Saturday, February 19, 2011

My long-awaited entry regarding hypnosis

Actually I've tried scribbling a few thoughts on this but I am finding the subject too complex for me to assimilate. While persuaded by Dr. Scott Lilienfeld that its use in "abductee" cases is flawed, still--I just find it fascinating that the human consciousness is apparently capable of weaving from whole cloth complex and internally consistent narratives on demand. In addition, these narratives become accepted by the conscious mind as legitimate memories. This capability--however misused by unskilled or unscrupulous paranormal researchers--is still quite remarkable. So while I admit that the bathwater needs tossing, I would still like to keep the baby.

I would actually argue that hypnosis does have a place in paranormal research--with the appropriate safeguards and protocols. It can be used as a tool: for the exploration and study of consciousness. Scientists of the materialist bent will argue that this is a waste of time... Because their concept of consciousness is limited by behaviorist arguments that reduce consciousness as a byproduct of the brain. My belief is that it's much more.

Now, how hypnosis should be used--by whom, when, where, and how--I'm not remotely qualified to say. But I think that some fascinating research can be done.

To segue, I've read a bit of Ingo Swann's work. It's possible that he let his imagination run amok when he wrote "Penetration." This book is long out of print and very $$$, but I was lucky enough to stumble upon a copy practically free. The quandary is: Swann is/was a remote viewer whose work seems to have been accurate. Should we then transfer this legitimacy to his extracurricular works? I found "Penetration" to be strange, fascinating, intriguing, but ultimately impossible to verify, since it has no correspondence to any known scientific or historical fact. So I left it not knowing whether to believe or disbelieve it. Plus, Swann is a Scientologist, which is a demerit in my book. But like many "channeled" works or products of hypnosis, I still found it fascinating. And there might be elements of truth in it. The idea that there are alien bases on the dark side of the moon appears in a few other works and is, for all I know, a self-perpetuating paranormal myth. But it's a myth worth pondering.

2 comments:

  1. Hello there. Following a link from Nick Redfern, I've been reading through some of your posts and enjoyed them. It seems that, at times, blogging gets little feedback which is why I'm posting here.

    At some point this year, I'm hoping to explore hypnosis as an experience. 'Past-lives' regression seems like an intriguing prospect. Although I doubt the veracity of people's recall (so few have matched recall to reality), such an emotive sense of another, detailed life is worth attempting. Furthermore, it should lend a personal insight into 'abduction regression.' I have the impression that (like Jenny Randles long ago), UFO-focused regression generates UFO themes and abduction experiences.

    The downside of these plans is that successful (recommended) 'regression hypnotists/therapists' charge over a £100 per hour. With some sessions going into 3 hours, that's a lot of anyone's money.

    All the best

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  2. Thank you for reading. I almost went in for a past-life regression with a certified hypnotherapist working with Dr. Michael Newton, but my plans fell through. Had I done it, I might be able to write from experience about hypnosis. I've generally shied away from the procedure because I have a phobia of doctors / hospitals and clinical settings, and hypnosis is, essentially, surgery on the mind. Once you open it up, there's no telling what you will find, and you may not be able to put it back together the way you found it. So, it's potentially a powerful tool but also a blunt weapon in the hands of the unskilled. But if you go through hypnosis I'd be very interested in hearing your experience.

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