> about hypnosis which
> confuses it with supernatural theories like Mesmerism. Hypnosis
itself
> has nothing to do with telepathy or the paranormal, etc., and was
> actually introduced by people trying to expose and debunk these
things.


Mesmer started something, but he-- like so many others of his time--
had no true understanding of what was going on in the brain; that
wouldn't come until Berger created the EEG machine in the early part
of the 20th century.


And in fact, with the EEG and later on, the MRI, it became possible
to see just what hypnotism did do to the brain. One thing for sure,
hypnosis slowed the brainwaves down so that both the alpha and theta
brainwave states could be reached. Deep hypnosis could put one into a
theta state where such things as telepathy and telekinesis-- among
other intriguing things-- can become possible. There's
nothing "supernatural" about it. Psi abilities have their origins in
the brain just as much as any other talent or gift, and can be
directed under hypnotism as much as anything else can be controlled
from anesthesia to past life regression. If there was, or is, nothing
to hypnosis it would have been abandoned as a practice decades if not
centuries ago. And my health insurance company sure wouldn't pay for
it-- those cheap bastards only pay for things that a proven track
record. That's something you can't dispute. If you could, then you
and a lot of other hypnotherapists would be out of a job, right? ;-)

Ron