[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
permanently, short of organic brain damage or unusually traumatic
experience, which change personality in unpredictable ways.
: Evil Hypnosis by Todd I. Stark
"Brainwashing" someone (altering their core values and deep beliefs) requires
that their sense of identity be changed, which is not a simple task. In fact,
what most often happens is that a new, superficial sense of identity, or role, is
created and is temporarily preferred to the original sense of identity, which
usually remains intact. This most often means removing the person from the
physical and social environment that helps maintain their attachment to their
current sense of identity. Hypnosis can provide psychological and sensory
isolation, though only temporary, and can encourage enactment of alternate
roles or personalities. Lasting real personality change requires control of our
environment, the breakdown of existing identity sense, replacement by a new
identity sense, and continued reinforcement of the new identity sense. Not
only is such complete control of the environment very difficult, but breaking
down existing identity sense is next to impossible if someone has a strong
sense of who they are.
Part of how hypnosis may sometimes play a role in personality change is that
it can very effectively promote extraordinary experiences that may be
interpreted as significant spiritual experiences. These serve as pivotal
experiences that allow our worldview to shift in new directions. This may
manifest in any of a number of ways, from a personal spiritual renewal to a
commitment to a totalitarian religious cult. This is to a great extent the basis
for the belief by some religious groups that hypnosis is inherently evil. This
requires expectations to be carefully set so that the individual will interpret
their experience in the desired way.
Hypnosis can also be a catalyst in significant changes by providing a relief
of anxiety. As our anxiety is relieved by the relaxation aspect of hypnosis,
participation in consciousness altering practices is reinforced, as is
identification with the group. This is an important part of the process of
becoming immersed in a new group identity.
Finally, selective amnesia and other effects can be carefully used in hypnosis
to help build separate identity senses within the same person. This is in effect
practicing playing multiple roles that are distinct from each other.
Three stages of building a new identity
Personality change was modeled by Kurt Lewin as a three stage process :
unfreezing the current worldview, changing the worldview, and refreezing the
new worldview (Schein, 1961).
The first stage involves reducing our alertness and forcing on us various
kinds of sensory or information overload, confusion, or distraction. This
builds a tremendous psychological and physiological tension that needs to be
released. This is roughly analogous to the first step in a stage hypnosis
induction, creating confusion or distraction by means of a sudden shock.
When longer term effects are desired, the means of destabilizing people
include inducing anxiety and terror, physical and social isolation, sleep
deprivation, nutritional deprivation, infantilizing treatment, and sexual
frustration. Shame and guilt are always central elements in destabilizing the
current identity sense. The extreme psychological pressures needed to break
down our identity sense cannot be continued for more than a few days.
: Evil Hypnosis by Todd I. Stark
The second stage involves reducing the tension and anxiety generated in the
first stage, and providing something to focus on. This is the step where we
enter "trance," as our welcome relief. The person temporarily becomes weak,
with no strong convictions or standards about what is logical, and begin
thinking in a magical, wishful way (Holt, 1964). They become unable to
distinguish fantasy from reality, dependent upon authority, basically to
regress to a childlike state. In some ways, hypnosis is similar to regression to
a childlike state. In fact, some psychoanalytic theorists have claimed that
hypnosis is a kind of regression. This provides a distinct relief from the
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]