A hypnotist named Tom Updike visited Nettie’s BioPsych class last week. The class was introduced to the effects of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes and were encouraged to participate in a group trance. Here is a review of one student’s experience with the visit:
At first I was skeptical of hypnosis, still, I was anxious to see what would happen. After the first hypnosis, I was relieved when he told us that he had never hypnotized anybody, and that it was impossible for him to make you do anything while under the affects of hypnosis. Initially, my understanding of hypnosis was that somebody could induce you into an altered state of consciousness and influence you to do things against your will. Tim Updike explained that in reality, hypnosis is like a deeper meditation, and that he can only influence you to think about things in new ways. I feel like he did succeed in “hypnotizing” me. I entered a very deep state of relaxation, and could visualize everything he told me. I felt extremely happy, my face became very flush, and I could not stop smiling.
Essentially, I think his knowledge of psychology and hypnosis make him a very effective therapist. It seems that he has been successful in curing people of their anxieties, and helping them overcome their fears. I think hypnosis can really help people who have experienced trauma in their lives, allowing them to process past events that still torment them today. I wonder if it would be an effective way to treat war veterans with post-traumatic stress syndrome.
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