Hypnotism

Anything is possible if you believe. Whatever the odds, you can win.

For four years it fascinated him, partly because it appeared to open a doorway into the paranormal.Western culture would be utterly different if the great man had sidestepped psychoanalysis and concentrated on tools to use the brain’s vast, untapped power. Hypnosis gives control of the body to the mind: it can be so effective that, 150 years ago, the surgeon James Esdaile used it as an anaesthetic in 2,000 operations, including amputations. His patients were told they would feel no pain – and they did not.
I wouldn’t advise anyone to try DIY amputations, but self-hypnosis is a great technique to master. When you can induce calmness and alertness in your mind with a few trigger-words spoken silently to yourself, you possess an invaluable talent.Hypnosis doesn’t have to involve deep sleep or unconsciousness. The natural hypnotic state is much lighter, a feeling of being wide awake but untroubled by the usual stresses of daily life. Brain scans show it is characterised by alpha-waves, the mental frequency common in daydreams and prayer. To get started, recite these gentle, repetitive instructions in your mind. If you ask a partner to read them, or you record them onto a cassette, they may be even more effective: “You are feeling calm. Your mind is clear. You are calm. Your mind is clear as air. You are filled with calmness. Your mind is bright and sharp. You feel yourself draw a deep, cool breath. It floods your body with calmness. You breathe out and blow away all confusion. All that remains is calm. Your mind is focused. Now, in all you do, you can be successful.”