How to protect yourself from hypnotic influence?

Why hypnosis can be dangerous for humans

The trance state is absolutely natural; during the day a person periodically falls into it on his own when he gets carried away with something or is immersed in thought. However, trance can be intentionally induced by another person, who in this case is called a hypnotist.

Hypnosis:

• Has nothing to do with supernatural forces.
• Represents the normal function of the human psyche and its reaction to stimuli.
• The perception of a person under hypnosis changes.

To better understand the potential threat of hypnosis to a person, one should turn to the phenomena of trance, which scammers use for their own selfish purposes.

Phenomena of hypnotic trance

Everyone can remember a time when they did not hear their name called loudly while watching an interesting film or reading an exciting book. This is a clear demonstration of a negative auditory hallucination: in a trance state, hearing becomes selective, a person hears only those sounds that are associated with the object that interests him. A hypnotist can also cause similar manifestations of the phenomena of the human psyche.

Regardless of whether a person entered a trance himself or was deliberately hypnotized, this state is characterized by the following properties:

• decreased critical perception of the information provided;
• narrowing of attention, focusing on certain images, sensations, sounds and nuances of the situation;
• substitution by the hypnotist of the existing reality with a fictitious one;
• amnesia – complete or partial loss of memory about events that occurred under hypnosis;
• confusion of consciousness, actions that are patterned for a particular situation: under hypnosis a person acts unconsciously, automatically, in a manner familiar to himself;
• visual or auditory, tactile hallucinations;
• decreased motor activity, so-called “trance paralysis”;
• negative hallucinations: a hypnotized subject does not see, hear, or feel things that are obvious to a person with a clear consciousness.

Trance can be light, when a person maintains a connection with the outside world, or it can be very deep, in which reality is completely replaced by inspired reality.

Features of human actions under hypnosis

A hypnotized subject will not do anything that contradicts his moral code and will never change his principles and beliefs. However, the potential danger of hypnosis is that scammers literally change reality for their victim, simulating a situation in which a person will act in a way that is beneficial to them.

Under hypnosis, a person will not become a murderer, obeying the will of the hypnotist, and will not commit dirty tricks or illegal actions that he is not capable of in a normal state of consciousness.

However, the hypnotist can cause:

• pay for a successful purchase,
• withdraw cash from an ATM,
• give money as a reward for something,
• pay to avoid trouble, etc.

These are actions that are completely explainable by logic. And they can happen to anyone. The hypnotist's task is to create such a situation.

Gypsies have gained fame as successful hypnotist-swindlers by asking passers-by to tell their fortunes “for a pretty penny.” During the ritual, the victim places a large denomination banknote in his palm, which the scammers then take away for fortune-telling, distracting attention with the story of the upcoming fate or frightening him with the fact that otherwise the person will face grief. But this is far from the only example when the first person he meets can plunge a person into a trance state.

A person can be hypnotized even over the phone. This is a completely common practice used by many scammers. And if a person has suspicions that someone, when communicating, intends to change his perception of the surrounding reality, forces him to take certain actions (buying an item, manipulating a wallet, a bank card), asks questions that lead to confusion, feeling of shame, embarrassment or deep thought, causes shock, then you should interrupt the trance induction using one of the methods presented below.

What diseases can be cured with the help of suggestion and what conditions can be gotten rid of?

This curious technique is more than a thousand years old. Some people are wary of it, others are happy to turn to a hypnotherapist, realizing that this is an ordinary doctor - essentially a psychotherapist or psychologist who will not give a personal assessment of your problems, for him they are just a new barrier that needs to be overcome. In almost 90-95 percent of cases, patients feel better after one or several sessions. Whether they get rid of the disease, problem or paranoia completely depends largely on themselves. We found out what this means, as well as how the technique works, from a certified specialist, one of the most famous psychologists in our country, Denis SEVEROV.

“Hypnosis is an intermediate state between sleep and wakefulness, when the conscious part goes aside and work is done with the unconscious,” explains the interlocutor.
- In fact, in the subcortex of consciousness we have recorded the stages of life, what happened to us before. Through questions, dialogue and suggestion, fears and previous psychological traumas are worked through, and the attitude towards unconscious moments changes. Accordingly, the person is transformed. What about hypnotizability - that is, susceptibility to psychological influence? About 20-30 percent of people are hypnotics, with whom it is easy to work, and they go into trance without difficulty. Others (10-15 percent) are difficult to respond to hypnotherapy: either the level of self-control is too high, or there is an excessive threshold of anxiety when fear interferes with suggestion. And this fear is just unfounded. Because the gypsy hypnosis associated with fraud existing in the mind has nothing to do with what competent specialists offer. In effective technologies, the patient is not only a participant in the process - the hypnotherapist creates the conditions for his client to introduce himself into a state of suggestion. In fact, this is done by the patients themselves; the doctor only helps. There is nothing to be afraid of, because hypnosis is not total submission to control, but subtle, delicate, elegant work with the unconscious. The patient remembers everything, understands, experiences emotions, experiences, there is no such feeling that he is turned off at the snap of a finger.

Collage by Olga PAK

For what other reasons are people afraid to turn to hypnotherapists and psychologists? It is uncomfortable to share a secret problem with strangers, to tell in vivid colors the emotions and feelings experienced. It seems that the specialist will condemn, laugh, be surprised, not at all. A hypnotherapist is an ordinary doctor who will definitely not give a personal assessment, but will only try to understand and help. If you see a problem in all the colors and hyperbole, this does not mean that this is approximately how others see and perceive it.

What can you solve with hypnosis? You can reduce the pain or relieve it completely, in fact the same anesthesia. Especially with illnesses of a psychosomatic nature, when pain in the body appears as a result of experiences, mental tragedies, and unexpressed emotions. In this case, explains Denis Severov, the work is not even on the disease, but on its root cause.

Is it possible to avoid coronavirus infection with the help of hypnosis, our readers are interested. Here's what the expert says:

— As a rule, people who are afraid of the disease tolerate it worse, because anxiety reduces our resources and immunity. Accordingly, the amount of internal energy decreases. You cannot directly use hypnosis to instruct yourself not to get infected with “corona,” but you can reduce the degree of negative impact of the infection. Just to increase a person's confidence. A self-confident person is not afraid or doubtful, clearly sees the goal and boldly goes towards it. Hypnosis works with fear. There are no attitudes like “now you will succeed”; the technique works differently: the root cause of fear is determined, a new attitude towards it is formed, and thus self-confidence is gained.

How to choose a hypnotherapist? Any will do? No, says Denis Severov. It is important that there is contact, trust, and goodwill between the client and the specialist, otherwise the suggestion may not work. You also need to pay attention to where the hypnotherapist received his education. Some foreign schools offer to teach skills in literally three days, but can anyone in their right mind believe this? It will take at least six months to master the aspects of hypnosis and psychotherapy. Some impostors, calling themselves great professionals, are not that far from hypnosis, even from psychotherapy. Therefore, when choosing a specialist, pay attention to the availability of psychological education.

Of all the methods, Denis Severov has one of his preferred ones - Ericksonian hypnosis. How does it differ from the classic directive? Firstly, it is suitable for most patients, because in comparison with the classical one it is softer and deeper, when contact is based on trust, the person opens up - and working with his unconscious is much easier. Directive is suitable for literally 20-25 percent of people who are easily suggestible, otherwise the conscious and unconscious parts will reject the settings, and the method will be ineffective.

Is it possible to solve complex problems? Take, for example, stuttering and its psychosomatic origin. Due to the fact that parents or other close associates covered the child’s mouth, he developed a muscle spasm in the jaw. Then this goes into adulthood. Again, the main goal is to correctly identify the root cause. After several sessions, the patient begins to speak more freely and calmly. The defect is eliminated gradually. Improvement almost always occurs, but complete recovery takes time.

How many sessions will it take for complete recovery? For some, one or two are enough if the request is specific. Let’s say a guy or girl is afraid of relationships, there is an unaccountable fear when applying for a job, anxiety at important events, aerophobia, fear of public speaking. The hypnotherapist teaches the unconscious to express emotion so that it does not get stuck inside the person. Much more sessions will be needed if the problem is long-term, for example a high degree of anxiety-depressive disorder. Here it will be an unsuccessful attempt to get rid of ailments the first time and gain complete peace of mind. No, of course, it is possible to find this same balance, but without expecting miracles. You cannot suddenly transfer a person from one state to another. In hypnotherapy, as in life, consistency and work are important.

THIS IS INTERESTING

It turns out that every person has the ability to self-hypnosis. This requires some psychological knowledge and skills. Using this technique, you can force yourself to change, influence your behavior, and rescue secret abilities and talents from the depths of the subconscious. This method was invented by Emile Coue, author of the book “Self-Control through Consciousness.” In it, he describes the technique of self-hypnosis and proves that with its help you can achieve the same results as from a third-party hypnotist. It is interesting that a person repeatedly falls into a trance state during the day - this is how we protect ourselves from overload and nervous breakdowns.

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Despite the fact that hypnosis was recognized only in the 19th century, it was actively used by ancient priests in Egypt, Tibet, India, the East, Greece and Rome. In those days it was used to treat various ailments.

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And Belgian scientists use hypnosis to treat baldness. Their sessions improve blood flow to the scalp surface in patients, increase body temperature, which leads to the activation of hair follicles. No magic, just basic science.

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The famous Russian psychiatrist Vladimir Bekhterev used hypnosis to help the police interrogate suspects. He provided information that contributed to the capture of desperate criminals, brutal murderers and rapists.

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Rating of the best ways to resist hypnosis

Methods of preventing trance induction vary depending on the technique used by the hypnotist. At the same time, it is important to recognize scammers and their intentions in time.

Fraudsters often use:

• surprise effect,
• overload of the victim’s consciousness, when she is deliberately not allowed to come to her senses and collect her thoughts.

The effectiveness of the presented methods depends on the subject’s readiness for unforeseen situational turns, the ability to maintain concentration and manage one’s own attention. The higher these abilities, the less susceptible a person is to hypnosis.

The decisive factor in resisting a hypnotic trance is the subject’s ability to critically perceive information, not to succumb to the influence of others, while remaining committed to his line of behavior and protecting his own interests.

Ways to resist hypnotic effects

Experts have developed a number of rules, following which you can resist hypnotic influence. They allow not only to recognize the basic tricks and techniques by which hidden influence is carried out, but also to quickly identify such a person. The first and main rule that must be observed when learning methods of defense against hypnosis is constant practice in the ability to firmly say “no”.

The second rule prescribes stimulating your subconscious so that in an extreme situation you can demonstrate maximum stability. For this purpose, various methods of autogenic training are practiced, which should program a person to show determination and composure, regardless of the circumstances. Decisions must be made clearly and firmly, however, they should not be dictated by external pressure.

Do not forget that resistance to external hypnosis may not end very well. Everything depends on the level of professionalism of the manipulator, and insufficient experience in such situations can lead to failure. The most correct thing to do would be to immediately leave the threatening situation. The second option is to prepare for the meeting in advance and concentrate all your internal strength beforehand.

Avoiding contact with the hypnotist

This method is simple but effective. If the scammer's intention to hypnotize is known in advance, then the most basic response will be to deliberately avoid contact with the scammer.

Having seen a crowd of gypsies looking for a victim, it is better to cross to the other side of the street in advance, remaining unnoticed by them.

Otherwise, even brief visual contact is enough for scammers to call out to the potential victim, ask them to come closer or stop to continue communication. This same tactic also includes refusing to answer calls coming from unfamiliar numbers. Although for some people this principle may seem wild, in this way many avoid real trouble.

Disadvantage of this method:

• A fraudulent hypnotist is often not so easy to recognize at first glance. Moreover, it is in the interests of the swindler himself to ensure that his intentions are not revealed ahead of time.
• Also, contact with a hypnotist is forced when one has to resist the trance already in the process of inducing it.

Critical perception of the hypnotist and his actions

Everyone needs to remember that not everything heard or even seen is true. You need to be critical of all information provided, especially by a stranger, and question it. In this case, distrust should be deliberately flaunted - such behavior will discourage the hypnotist from influencing his victim.

The hypnotist will put a person into a trance only if he can overcome his critical perception.

• The scammer must get the victim to sincerely believe in his words. That is why the hypnotist’s voice, as a rule, sounds confident, does not allow doubts, it is authoritarian - this is the technique used by the masters of pop hypnosis on stage, when the subject’s attention is already focused on their personality.
• Hypnosis doesn't always look like direct suggestion. When inducing a trance, the acting abilities of the hypnotizer can be used: he can portray fear, surprise, bewilderment and even pain - in order to evoke the appropriate emotion in a person, sympathy or complicity in what is happening, and reduce the critical perception of the situation. Gypsies wear a small child or a doll in their hem to evoke compassion in the first person they meet and thus make contact, after which they proceed directly to hypnosis.

How to recognize hidden hypnotic pressure

In order to put up protection against hidden suggestion in a timely manner, you need to learn how to quickly identify the person who is trying to carry it out. There are many signs by which you can detect an attempt at covert hypnosis. First of all, you should pay attention to such attempts as:

• actively involve in your problem;
• cause feelings of guilt;
• copying gestures;
• copying conversation style;
• copying a pose;
• adjustments to the rhythm of breathing;
• put in an awkward position;
• constant interruptions during a conversation;
• compulsion to make an urgent decision that cannot be delayed;
• pronouncing phrases while exhaling.

The behavior of the interlocutor should also attract attention. If there are unnatural and unpleasant moments in it, such as excessive fuss, darting eyes, expressive gestures, all this should immediately alert you. Personal feelings about a person also play an important role in identifying a scammer. However, if an extreme attack is carried out, then there is too little time left for everything.

Without experience and practice, as well as the necessary knowledge that helps to resist the hidden hypnotic influence, a person under hypnosis is quickly attacked by relaxation, pleasant fatigue, and the desire to take a nap. The clarity of thought and the adequacy of perception of the surrounding world are impaired.

For the victim, the most important thing is the voice of the hypnotist, which makes him feel at ease and pleasant. When looking from the side at a person in a hypnotic trance, you can see his complete relaxation, a fixed gaze and a rosy face. Such people freeze with their pupils wide open, taking an unnatural pose.

Mental withdrawal from the hypnotist

The hypnotist’s efforts to induce a trance can be neutralized by voluntarily turning off attention from his actions. It is enough to remember any familiar melody or song and mentally repeat it, read poetry to yourself, or count from one to one hundred.

The essence of this method is to deliberately distract from the personality of the fraudster, whose efforts will be in vain. To induce a trance, it is important for the hypnotizer to keep the person's focus on his actions or words. The willful mental concentration of the hypnotized person on simple tasks will help to distance himself from attempts to influence and not get confused in his own reasoning.

Hypnosis can be harmful or dangerous to your health

In certain conditions, hypnosis can actually be harmful and even life-threatening. People who suffer from psychosis, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder should not be immersed in a hypnotic state. If such a person is put into hypnosis, the symptoms of mental disorders may intensify and negatively affect their health. Also, people who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol should not be subjected to hypnosis. For a person who does not suffer from the mental illnesses listed above and is not under the influence of substances, hypnosis usually does not pose a danger, since in this state the person controls the entire process and what the hypnotherapist tells him. If a person does not like the settings and instructions during the session, he simply will not accept them or will leave hypnosis.

• Diseases and disorders

Gaining control over the situation

When inducing a trance, it is vital for the hypnotist to keep the situation under control, because hypnosis can otherwise be called manipulation of attention. And a person opposing trance should make his own adjustments to the situation, consciously change it.

How to regain control of the situation:

1. You can start with basic actions: when communicating with a street scammer, look at your watch or to the side, intentionally cough, light a cigarette, take out your phone or tie your shoelaces - do any act of your own free will, and feel in control of the situation.
2. After this, you can invite the hypnotizer to come closer to the standing people, go with him to a nearby kiosk, ticket office at the station, ask him to be silent, ask a few questions not related to the topic of discussion and demand an answer.
3. This behavior will help to break the trance state and will confuse the hypnotizer, since the latter will have to cede control of the situation.
4. Usually, such attempts immediately cause resistance from the scammer and a desire to return to the topic under discussion, but this should only cause a response of wariness; you must categorically refuse the scammer’s proposals.

Tactics to get ahead of the hypnotist

If there is no way to avoid contact with the hypnotist, but his intentions are quite predictable, you can be proactive and start a conversation first.

Simple discouraging questions or remarks will be especially effective when meeting traders or notorious gypsies:

• Buy a pen from me;
• How do I get to the library?
• Let me tell you fortune;

These remarks must be pronounced in a calm tone, the first to begin communication. Initiative and confidence in a person’s voice will make it clear to the scammer that confidential contact is simply excluded. This will also indicate that the ultimate goal of communication - deception - is already known. Usually street scammers themselves avoid contact after such questions.

Interfering with the hypnotist's nonverbal influences

The hypnotic state is caused not only through words, the so-called verbal influence. Trance can also be induced using wordless techniques.

The scammer can use non-verbal methods to induce a hypnotic state by:

• long handshake,
• tapping on the shoulder,
• tugging at clothes
• introduction into personal human space.

Also, these methods can be used in combination with speech trance induction, enhancing the influence of words.

A common example is when a scammer, in popular parlance - a “gopnik,” intimidates the victim by hugging her by the shoulder, while uttering threats in a quiet and calm tone. Intrusion into personal space causes discomfort and a trance state, focusing attention on the words of the bully, which sound more convincing.

In this case, you need to remove your hand from your shoulder, step back, and demand that you not touch yourself. You need to act decisively, achieving a complete cessation of touching. This will significantly prevent the fraudster from influencing consciousness and will reduce his ability to persuade.

What is anchor hypnosis and how does it work?

In some cases, the patient is better helped by direct hypnosis with instillation of aversion to alcohol. In others, anchor hypnosis works well. It is based on the principles of neurolinguistic programming. This is a gentle, non-violent practice. Many patients are afraid that the doctor will “get into their head.” In this case, any fears are groundless, because the impact is based on three “pillars”:

• the patient’s desire to get rid of addiction;
• relying on strong personal impressions;
• individual approach.

The specialist, with the help of the patient, finds an “anchor” in his past - a strong memory with a negative connotation. Then, with the help of hypnosis (light trance without complete immersion), this impression is associated with the idea of ​​​​alcohol. In the future, alcohol causes negative emotions in a person and the desire to drink disappears.

Temporary interruption of contact with the hypnotizer

Not every situation that the hypnotist models is conducive to calm. For example, a swindler may call a potential victim and, posing as a bank employee, report that the card is blocked. Another common method is when a scammer tells a person that one of his relatives has had an accident, has been detained by the police, or is in need of urgent medical attention.

The essence of the method is to cause a state of shock in which the ability to think critically is lost, which is what the swindler takes advantage of, offering a simple way out of the current situation - urgently provide the PIN code and other secret card details, transfer funds to any account, give money for treatment or payoff, etc. In this case, it is important for the hypnotizer to constantly maintain contact with the subject, without giving him time to think.

In order to exit the trance state, you must immediately take a time out:

• ask to call back a little later,
• give time to think,
• just hang up, even if the hypnotist insists otherwise.

After this, you should critically think about the situation, try to call your relatives back, contact the bank through well-known channels and clarify the situation with the card.

The ability to criticize in a state of shock is minimal. To quickly get rid of troubles, a person can take any rash step. This is exactly what the hypnotist is trying to achieve, but even temporarily interrupting contact with him will provide an opportunity to calm down and more carefully weigh the situation without the scammer putting pressure on the psyche.

How negative suggestion works

In order to successfully resist the negative effects of hypnosis, it is important to understand the principles of its operation and the basic techniques that scammers use. For a criminal hypnotist, it is important for the victim to concentrate on any event, during which he can be put into a trance and suggested what is necessary.

To achieve this goal, it is absolutely not necessary for a person to be asleep or for the classic pendulum of hypnotists to swing before his eyes. In practice, more effective and faster ways to achieve what you want are used. The most common of them are:

1. Overloading consciousness with logical nonsense. For example, a long phrase is said in which there are many auditory and emotional turns: “You, I think, have already realized that yesterday’s hurricane, which came from the South and brought a lot of disappointments, had a strong effect on my wife, and I spent the whole night listening to her sigh heavily, walks around the kitchen, drinks beer from an iron mug and calls the police.” An unprepared person falls into a stupor trying to understand what it all means, a scammer takes advantage of this and sends the necessary suggestion directly to the subconscious.
2. Creating an unusual situation or performing an extreme attack on a person. All actions are carried out as quickly as possible so that the victim is taken by surprise. For example, a person drinks coffee, the scammer calmly takes the cup from his hands, takes a sip and calmly returns it back. There is a method of direct influence - a peaceful conversation is interrupted by a sharp grab from behind the neck and the victim is tilted down. As a result, the person falls into a trance for a couple of seconds, which is quite enough for an experienced hypnotist to suggest.
3. A person has several channels of perception, and overloading one of them leads to a temporary trance. As an example, we can cite the auditory channel of perception. Two scammers stand on opposite sides of a person and speak at the same time, persuading him to make a certain decision. In such a situation, many fall under the influence and then cannot understand why they signed where it was not necessary, or gave away something that should not have been given.
4. Suggestion through intimate conversation. The conversation is conducted in the form of a long monologue, which is pronounced in a quiet monotonous voice, with key phrases inserted into it in places. The hypnotist focuses the victim's attention on them with the height or volume of his voice. Gradually, the person falls into a trance, however, the highlighted phrases are fixed in the subconscious and become a command to perform the actions desired by the scammer.

Knowing these techniques, you can learn to build an effective defense against them and not succumb to hidden hypnotic pressure. To broaden your horizons, you can watch thematic videos on the Internet, where professional hypnologists clearly explain the principles of how negative suggestion works.

Insulting a fraudulent hypnotist

Many people are unable to break off contact with a hypnotist because they are hampered by social attitudes: not to refuse help to any person, including a stranger, not to be the first to stop communicating, and not to behave offensively. This is used by scammers to maintain rapport - trusting contact between the hypnotist and the victim.

If there are no doubts about the scammer’s selfish goals, and other ways to get out of the trance do not come to mind, you can resort to a very simple but effective method: end the communication directly and firmly, without being shy in the expressions addressed to the hypnotist.

Obsessiveness is characteristic of street or telephone scammers who resort to trance induction. An insult, although it does not fit into a socially acceptable model of behavior, can lead to the end of contact with the hypnotist, which ultimately saves the victim from troubles due to immersion in a trance.

There are people who cannot be hypnotized

This is true. There are a set of certain personality traits that supposedly influence whether a person is hypnotizable or not. However, this theory is not always confirmed. Research in this area has been ongoing for many years. However, there are experts who claim that they can hypnotize any person without any problems. Most likely, they simply did not come across those who could not be hypnotized. If a person believes in the effectiveness of hypnosis and wants to be hypnotized, he easily enters this state. If there is no desire to enter a state of hypnosis or trust in a specialist, a person may not succumb to this technique. Of course, there are people who simply cannot be hypnotized. They may be more distrustful, wary and even paranoid. Also, according to statistics, only one out of five people can be put into the deepest phase of hypnosis - somnambulism.

1.Escape

Although escape is associated with cowardice and inability to influence the situation, sometimes this remains the only correct way out of the situation. If the victim is surrounded by gypsies, inaction is fraught with negative consequences, since it is almost impossible to resist hypnosis in this case.

Fraudsters work by overloading consciousness:

• bright outfits and shiny earrings distract attention,
• simultaneous statements by swindlers from different sides are confusing,
• constant tapping on shoulders and arms,
• Twitching of clothes leads to a state of confusion.

It is extremely difficult to maintain a clear state of consciousness and not fall into a trance.

To prevent hypnosis, you must literally run away and escape from the environment..

Although this method may seem degrading to many, it is the best in the ranking. A decisive cessation of contact with scammers is guaranteed to bring you out of the trance state and prevent its further induction.

You can get stuck in hypnosis

No you can not. A specialist without the necessary qualifications who uses hypnosis may simply not know how to bring a person out of a hypnotic state. A person may become stuck in hypnosis for some time, but any qualified hypnotherapist will easily bring him out of this state. Or, in extreme cases, he will come out of hypnosis on his own. He will simply go into a normal sleep state and wake up. The person being hypnotized may decide not to come out of hypnosis, and then one can really get stuck in it. That is, it largely depends on the person who is under hypnosis.