Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site tove.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!umcp-cs!tove!rene
From: rene@tove.UUCP (Rene Steiner)
Newsgroups: net.sci
Subject: Re: Theatrical Hypnotism and Santa Claus
Message-ID: <48@tove.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Nov-84 14:59:48 EST
Article-I.D.: tove.48
Posted: Wed Nov 28 14:59:48 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Nov-84 19:12:34 EST
References: <23332748.8e4@apollo.uucp>
Organization: U of Maryland, Laboratory for Parallel Computation, C.P., MD
Lines: 37

I once saw a hypnotism demonstration at Georgetown Univiversity. It
had the typical stuff about forgetting names and seeing imaginary red
balls and going to the beach, all of which could have been acting, I
guess. However, I was really impressed when he told one girl she was a
board. She stiffened up with an arched back and sort of quivered. The
hypnotist and a helper leaned her over and picked her up and set her
like a board across a gap between two tables, the back of her head on
one and the heels on her shoes on the others. She just stayed there,
arched like a bridge, even when they put a backpack full of books on
her stomach.j

My mother is really against hypnotism, because she says although it
usually is ok, you can never really tell what will happen with a given
individual. She said she saw a demonstration in college where the guy
had several people come up on stage (hypnotized). He gave them empty
glasses and told them it had really a really strong drink in it, and
they were to drink it and get drunk. It worked fine, until he gave
them the "antidote" that would instantly make them sober. Only one guy
was still drunk, but they couldn't get him out of it. Finally the
hypnotist told his friends to take him home and he would sleep it off.
Now, this man was studying to be a priest, and was a teetotaler. No
one knows why he stayed drunk, and what effect it would have on his
life. Maybe it was nothing, but maybe it was really traumatic. Things
like that make hypnotism something to be careful about. Yes, I've
heard that you can't be made to do anything against your will, but you
CAN be convinced that something is necessary ( - that's a really evil
man. He has to be killed so that he won't hurt anyone else ... or - the
building's on fire! You have to jump out of the window to get away!).

I've also heard that self-hypnotism can be really helpful in studying,
losing weight, etc. Anyone had any personal experience?

			- rene
-- 
rene@tove

My opinions are my own, and no one can take them away from me!!!