Andrew Newton

Hypnosis is very difficult to define. Some hypnotists even disagree amongst themselves about a true definition, but I think the simplest definition would be ‘Hypnosis is an artificially induced state of relaxation where the susceptibility of the mind to suggestion is increased.’
When we talk about hypnosis, we are really talking about suggestion. To induce hypnosis, suggestions are given for relaxation and are accompanied by the repetition of carefully chosen key words and phrases that focus the attention and induce a state of increased suggestibility.

Have you ever heard the story of the five blind men and the elephant? Each blind man is led up to the elephant and reaches out to touch it. The first blind man takes hold of the elephant’s trunk and says “Ah-ha! The elephant is like a snake!” The second takes hold of the elephant’s tail, and confidently declares that the elephant is like a piece of rope. The third, taking hold of one of the elephant’s tusks, is satisfied with the discovery that an elephant is like a spear, and so on.