From the On-line Mentor Discussion Group

Question: I am puzzled by something.  My understanding is that the trance state allows for bypass of the critical faculty, which is in the conscious mind. This then enables communication directly with the subconscious mind.  If this is what is happening how is the subject then able to filter suggestions and only accept those that are helpful.  It seems like we can't have it both ways-either we are bypassing the critical faculty or we're not and if we are then what is doing the filtering? Denise Jacob, RN, PhD, CHt

Responses:

From: Mentor, Dr Mike Lips - The Critical Faculty's ability to question/analyze is diminished, not completely eliminated when your client is in trance. This is a built in safety feature. It's observing, ready to spring into action if something is said that is against a client's morals or self-preservation. If the ability to question/analyze were completely stopped, it would be mind control, which is not what we do.

From: IMDHA Past President Fr. Marty Patton - Dear Denise, See, you bypassed Rev. Mike’s critical faculty The effort to bypass the critical faculty has to do with where the client is. In our ordinary client we are dealing with clients that need to change how they think about smoking, weight and stress. In medical applications, such as cancer, chemo, heart problems, pain, bleeding, pre and post-op we are dealing with someone who has a need to bypass the critical factor. I have never had a client who came in to control pain that wasn’t willing to give up the critical faculty, so that control of pain could be established. Then as I bring them to the surface I teach them to do the same thing and give control back. The same goes for a person suffering from real or imagined affects of chemotherapy. They will give up control to get a handle on the side effects. Milton Erickson looked at this as dissociation, and used it to remove the critical faculty to get to the initial sensitizing event. You will also see this dissociative event happen spontaneously by a person who is raped or assaulted and has lost memory of the event (major cause of PTSD). Hope this helps! Blessings, +Marty

From: Dr Mike Lips - Good post. But I cringe when I see the word control. As you well know, many fundamentalist Christians lock on to the control and preach against hypnosis. A prime example is Martin & Deidre Bobgan's book, Hypnosis and the Christian, published by Bethany House Publishers (1984). I prefer to use the phrase, temporarily diminishes the Critical Faculty's ability to question/analyze...  Blessings, Mike

From: "+Marty" - I agree, but in the context of Denise's question, I felt she should be aware of the client giving control rather than the Hypnotherapist taking control. I, like you, believe that any practitioner taking control without ethics or permission is committing malpractice, brainwashing, or mind-control. Blessings, +Marty

From: Feir Johnson - There is also the point of view that dominance of the present consciousness merely recedes so that other levels can become the focus. The essential tools of the present consciousness (ability to speak and describe) remain. I don't think the present conscious is the filter for suggestion acceptance. The whole person wants to be in balance. When the suggestion leads to that, and the elimination of the imbalance, the suggestion is accepted.

From: Mentor – Michael Ellner Great question Denise - Interesting answer Mike. First: Any thing said here about Mind and Hypnosis is hypothetical at best. Suggestion works with and without trance states and one can argue that all hypnosis is suggestion with or without a trance. Second: With all due respect to Mike, The belief that suggestion can not work against a client's morals or self-preservation is just that, a belief. Notice how easy it is to over ride the commandment, Thou shalt not kill? if you reframe it so that it's okay to kill or be killed for ones government or religion. I rest my case. I'm going to follow the developing thread, do some thinking about it and get back to you in the future. Michael Ellner, NYC

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