Before William James, there were two conflicting views on hypnosis. Everyone agreed that under hypnosis, people exhibit abilities that they do not normally have, but they argued what was the real cause of these effects of hypnosis. Some researchers believed that these effects are created by the trance state that people fall into under hypnosis. Others were convinced that trance had nothing to do with it, and these amazing abilities appear in people as a result of suggestions from the hypnotist.
That is, the first ones said: «Suggestions may not be, but if there is a trance, then there will be amazing abilities.» The second said: «There may not be a trance, but if there are strong suggestions, then amazing abilities will appear.»
And what do you think? Who is right?
William James proposed to combine these two points of view. He said: «Both are right!». Namely, the effects of hypnosis are created by suggestions, but without a trance, suggestions do not work or work poorly. The trance creates a state where the suggestions take effect!
If a person has special states in a trance without the person being given special suggestions, then suggestions still work here, but hidden ones: the expectations of the person himself or suggestions made by the hypnotist imperceptibly to the person himself.
Over time, most researchers of hypnosis adopted the position of William James, supplementing this with the following observations …
Whether or not suggestions work depends on three main factors:
- What is the balance of power. There is the power of suggestion, but there is also the power of the possible resistance of a person’s internal attitudes.
- What is the direction of the forces. Suggestion and internal attitudes of a person do not necessarily contradict each other, they can have a single direction!
- What is the suggestion strategy. In addition to a frontal attack, there are many other, sometimes much more effective approaches and undermining …
Of course, there are people who can speak brightly, strongly, convincingly, whose suggestions are hard to resist. Strong suggestions are a powerful tool, but sometimes they run into the same internal resistance. The more mom insisted that we need to do our homework, the more powerful the attitude “Come on, these lessons to the bathhouse!”
Yes, if you give a person suggestions that contradict his initial attitudes, he will resist these suggestions. If a person wants to mope today, it will be difficult for you to convince him that he wants to work cheerfully today. If you inspire a person against wool, he will object to such suggestions.
But if a person has his cognitive attitudes such that they coincide in essence or direction with the content of new suggestions, then these suggestions will fit into his belief system. If a girl is pleased to know that she is beautiful, it is not difficult for her to inspire that she is a beauty queen. When the belief system is disposed to accept new beliefs, then you just say them, and they will fit easily.
But, in addition to cognitive attitudes, we have bodily attitudes. When a person is purely physically in a state of “I suck”, when he has a sour face and unfortunately slumped shoulders, then in such a state it is useless to tell him that life is beautiful. If a person is now cheerful, lively and active, then suggestions that we all live in paradise and in general the beauties of life will enter him easily and with enthusiasm.
If before the battle the soldiers need to be instilled with “We will win!”, Then the soldiers are put in a beautiful formation, the chest is forward, the nose is up, the horn sounds, drums are beating, the soldiers are loudly shouting greetings to the commander, he starts them with a cheerful speech, and then the general cry “We we will win!” will be a strong inspiration.
So, we have a state when neither mentally nor bodily we object to anything: this is a relaxed state of the body with rare calm breathing and a fixed look. When the body is relaxed and does not express anything, the body does not object to anything. When thoughts stopped running, began to swim, and then completely sailed away — there is also nothing to object to. And this state is called trance.
Yes, in this state there is no special support for new suggestions, but in this state any suggestions enter the person. No resistance. Moreover, one can inspire not only by direct and open suggestions, but by hidden and imperceptible suggestions. We will simply tell a person that trance is therapeutic in itself, that he only needs to remove thoughts, our hidden reserves of health in us will wake up naturally, and our unconscious will find its way to where it is needed. Attention can be lulled by muttering, attention can be distracted by quiet music, attention can be riveted to the quivering fire of a burning candle…