Hypnosis

So I want to talk about hypnosis for a minute.  Just for a minute, because anybody interested in the subject can immediately find many excellent references just by typing "hypnosis" into the Google search engine.  There is a ton of information out there.  Of course, most of it is repetitive, because hypnosis actually isn't a large topic.  Many different people offer hypnosis services.  Hypnosis itself, however, remains the same.

As is to be expected, there are differing schools of thought on how hypnosis services should be offered and used.  One school says that only trained psychologists should be allowed to hypnotize people, because only psychologists have the proper training to appropriately handle whatever comes up for a patient under hypnosis.  Another argues that since hypnosis is a natural state, one that can be self-induced, a psychology degree is not necessary.  A third school considers only the entertainment value of hypnosis.  All three of these schools of thought do agree that some sort of training is necessary.

And I agree with that.  It is important to know the fundamentals, such as what questions to ask someone before the hypnotic session begins and what explanations to give.  The basic workings of the human mind, how to identify and verify the hypnotic state, how to elicit information without asking suggestive questions (or, in the case of entertainment, how to make amusing suggestions), and how to address whatever comes up for the client are all very important.

Certification with any of the main hypnosis bodies indicates basic training levels.  Renewed certification demonstrates a commitment to continued learning and education.  Personally, I have found that hypnosis training outside of mainstream degree programs tends to be based on the idea that the certified are somehow still lacking.  They don't know enough, or they don't know it well enough, or they only think in boxes.  I agree that we need to expand our views, but I don't agree that is because of some fundamental weakness in our initial viewpoint.

My certifications have lapsed during the time that I have been learning to work at a nuclear power plant.  But since I have now produced the first book and am working on the second, with all of what comes with that, I am about to go bring my certifications up to date.  After all, I need to demonstrate my commitment!
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