist D.A. Avdeev about hypnosis

Unfortunately, hypnosis is widely used by official medicine and psychotherapists. Among the latter there are those who use hypnosis out of religious ignorance. Others consider themselves atheists. There are also conscious servants of evil.

Methods that forcefully influence the individual are alien to Orthodoxy. Adherents of the use of hypnotic trances talk about the opening of special psychosomatic channels during the use of hypnosis, the impact on the human psyche, bypassing criticism (“without brakes”), the disclosure of the body’s reserve capabilities, and amazing therapeutic effects.

As a specialist, I confidently declare that there are no exceptional effects. And if there is any “benefit” from hypnosis, then it is unknown how it will come back to haunt you in the future... More precisely, it is known, and even with certainty. At best, hypnologists don’t even think about this.

Hypnosis is violence against the human soul. For example, in the 3rd stage of hypnosis, a somnambulist (hypnotized) unquestioningly obeys his “guru” in everything: he can see, hear, feel non-existent objects, people (hallucinations); may not feel pain; expose hidden thoughts, feelings, desires. By the way, there is a so-called post-hypnotic suggestion effect. This is when the hypnologist’s instructions are followed a certain time after the session.

How justified is it to deprive a person of criticism and reason, even for a short time, even for a seemingly good purpose? There is no excuse for this. Man is the greatest mystery, and we sinners are simply not given the opportunity to know and see what the soul experiences in a hypnotic state, what happens in the depths of the human spirit. Not a single saint resorted to healing a person in an altered state of consciousness. Meekly and humbly, the saints of God showed the gift of healing to people, which they acquired from the Lord for the holiness of their lives.

It should be said that hypnosis over time takes on the role of a drug. The same people go from hypnotist to hypnotist, striving to experience “extraordinary” states more often. What a pity for these people! And how criminally those who lead them to such dependence act.

In recent years, many publications have appeared in the specialized literature indicating the disorganization of a person’s mental activity after frequent use of deep hypnosis.

Optina elders about hypnosis

“This hypnosis is a terrible thing. There was a time when people were afraid of this act, ran away from it, but now they are carried away by it... benefit from it” (Rev. Nektarios).

“And the whole trouble is that this knowledge enters our lives under the guise that it can give humanity great benefit” (he).

“Hypnosis is an evil, non-Christian force” (Reverend Barsanuphius).

“If you, having left God, resort to magnetism - an unnatural means - then I can no longer tell you anything” (Reverend Macarius).

The effect of hypnosis on children

I'll give just one example. Professor V. Lebedev reports: “2015 schoolchildren were examined, 93% were involved in Kashpirovsky’s sessions. During sessions, obsessive movements, hysterical reactions, hallucinatory phenomena and other mental disorders are noted. Hypnotic sleep was noted in 42%; after the sessions, various forms of mental maladjustment were identified in 7% of children. There was a clear trend toward increased suggestibility and an increase in hysterical reactions. As a result of television sessions, some children fell into a state of catalepsy at the sight of only Kashpirovsky’s photograph.”

Autogenic training (as a type of self-hypnosis)

From the perspective of Orthodox spirituality, auto-training is not beneficial to the soul. The author of this method of psychotherapy is the German scientist and practitioner Johann Schultz. In the thirties of our century, Dr. Schultz, based on his impressions from his stay in India and his acquaintance with yoga, synthesized something similar for Europeans and proposed his method for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases, as well as for the purpose of mental self-regulation of the state of mind. Describing the essence of autogenic training, it should be said that it does not contribute to the intimate work of internal cleansing, the fight against vices and passions. Soothing self-relaxation is rather an escape from reality, an illusion of well-being. There is no mention of humility and sobriety as the basis of spiritual peace. It is important to remember that the method has yogic (read Buddhist) roots.

All of the above referred to the first stage of autogenic training. And then, when a person learns relaxation, he is asked to master techniques associated with artificially evoking some images or pictures. The basis of the second stage is sensory imagination. The Holy Fathers warn us against all kinds of sensuality, daydreaming, and fantasizing. Thus, the method of autogenic training should be postponed as unnecessary and due to the danger of damaging one’s soul.

Trance states

Currently, in psychotherapy there is a huge number of techniques that use trance (similar to hypnotic) states. For example, there is (oh horror!) the so-called reincarnation psychotherapy. Its consumers, while in a trance, remember their “former lives” (they write these words without quotes) and try to find in them the causes of their problems. The so-called transpersonal psychotherapy is actively developing. If you don’t go into details and say it simply and clearly, it will look like this: first, fans of such psychopractice enter a trance, and then communicate with demons.

Psychics and other occult “healers” use special states of consciousness in their practice. Moreover, they are considered an indispensable condition for a successful result. Father Anatoly (Berestov) and academician neurophysiologist S.V. Krapivin, having studied the work of the brain of people who were in a state of meditation (hypnosis, self-hypnosis), came to the following conclusion: “It is believed that the state of meditation has a beneficial effect on human health, since it reduces the rhythm breathing, heart rate, blood plasma lactate level, muscle relaxation occurs. It is even believed that such an unusual state is the best rest. However, upon detailed examination of electroencephalograms, it is clear that this is not rest at all, but a very special and strange state of the brain - a dangerous mobilization of all brain resources, all the physiological forces of the brain.”

So, through this special state of consciousness, when the “gates” of the soul are opened, the hypnotist or occultist becomes a conductor of dark forces and serves Satan. This is why the Orthodox Church defines hypnosis as “conscious service to evil” and calls it a phenomenon that “destroys the human spirit.” It is emphasized that hypnosis uses the dark forces of the spiritual world (Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, No. 12, 1989).

For those people who are not familiar with medicine and are far from the methods that are used in it, psychiatry seems scary and not entirely understandable. There is such a judgment that if a person is admitted to a psychiatric clinic, then he is mentally ill, and he has no hope of recovery, since this disease cannot be treated. Hypnosis treatment of mental illness will help you completely forget about the illness.

Hypnosis: what is it?

Psychiatry in our time is gradually becoming aligned with conventional medical science, losing the specificity of discipline, and acquiring a more organized system. Psychiatrists from all countries are trying to combine their knowledge in order to apply the technique as effectively as possible in the treatment of various mental disorders.

The most modern methods in the field of treatment of psychological diseases are being improved. To do this, the main features in the functioning of the brain in patients who are treated by psychiatrists are identified and compared with the functioning of the brain of healthy people. New methods for diagnosing and treating mental illnesses are being developed and improved. The long-known method of treatment with hypnosis has now been greatly improved and is successfully used in the treatment of mental illnesses.

Attention! Hypnosis has been used to treat mental illnesses since ancient times. In ancient Egypt, priests successfully treated many diseases using hypnosis. Well, the very concept of the word “hypnosis” appeared in the 19th century.

For a long time, traditional medicine did not take seriously the methods of treating mental illness with hypnosis. The patients did not have the opportunity to experience the beneficial course of physical influence and a favorable result. And this method of treating mental illness was considered simply an accident.

Following research into the treatment of hysteria using the method of hypnosis, this method was approved and began to be used in medicine at the end of the 19th century. It has become widely used in the treatment of depressive disorders, panic attacks, and mental illness. Also, with the help of hypnosis, they began to treat people addicted to alcohol and drugs.

Treatment of mental illness with hypnosis

There is such a concept in psychiatry as “clinical hypnosis.” This is a kind of individual conversation that takes place between the doctor and the patient. There are two differences in hypnosis for treating mental illness. The first is the “classical” method. The second is “Ericksonian” hypnosis, which was named after its creator. He was a psychiatrist. His name is Milton Erickson. The peculiarity of this method is to study and analyze memories from certain episodes of his life when working with a patient. You need to tell him stories from his life, present your version with which he will agree. This can help as much as possible in the treatment of mental illness.

There is an opinion that hypnosis in psychiatry has therapeutic and healing properties. This appears to be because illness increases tension in muscle tone, and hypnosis leads to relaxation of the muscles throughout the body, which has a beneficial effect on the person. Therefore, the method has been successfully used to treat mental illnesses.

Important! The foundations of many mental illnesses are hidden in the depths of the subconscious.

With the help of hypnosis, the patient can distract himself from the present reality, thus plunging into the depths of his subconscious. That is why the effectiveness of this method is noted, because a person can remember a certain incident in his life, which provoked the development of his illness. Thanks to this, it is possible to correct the consequences that brought him to this state. For this purpose, mental illness is treated with hypnosis.

But still, despite the great advantages of this method, there are also contraindications to its use for the treatment of mental illnesses. If a person has acute somatic diseases, then the hypnosis method cannot be used.

Method of using hypnosis in psychiatry

A specially developed method that provides for the treatment of mental illness using hypnosis. This method is quite widely used and successfully used in the prevention and treatment of many diseases that are associated with mental disorders. In addition, it is used in the treatment of physical problems of the body, for example, when there are problems with the spine.

Impact on humans

What diseases does hypnosis treat? Hypnosis in psychotherapy and its successful treatment of mental illness consists of placing a person temporarily in a state between sleep and wakefulness. Then his thinking is inhibited, but the person is able to perceive everything that is said to him. Thus, the hypnologist can have some influence on a person, instilling in him this or that thought, which the patient subsequently perceives as his own. This method is effective because with its help, the dormant internal forces that are inherent in it by nature awaken in the human body. And the body itself begins to develop those functions that it needs to recover from mental illness.

In order to put a person into a trance, hypnologists mainly use the chattering method, a pendulum, etc.

What are the signs that a person is in a trance when treating mental illness with hypnosis:

• A person’s gaze is fixed on a specific object or directed at one point;
• The swallowing reflex is slow;
• Slow eye blinking;
• The person's pupils are dilated;
• Complete relaxation of muscles, including facial ones;
• His movements are slow;
• His pulse is reduced, his heart beats at a slow pace;
• Breathing becomes slow, as during sleep.

A state of sleep or deep trance is a more effective method than simple hypnosis in the treatment of mental illness. In this case, the patient experiences a speedy recovery during the treatment of mental illness. But not every person can enter such a state of trance.

Attention! With the help of hypnosis, you can achieve the elimination of various experiences, psychological trauma, and all sorts of negative manifestations, which are often the basis for the manifestation of enuresis. Hypnosis will help suppress fears and anxieties and overcome addiction.

The big advantage of using hypnotic assistance is that the patient does not need to put in absolutely any effort to achieve effective results.

Using hypnosis to treat enuresis in children

The method of hypnotic influence on the problem of enuresis is based on the fact that most often the emission of urine occurs involuntarily at night, when the child is sleeping. Therefore, it is better to correct this problem when the child is in a state of sleep with the help of hypnosis, which helps to change his understanding and perception. This method is not new and has already been used for decades.

Before starting treatment of mental illness with this method, the child is explained how his genitourinary system works. It is checked how much the child understood and perceived the story being presented. Next, the child’s spoken vocabulary will be used to formulate thoughts that will be instilled in him during the session. Thus, this helps to maximally adapt to his perception, and this will strengthen the process of suggestion and treatment of mental illness.

The child, in the presence of his parents, will become familiar with the work that the hypnologist will do with him. The story will be told to him at the level of his perception. This is done so that the child does not resist hypnosis, which will allow it to be as effective as possible. For children under 8 years of age, this is explained as a normal nap during the day. The child will fall asleep and wake up, but this dream will be with one difference, it will be a therapeutic dream.

Important! The main task in treating mental illnesses of a small patient with hypnosis for enuresis is to instill the idea that when the child has the urge to urinate while the child is sleeping, he should wake up. Even if these are cases of urinary incontinence during the day, then, also with the help of hypnosis, the baby will be able to control the functions of his body and bladder.

About two hours before the start of the session, the small patient must drink a liquid, which will cause the urge to urinate during the session.

A hypnosis session will consist of the following stages:

1. The child will fall into a hypnosis-induced sleep;
2. Slowly transitions from hypnotic sleep to natural sleep;
3. He will be given the idea, based on his perception, that when he begins to feel the urge to urinate, he needs to wake up.

This sequence will make his sleep more stable, and a subsequent reaction to awakening with the urge to urinate will be formed.

Difficulty in application

Like any method in psychotherapy, it is like moving by touch. Since even the most experienced psychologist with extensive experience in using this method of treating mental illnesses must take into account that each patient requires an individual approach. Since the reasons are different for everyone and the method may vary slightly depending on each case. There are also various difficulties in the use of hypnosis and the treatment of mental illness using its method. This method can really help one person, but another simply does not believe it and therefore will not accept this method as therapeutic.

Hypnosis treatment of mental illness is carried out by a professional who has knowledge in areas such as psychotherapy, psychiatry, and medical psychology. The specialist must have skills in hypnotization. A specialist skilled in hypnosis must understand the peculiarities of the occurrence of such a condition in a patient and study him as an individual.

Attention! Hypnosis treatment of mental illness cannot be used for people with an acute form of the disease or if the disease is in the acute stage.