Is being hypnotized a sin?

[stacymay]

Obviously it's not explicitly mentioned in the Bible (and if it is, correct me - I just don't remember seeing it), but would being hypnotized be considered sinful?

I ask because I have OCD and it's been getting worse lately. I'm extremely and irrationally depressed about a story I read a few years ago. It's haunted me over the years and even made it difficult for me to function over this past summer, when I felt like I was seconds away from an emotional breakdown throughout almost the whole months of June and especially July. I was hoping to get some therapy soon, and I've heard that you can be hypnotized to ease these kinds of obsessions. For example, I could be hypnotized into believing (the truth) that the story is fake and I should not be so depressed about it anymore, or maybe even that I never read it in the first place or something (not sure how it works). Believe me, I've tried many things, including prayer and cognitive behavioral therapy, but nothing works.

Would hypnotism be too secular or new-age for me to try?

On a similar note (though not mentioned in the title), is mindfulness therapy or training sinful because it coincides with Buddhist teachings? My previous therapist used mindfulness techniques and my HWP professor is telling us we should practice it as stress-relief. Would that be OK or do you think God would not like it? (Please don't tell me to ask Him myself - I am having trouble discerning His voice and that's a totally different topic)

 

[joktan]

Hypnosis is a person being in a state of hyper-suggestibility, that is the definition in its most basic form.

I will state up front I am sort of neutral on this - but from a personal standpoint, I would not allow someone to hypnotize me. That being said, there are a couple of things to consider here.

#1
Even now, most experts in the field will admit that the knowledge of all that takes place during a hypnosis session is still limited. So in truth, while not advertised, they admit under the table there are some unknowns in this field; understandable seeing the complexity of the mind, who is an expert outside of our Creator? There are Health Professionals that use hypnosis only for legitimate health treatment, such as controlling pain or lowering dangerous levels of stress.

Hypnosis in the hands of someone that is not a true professional could do untold psychological damage and if I was going to use one... I would want the tried, true and long proven for this very reason.
Not everyone responds to hypnosis on the same level, but some are very open to it, and in early research, it has been recorded that while in a "state of hyper-suggestibility" a person can also become "hyper-sensitive" to the spirit realm (well most wrote 'paranormal', but we recognize a spirit world they do not).

Christian Health Hypnosis practitioners suggest they are aware of this potential for "spiritual hyper-sensitivity", and know what to watch for - that is the reason I personally would not try it, what if they just "thought" they knew what to watch for and got it wrong and I became open, and hyper-sensitive to the wrong spirit?

#2
The bible teaches us a principle of guarding our minds. Our minds are incredible and thoughts are fertile, thought produces like thought, so you really are what you think!
Proverbs 27:3 For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

I mentioned that thoughts are 'fertile'. That is the reason in I Peter 1:13 it says, "gird up the loins of your mind"; loins are the reproductive area of our body, so the bible is teaching us what we plant (in our mind) will reproduce.

With the Bible teaching sooo many principles of guarding our mind, in my opinion it is our christian duty to warily guard it at all times - something I'm not confident you can do while in a state of hyper-suggestibility.

God, according the scripture, knows the thought and the intent of your heart, he knows the hidden parts as David speaks of. Somehow I am just confident, that any sincere heart that seeks him for help, that he will not withhold such help.

In conclussion, allow me to be clear that I am not saying don't, I would just suggest very long hard thought over it; and IF you decided to do it, find one that with a long track record, that is a christian, and will agree to allow a godly man or woman you trust to be present. - God Bless.

 

[stacymay]

Thank you, that's great advice! I'll definitely take what you said into consideration. I doubt I would ever in a million years let someone be in there with me other than the therapist, but maybe I should just skip it altogther.

What you said about God giving help to all those who seek it, does that mean if I am not helped I am not seeking with a sincere heart? I would believe that if you said yes, but it's true I've asked for help and it still stays this way.

 

[crazygardenlady]

Make sure you trust the person, but know that when you are hypnotized you will remain completely conscious and you will retain your free will. All hypnotism does is open your mind up to suggestibility and deep reasoning. Self-hypnotism is possible as well, but I would suggest hypnotism from a close Christian whom you trust. Even while be hypnotized, God is by your side and you will not be swayed into evil. Psychology has shown that this can be a tool utilized to break down the barriers stopping someone from overcoming a mental health problem (such as OCD) which the brain has trained itself to perceive as normal. I don't feel that hypnotism is new agey, unless you're watching a fake stage show, lol.

 

[znr]

Make sure you trust the person, but know that when you are hypnotized you will remain completely conscious and you will retain your free will. All hypnotism does is open your mind up to suggestibility and deep reasoning. Self-hypnotism is possible as well, but I would suggest hypnotism from a close Christian whom you trust. Even while be hypnotized, God is by your side and you will not be swayed into evil. Psychology has shown that this can be a tool utilized to break down the barriers stopping someone from overcoming a mental health problem (such as OCD) which the brain has trained itself to perceive as normal. I don't feel that hypnotism is new agey, unless you're watching a fake stage show, lol.

Can you link to some information about the brain perceiving OCD as being normal? I would be interested to look at that.

 

[crazygardenlady]

Can you link to some information about the brain perceiving OCD as being normal? I would be interested to look at that.

Absolutely! Please give me a day or so.

 

[znr]

Absolutely! Please give me a day or so.

Ok, thanks so much.

 

[joktan]

What you said about God giving help to all those who seek it, does that mean if I am not helped I am not seeking with a sincere heart?

That is a perfectly fair question and it did make me wish I had stated that better after seeing how you took that (and rightly so).

It is very true that sometimes God will not always answer our prayers in a manner we would love from him too. Job can attest to that, as well as many other examples in the Bible. Even Paul had a "thorn in the flesh" he sought the Lord over three times, but God did tell Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
So whether trials, health, or spiritual attack, God sometimes says, "not now" when we pray for relief.

We learn through Paul, that God's strength is more than sufficient for us; and through Job we learn that God is glorified even in our worst trials.

Paul stated in Galatians 4:13 "You know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first."
"Infirmities" in its original Greek meant "want of strength; weakness, indicating inability to produce results."
This better translation of wording from the Greek was actually used in I Corinthians 2:3 " "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." Paul for whatever reason, whether in his mind, thinking or strength or health.. Paul never felt like he had what it took to do the work God called him to do.

However Paul recognized that his infirmity and weakness was the very thing that allowed God to be glorified through his complete dependence upon him. He went on the say in the next verse, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" I Corinthians 2:4. The weakness was no longer viewed as a problem when Paul allowed the Spirit of God to work through him. His potential problem turned into an opportunity to not depend on Paul's flesh, but total dependence upon God.

In Phil 4:12 Paul hints at a secret that he learned, he states, (Amp Bible) "... I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation". Wow, what was this secret?? He reveals the secret in the next verse (13) - "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]

So then God somtimes..... just sometimes, he will allow us to go through a period of time facing our trials, weakness and infirmities; and these are the very things that bring us to complete trust and dependence upon him. And in the end God gets the glory.

So then what do we do? We pray, we believe and in the end we "trust". The trusting part can truly be hard, but God does know right where you are. God knows your name, he knows your hurt and pain and he loves you.

I fully believe that God has given us therapist and physicians for a reason. I in no wise feel that we are "doubting God's ability" when we utilize them. So keep the faith, keep praying knowing God is walking with you even through what you are facing now.

 

[crazygardenlady]

Can you link to some information about the brain perceiving OCD as being normal? I would be interested to look at that.

Well, an hour of googling has produced nothing. I was remembering this from a Psychology course, but I may have been misinformed or even just plain wrong! Hmm. I'll keep hunting for further information on this, but please take it with a grain of salt. My apologies, maybe I will drudge up the contact information for that old Professor and see if I can get a source from him.

 

[znr]

Well, an hour of googling has produced nothing. I was remembering this from a Psychology course, but I may have been misinformed or even just plain wrong! Hmm. I'll keep hunting for further information on this, but please take it with a grain of salt. My apologies, maybe I will drudge up the contact information for that old Professor and see if I can get a source from him.

No biggie. but if you do get a source please post it. I think it's an interesting statement.

 

[drjean]

Hypnosis is quite safe in and of itself. It is being dissociated from the conscious life and allows all manner of "work" on the self, as you seem to know.

There is nothing sinful about it. Your unconscious is in control, and it will not allow any suggestion to mean anything unless you would normally allow it anyway. You are in control, even when guided by a therapist.

You don't even have to have a therapist. Self hypnosis is most like a very intense meditation time, when you focus on one thing at a time, and not allow the outside interferences of life. There are plenty of scripts to help you do this for yourself. Since you only have good intentions for yourself, it would be successful.

Everyone has been hypnotized. The driver who arrives at their destination and doesn't recall the actual trip was somewhat dissociated.

The person who walks right by their school room, was distracted and possibly dissociated at the time (meaning not focussed on the here and now.)

The mind is a wonderful creation by God, and can do more than anyone can even imagine yet! He has built in self help through our minds... and says Let this mind be in you... wow imagine if we could do more through the power of God, with our minds!

I'll see if I can find any regular scripts for you to tell yourself as you relax into self hypnosis. It's a great tool for even those who don't need healing of anything, but relaxation and self evaluation.

be well.

added edit: Here's one link to a script. You can change the items within it to relate more to what you need...but don't do too much on it. In actuality, all hypnosis is self hypnosis. The unconscious mind is 88% of the total mind, so it plays a huge part in our day to day living. If you wish to seek out a therapist, here in the USA don't use a hypnotist. Use a certified hypnotherapist. The terms might be different in the UK. Many psychologists are also trained in hypnotherapy. The reason for training is that when another person is helping (not just yourself) that sometimes areas of memory can be opened up that the patient just isn't ready to deal with, or need to remember. (This can occur because of the patient's trust in the doctor, and desire to heal.) The licensed professional knows how to button those topics back up so they don't negatively affect you.

Here's a good sample script I found: http://www.hypnosis-tapes.org/free-induction-script.htm