A scientific way to promote accelerated human progress that is verified and effective is Hypnosis. It endures a lot criticism because many people don’t believe that it actually works. However, there have been man
y studies and views from people who are certified hypnotists or have been hypnotized that can help us better understand how it really works, why it’s used, and why some people see it as taboo.
Hypnosis can “create desired changes in behavior and encourage mental and physical well-being” (what is). Hypnosis can alter many body habits or functions to help an individual. From mental to physical, it can treat chronic pain, make you eat healthier, help your study habits, and even quit smoking. It’s possible that it’s just a placebo affect or just a coincidental push to help someone in the right direction, but many studies and people will vouch for it.
One eager hypnotherapist in training, had a sophomore in college that had a smoking problem come to her office to get treatment to quit smoking. With her, she had a supervisor to give her some helpful points if she got lost during the session. As she started, she made the sophomore go into a sleeplike state, and she noticed her supervisor did as well. She wakes them both up and he says “I think I dozed off. I remember you saying my eyes would close—er, I mean, her eyes would close. Maybe I was hypnotized” (Barret). 
In a study that was done with smoking individuals, 3,000 participated in a group hypnotherapy session and “22% reported not smoking for a month afterward” (Barret). Obviously, it doesn’t work for everyone, but it does work to some extent. The question comes forth of: does it depend on the person? Many people think that if you can be hypnotized, then you are weak-minded, but studies have shown that “… hypnotizability is correlated with intelligence, concentration, and focus’ (Barret).
How does this Hypnosis work though? A psychologist, John Kihlstrom, says “The hypnotists serves as a sort of coach or tutor whose job is to help the person become hypnotized” (Cherry). Many people think it’s a sleep-like trance, but it’s more like a “… focused attention, heightened suggestibility and vivid fantasies” and they are usually “zoned out, but in reality, they are in a state of hyper-awareness” (Cherry).
Some people see it as taboo because of many reasons. One, they haven’t tried hypnosis. Two, they have tried it, but it didn’t work. “Fifteen percent of people are very responsive to hypnosis; Children tend to be more susceptible; Approximately ten percent of adults are considered difficult or impossible to hypnotize; People who can become easily absorbed in fantasies are much more responsive” (Cherry). It all depends on the individual and what you want to happen.
In summary, Hypnosis is not for everyone. It’s a state that you go under from a hypnotherapist to possibly help an addiction, state of mind, a bad habit, and much more. Many people think of it as taboo or that it doesn’t work because they probably haven’t tried it, or haven’t it hasn’t been successful for them. To suggest, everyone who has a thought about hypnosis, should try it to see for yourself.
References
Barrett, Deirdre. “The Power of Hypnosis.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 1 Jan. 2001, www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200101/the-power-hypnosis.
Cherry, Kendra. “5 Myths About Hypnosis – Debunked.” Verywell, 6 Jan. 2017, www.verywell.com/what-is-hypnosis-2795921.
“What Is Hypnosis.” What Is Hypnosis, Advanced Neuro Dynamics, www.hypnosis.com/whatishypnosis.php.
