Quote from Babak:
I've seen this done and it is not a fairy tale. I've seen a person who hates onions and never eats them under any condition - raw, cooked, etc.. after hypnosis, take a peeled onion and bite it and eat it like an apple. I've seen a person who is deathly afraid of snakes and will be distraught at the sight of a snake's picture, wear a python around her neck like so much jewelery.
Contemplation and rational thinking will only get you so far because there are huge hidden barriers that our minds put up (anachronistic protection mechanisms). A different approach is needed if you want to remove them and advance.
Yes, I've heard of such tales also. I don't doubt they are true -- I just question the long term effectiveness of such short term manipulation.
The eating of onions and wearing of snakes reminds me of an old Reuters story about a rabbit with a chemical imbalance that had become wildly aggressive, chasing dogs, cats and even people out of the yard in an effort to defend its turf. It is certainly possible to trick the brain, or dramatically alter mood and possibility, or induce some vivid Walter Mitty sequence, but how effectively does that translate into true and healthy renewal of the whole person?
In contrast, I have seen the guided contemplation process at work, and I have seen its permanent / long-lasting effects in people close to me -- going from two zoloft a week to none over the course of a year, that sort of thing.
There may be real value in hypnosis, I don't deny that -- especially when it comes to debilitating phobias. But in most instances you get what you pay for, and I am as leery of shortcuts in big picture mental processes as I am in trading. It would seem that hypnosis is a specialized tool that applies well to localized areas. That is a different kettle of fish than changing from a loser into a winner, or taking a sick worldview and rebuilding it as a healthy one.
In my opinion, a strong and healthy mind is the product of a strong and healthy world view (given all the right chemical ratios etc). The more complexity and nuance that one's desired worldview must have, the more care must be taken in building it. In this sense, one's worldview is a product of study and experience. I don't see how you could hypnotize or trick someone into being experienced, or build the critical mass of internal connections for them.
I suggest that, in its ability to induce temporary states of suspended belief or altered belief, hypnosis is far more of a blunt instrument, focused on one set of behaviors at a time, than the intricate device needed for broad and deep change.
I could be completely wrong of course. But even if so, I think most folks are better off seeking understanding, with a desire to put deep effort into their transformation process, than they are dreaming of some instant fix if they could only read the right book or sign up with the right therapist. 'Designing your subconscious state' should be more like solving a Rubik's cube than finding a holy grail.