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The story of Jesus’ resurrection is a compelling one, but is it true? How can we in the twenty-first century account for this Gospel story?

Possible Explanations:

Mass Hallucinations

Could it have been a mass hallucination? That’s not a likely answer. Too many people saw the resurrected Jesus over too long a period of time to dismiss it as a mass hallucination. Besides, hallucinations don’t have physical bodies to touch, and they don’t eat and carry on prolonged conversations. Moreover, mass hallucination does not explain the empty grave. No, mass hallucination is not a satisfactory answer.

Swoon Theory

Some speculate Jesus was still alive when taken down from the cross. He had merely fainted and gone into a coma. Aroma from the burial spices revived him in the tomb. He got up, rolled back the stone, and walked away.

Somewhere along the way, he happened to find some clean clothes. Dressed in his new apparel, he ran into Mary Magdalene and her friends. They were startled, so much so, they ran off and spread conflicting rumors about his return from death.

Then Jesus dropped in on his disciples. They misinterpreted the entire event thinking he was a ghost. Jesus attempted to convince his friends he was still a man. He even had them touch his crucifixion wounds. Despite his efforts, they would not be persuaded. Eventually he gave up and set out for some unknown destination where he lived the rest of his life anonymously. He never taught, preached, or performed another miracle. And no one ever discovered his true identity.

It’s a wonder, Hollywood hasn’t picked up on this idea and made a film about “The Great Deception.” Maybe they have and I missed it.

That theory has a few holes in it, large gaping holes at that. It is rather apparent that Jesus did die on the cross. That’s what the soldiers breaking legs said, and that’s what the soldier with the spear made sure of. That is also what the centurion reported to Pilate.

These men were familiar with death and they were well-acquainted with crucifixion. They could tell the difference between an alive and a dead man. Furthermore, they knew how to make sure a man is dead. In other words, the crucifixion detail knew its grisly task.

But just for the sake of argument, let’s say Jesus wasn’t dead, even after the spear thrust in his side. In that case Joseph and Nicodemus placed an unconscious, badly damaged, bleeding body in a cool tomb and wrapped spices around him. But he still wouldn’t have a chance. Shock would more than likely kill him; if not, he would certainly bleed to death. Those large nail holes through his wrists and heels would render his hands and feet useless. He wouldn’t be able to move himself, to say nothing of the heavy stone at the entrance. No, the “swoon theory” doesn’t work.

Let’s go back to Friday. Friday evening before 6 pm, Joseph rolled a heavy stone closing the entrance to the tomb. Inside is Jesus’ disfigured dead body wrapped in linen and covered with seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes. Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, her companions, the apostles Peter and John, and even the guards and the chief priests all seem to agree: The body is missing. So what happened to Jesus’ body? There are only two possible answers. Either someone removed the corpse, or Jesus arose from death.

Someone Stole the Corpse

Let’s consider the first possibility. Someone took Jesus’ body away. Who would want it? Certainly not the religious or civil authorities. They were the ones who had the tomb secured, specifically so no one would tamper with the body. What about the disciples or maybe even grave robbers? Could they have stolen the body? No. The sealed tomb and guards were adequate protection against theft.

But didn’t the chief priests and soldiers claim, “the disciples stole the body while the guards were asleep”? (Matthew 28:12-13) That’s what they said; but it doesn’t make sense. How would the guards have known the disciples took the corpse if they were asleep? And how could the disciples have rolled back a sealed, or even an unsealed, heavy stone without awaking the guards?

Remember the chief priests spoke of shielding the guards should Pilate hear that they slept on duty? (Matthew 28:14) Those were Roman soldiers. The usual punishment for a Roman soldier who fell asleep at his post was death. Considering those consequences, it’s very unlikely they were all asleep at the same time.

If they had been asleep, they would be the last ones to admit it. What’s more, why should the same Jewish leaders who asked for the guard detail be eager to cover-up for the guards who went to sleep on their requested assignment? The most that can be said for it is that it is an awkward story that doesn’t pass scrutiny. Nobody got past the guards and the sealed tomb to steal the body.

Disciples Bribed Guards and Took Corpse

If that idea doesn’t fly, let’s try something more plausible. Maybe the disciples bribed the guards and got Jesus’ body out with the help of the Roman soldiers. Certainly, the Jews proved the soldiers could be bought for a price.

Bribing the Roman guards has its own set of problems. The first problem is the disciples themselves. They were frightened and disillusioned. They were not in a frame of mind to bribe the guards for Jesus’ corpse. Even if they had been, the disciples were not noted for their wealth. And the guards risk their own lives by taking a bribe of that sort. It follows they would require a very large payoff to take such a gamble.

Let’s face it, offering a bribe to the guards would be risky business. If negotiations with the soldiers broke down, the guards might well decide to turn the disciples over to the chief priests. After all, the chief priests did have money, and they would definitely be interested in anyone who wanted Jesus’ body.

There would probably be a nice fat reward for nabbing those disciples. And equally appealing, the guards would not be placing themselves in jeopardy. Would the disciples take such a risk? Apparently not, they seemed to prefer the safety of staying behind locked doors. (John 20:19)

Let’s not forget, the disciples and the guards were not the only ones involved in this story. The chief priests play a part too. What do you think the Jewish leaders would do if they really believed the apostles had Jesus’ body? Those chief priests showed they understood Jesus when he said he would rise on the third day. They also knew the importance of preventing that deception. (Matthew 27:62-64)

I suspect they would have hunted down Jesus’ followers and bribed or tortured them one by one until someone talked. And someone would talk. One of them would tell the chief priests where to find the body. The Jews would exhibit the corpse, and the rumor about his resurrection would quickly fade. But none of this took place. That fact leads us to believe the Jews knew the disciples did not have the body of Jesus.

Effect of Seeing the Resurrected Jesus

The most remarkable thing about the claims of seeing Jesus is the effect it had on the one making the claim. We have already looked at Paul’s conversion. He did a complete flip flop. Paul went from being the number one persecutor of Christians to becoming the number one spokesman for Christianity. And it happened overnight. What reason did he give for the sudden change? He tells us the reason; he saw the resurrected Jesus. That’s the road to Damascus Experience.

The effect on the other apostles is no less dramatic. In my earlier article “Apostles: Legendary Heroes or Real Men?” we took a look at the way the Gospels depicted the apostles. They weren’t zealots; they were just normal men with normal flaws and shortcomings. Sometimes they were quarrelsome; sometimes they were petty; and often they were just ignorant of things Christ expected them to know.

Occasionally, they were cowards. At a critical moment, they deserted their master. Peter even denied knowing Jesus three times. And after Jesus’ death, his disciples were leaderless and frightened. Afraid of the Jews, they stayed behind locked doors.

Suddenly, these frightened little men do a complete about-face. Paul and the apostles spearhead the Christian movement. These men rapidly spread the Good News across Palestine, through Europe, and into Africa. They are fearless and tireless in converting both Jews and gentiles to Jesus Christ.

No longer are they afraid of the Jews. In fact, they seem to welcome persecution. They count it as a blessing that they are considered worthy to suffer for Christ. They teach and preach the Good News of Jesus and his resurrection. Beatings don’t stop them; prisons don’t stop them; even death doesn’t slow down the spread of Christianity. Others praise them for the way they face death and step in to take their place.

What happened? What turned those demoralized, fearful men into dynamic heroes in such a short time? They say they saw the resurrected Jesus. In him they found their reason for living and even a cause worth dying for.

If they are telling us the truth, that is, Jesus actually arose from the grave and appeared to them, their reaction is logical. They are willing to follow the One who conquered death and promised eternal life. On the other hand, if the resurrection story was a hoax, it doesn’t make any sense at all.

Apostles Didn’t Take the Body.

Look at it from the disciples’ point of view. Say they had somehow gained possession of Jesus’ body and concealed it from the authorities. Next, they fabricated the story of Jesus’ resurrection. And from that point on, the disciples dedicated their lives to spreading what they knew to be a lie. They knew for a fact that Jesus was nothing but a fraud. Likewise, they knew that there was no real hope for life beyond the grave.

Yet the disciples faced suffering, abuse, and even death all to perpetuate a cynical hoax. Not one of them cracked. They never admitted their deception, and no one else uncovered it. Does that sound reasonable? No, not a bit of it! Real people just don’t act that way.

You have heard it said, there are two things you can count on in this life: death and taxes. I will give you a third. No man, past or present, is willing to die for what he knows to be a lie. There’s no exception. Then again, men throughout history have shown they are willing to face death for what they honestly believe to be the truth.

The apostles weren’t fools. They were practical men who were not easy to persuade. There was no doubt in their minds they were seeing and talking to the resurrected Christ. Christ’s victory over death inspired them to face abuse, hardship, and death. The turnaround in the lives of Paul and the apostles is the most clear-cut evidence we have of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Science, History, Natural Laws, and Jesus

I have heard people say they cannot accept the story of Jesus’ resurrection because it has no basis in science. But surely that is not a reasonable objection. We accept a wide variety of information everyday which has no scientific backing. For instance, we accept or reject stories in the newspaper or television based on our estimate of the news media’s reliability. We can’t very well hook them up to a lie detector to see if they are telling the truth.

Tell me, how do you know if your friend is telling you the truth? I suspect you don’t shove him in a test tube, pour in a few chemicals, and shake him up to see if he’s lying. No, you accept or reject what he says based upon his past honesty.

Likewise, you either trust your spouse or you don’t depending upon your estimate of his or her past behavior. Very unscientific it’s true; but that is the only reasonable way you can make most decisions in life.

Someone might say, “Oh, but those are personal matters. We would not expect to apply scientific analysis to friends, family, or even our tastes in newscasters.”

Where should we require scientific proof then? How about geography? I have never been to London, England. But I believe there is such a place. I accept it based upon authority: authority of maps which show the city, books which tell about the city, teachers who assure me London exists, and eyewitnesses who have been there. It is not a scientific method, but we all accept it anyway.

Now consider history. How do we know there was ever a Julius Caesar, a Napoleon, or a Lord Horatio Nelson? In so far as that goes, how do we know the Spanish Armada was defeated or that the Battle of Waterloo ever took place?

We “know” and accept it based on authority, the authority of history books which tell us those men lived and those battles took place. The people who wrote our history books never saw those men nor witnessed those events either. Caesar, Napoleon, and Nelson all died long before our current historians were born.

The only reason we know of those famous men and long ago events is because they were recorded by eyewitnesses of their day. Written firsthand accounts have been passed down to our present generation. That too is not a scientific method. But this isn’t science; it’s history. And that is the way we document historical events. If that were not acceptable, we would be forced to discard all history before the age of photography.

Then we turn to Jesus Christ. He too was a historical character. We know that the same way we know Caesar, Napoleon, and Nelson were historical figures. Numerous eyewitnesses, both friend and foe, saw and heard him, and some wrote about him.

Jesus lived and died. Scholars and historians agree; that much is not an issue. Jesus was a great moral teacher too. Again, we find widespread agreement. That is not an issue either. Then we get to Jesus’ miracles, and here is where we find the skeptics. “Miracles,” they say, “run counter to the laws of nature. Therefore, by definition, they cannot be true.”

If nature and the laws of nature were all that existed, then miracles (defined as exceptions to the law of nature) should not occur. On the other hand, if God created the universe and established the “laws of nature,” it’s reasonable to believe that he has the power and authority to supersede his own laws, if he so chooses. That is exactly what Christians believe he did to prove the deity of Jesus and to establish his church.

There is another problem with questioning Jesus’ miracles. Namely, the same four sources who give us Jesus “the great moral teacher,” are also the ones who present “Jesus the miracle worker.” Why accept the teachings and reject the miracles reported by the same men?

We have, in fact, good reason to believe Jesus did perform miracles. Matthew and John were themselves eyewitnesses to Jesus “miracles, signs, and wonders.” Mark records Peter’s eyewitness accounts. And Luke passes on the firsthand reports of other eyewitnesses. These are credible witnesses. They saw Jesus’ miracles.

Many others at the time saw Jesus perform miracles. At Pentecost, Peter appeals to the crowd’s knowledge of Jesus’ power to convince them that he was both Lord and Christ. And it worked. Three thousand of them were added to the Christian movement that day. Even Jesus’ enemies did not question the fact that he performed miracles. They merely questioned the source of his power.

We have reviewed the evidence. We know the story. It’s time for our decision. Long before Jesus’ birth, Hebrew prophets detailed the life, death, and resurrection of the coming Messiah. The prophecies were specific and to the point. Coincidental fulfillment was (and is) out of the question.

The translation of the Hebrew text into the Greek Septuagint around 275 B.C. assures us those prophecies proceeded Jesus by several hundred years. Jesus intentionally carried out and completed each prophecy pertaining to the Messiah. Others unintentionally played their roles in the prophecies related to the Messiah. No one before or since has come close to these prognostications. Old Testament scriptures clearly point to Jesus as the Christ.

Jesus was a real historical man who claimed he was (and is) the Son of God. He said he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He offers us no other alternative. He emphatically said, “No one sees the Father except through me.”

Jesus backed up his claims with his authoritative teachings, his numerous miracles, and his resurrection from death. No one before or since has made claims of that sort. And certainly no one else has offered such convincing proof of divinity.

Testimony from church bishops in A.D. 130 and 177, plus comparisons of papyrus documents of the period, and internal evidence from the Gospels themselves all argue for early dates for Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We have good reason to believe these three Gospels were first century reports from men close to the original sources.

The oral tradition proceeded the written Gospels by twenty to thirty years or less. Matthew and John may well have relied on their own recollections for most of their books. Furthermore, the Gospels were composed during a period when many people of Jesus’ generation were still alive and could remember the “real” Jesus. The Gospel writers would have lost all credibility with their readers if they contradicted public knowledge of the events.

Textual critics assure us that the Gospel stories are basically the same today as when the authors composed them. In fact, the reliability of the New Testament text compares favorably with that of other ancient writings.

The supernatural element was not a later addition of the Gospels. We find it was an intricate part of the original story. Peter used the Jews’ knowledge of Jesus’ miraculous powers as well as his resurrection to convert them to Christianity. Paul spoke of Jesus’ resurrection in an attempt to persuade King Agrippa.

The early writers Irenaeus and Tertullian say that John the apostle wrote the Gospel that bears his name. John’s detailed realism leads us to believe his Gospel is to a large extent a report on events and conversations he witnessed himself. Luke’s meticulous historical approach reads like a report of actual events. His style and content support his claim of objectivity. He investigated eyewitnesses and reported what they had to say.

But the basic integrity of all four Gospels is evident throughout their works. These narratives have that certain odd, nitty gritty quality about them which is often found in real stories. They are not smooth nor good enough to be fiction. The authors frequently include puzzling or even damaging bits of information. They don’t seem to embellish their accounts, and they certainly don’t cover up their blemishes.

And then there is that mysterious missing body and the five hundred people who claimed they saw the resurrected Jesus. Mass hallucinations do not explain the empty grave, nor the numerous individuals who reported they saw him, nor the physical body that welcomed the skeptic’s touch.

Credible Witnesses

Jesus died from crucifixion. His disciples did not remove his body. The inactivity of the chief priests leads us to believe they understood the body was beyond recovery. The disciples dramatically turned from cowards into courageous spokesmen for the risen Christ. The early church claims Matthew, Mark, and Luke all died martyrs’ deaths. The apostles too, say sources ranging from obscure to credible, paid the ultimate price for spreading the word of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Here is how they are said to have died:

Peter – Early Christian apologists Tertullian and Origen tell us Peter was crucified upside down in Rome under Nero in A.D. 64.

Andrew – According to extracanonical tradition, Andrew suffered crucifixion in Achaia.

Matthew – John Foxe in the Book of Martyrs states Matthew died as a martyr in the city of Nadabah in A.D. 60.

John – Exiled to the Isle of Patmos by Emperor Domitian but believe to have died a natural death.

James, son of Alphaeus – Tradition says James was crucified in Persia.

Philip – Tradition says he died by crucifixion.

Simon the Zealot – Tradition says he died by crucifixion.

Thaddaeus – Tradition says he was killed by stones and clubs.

Thomas – Tradition says he was martyred in India.

Bartholomew – According to Eusebius, he died as a martyr by being drowned.

James, son of Zebebee and older brother of John – He was put to death by a sword in A.D. 44 under orders of Herod Agrippa I.

Other early martyrs:

Stephen – Stoned by the Jews in A.D. 36.

James, brother of Jesus – Stoned in A.D. 62.

Paul – Beheaded somewhere between A.D. 62 and 68.

These men were eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ. They say the miracle worker from Galilee did what he set out to do: He defeated death. He kept his word. In their minds, Jesus proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was (and is) the Son of God. That was their testimony, and they were willing to die for it. Such are credible witnesses.

Who among us is willing to die to perpetuate a hoax? A logical assumption is that the martyrs: Stephen, James, Peter, and Paul died firmly convinced they were telling us the truth about Jesus and his resurrection. A blind faith? No, a reasoned faith. For Christianity was established by credible eyewitnesses willing to die for their testimony.

Note: All Scripture References are taken from the New International Version.

Jerry Richard Boone
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/resurrection-or-deception-131150.html

Ghostwriting is a profession by which a professional writer is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other content which is credited to another person(1). Various celebrities, executives, political figures etc. hire ghostwriters to do the work for them and then they claim the work as their own.

A ghostwriter may be asked to edit and refine a rough draft or he may be asked to create an article from start to finish in which case the employer may give him a couple of points or a basic idea of what he requires. The time period spent by the Ghostwriter on writing the work depends upon the work or a time period set by the employer. The cost of the same would range from between $30,000 to $ 100,000.(2)

Plagiarize means to appropriate (ideas, passages etc) from another work or author.(3) It involves wrongfully appropriating someone else’s ideas, theories, research results, or even words and phrases and presenting them as one’s own.(4) Plagiarism is frowned upon all over the world. This is looked at very closely especially at Universities which require their students to write a dissertation or a thesis for obtaining a passing grade.

Infringement of copyright means any copy including any colourable imitation, made or imported in contravention of the provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957.(5) The question that rises is whether plagiarism would amount to copyright infringement? The same can be answered through an illustration. Suppose an individual borrows a friend’s paper and passes it of as his/her own, it would constitute an academic offence and will have an impact upon his/her academic record. If the same individual has this very same paper published as his own and the original author gives his/her consent to the publication, then it may be a case of plagiarism but it won’t be a case of copyright infringement.(6)

In Universities, when a student is required by the rules of the institution to do a thesis or dissertation by himself, giving the same to Ghostwriters would amount to a contravention of the rules and guidelines laid down for the same. Thus the action of handing in another’s work as the individuals own is illegal in nature and would attract punishment.

To determine if a case of plagiarism amounts to copyright infringement, there exists three conditions. They are as follows:

1) the plagiarized work must be protected by copyright

2) the author has not given authorisation for the usage of his work

3) false attribution of authorship(7)

By plagiarizing, an individual is in a way stealing the hard work put in by another to be his own. The basic idea of Intellectual Property Rights protection is to reward the individual who has put in his skill and labour into the creation of the work. Attribution of the same by another person is unacceptable.

Ghost writing on the other hand is a method by which both parties are satisfied by the arrangement they draw up. If we look at it closely we see that the Ghostwriter knows beforehand that his work will be turned over to the individual who employs him, to be used in a manner which the employer wants. The Ghostwriter is given a very high remuneration for the same. The remuneration is the reward for his work. The Ghostwriter is aware of the same and is happy to hand over his work for the remuneration. There is no plagiarism in the same because there is no wrongful appropriation of the Ghostwriters work. He willfully turns over the work and gives up all rights in it for a due consideration.

The question is then whether copyright protection should be provided for the work. As the Ghostwriter is the original creator of the work, in whom should the copyright subsist? The question is answered by the fact that the Ghostwriter agrees to turn over all rights of the created work to the individual who employs him. He is given a good remuneration as his reward for the same. Thus it can safely be said that the copyright vests in the employer rather than the Ghostwriter.

The concept of Ghostwriting is on a steady increase. It is not something which is ethical in nature but in contemporary times, it is one which is very much in existence.

There is another issue in ghost Writing- the question is:

Would Ghost Writing amount to passing off?

To illustrate, when a fan of Jeffery Archer buys a book where the author is shown to be Jeffery Archer he expects to purchase a novel written by Jeffery Archer. If the novel is written by someone else then is the reader not deceived into buying a book which he believes to be authored by Jeffery Archer. Its obvious that is this day & age publishers would like to publish as many books in the name of a “Best Selling” author & therefore Ghost Writing becomes economically expedient when the author himself is not able to churn out en ough books.

1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwriter

2 publishersweekly.com/article/CA6338637.html

3 Collins English Dictionary

4 Michael Glick, Plagiarism, salami, ghostwriting and other forms of flattery; jada.ada.org

5 Sec. 35 of THE Indian Copyright Act,

6 Francisco, Javier Cabera Blazquez, Plagiarism: an Original Sin

7 Supra at fn. 6

Mike Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/does-plagiarism-or-ghostwriting-amount-to-copyright-infringement-733559.html

There was once a time when grandparents sat amidst a group of
wide-eyed grandchildren telling stories of days gone by. As the
global village shrinks and families spread out across the nation
and the world, the tradition of sharing family stories orally is
in decline.

Oral tradition – passing stories by word of mouth – has been the
primary means of sharing family histories until the very recent
past. As families spread out across the globe, it is far less
likely that multigenerational families will spend extended time
together; however, just because the method of communication is
changing, does not mean that the global village will be the
death of family history.

Despite the fact that extended families are more separated than
ever, modern technology narrows the communication gap caused by
distance. As such, families do not have to be distant even
though they live far apart.

The same holds true for sharing family histories. While family
histories may not be shared at the dinner table as they once
were, it does not mean that they can’t be shared. The same
modern technology that allows families to stay close also allows
them to communicate family histories from one generation to the
next. The only difference is the absence of the dinner table and
the means of communication.

Since the written word is a much more permanent – and accurate -
method of preserving family history than dinner table
conversation, it is actually recommended that all families make
an effort to preserve their family histories in written form.

In some cases, the stories will only hold significance for the
family itself; however, in many cases, one family’s history may
be representative of an entire town or era. Just as historians
and students today study Revolutionary or Civil War era letters
to learn about what life was like for regular people, one day,
people will turn to our electronic transmissions to learn what
life was like in the early 21st Century.

Those people who do not feel confident enough to write their
family histories themselves should seek out professional writers
to ghost write for them. The most important thing is to get the
stories in written form to preserve them for later generations,
but some families may even choose to go a step further and
self-publish their family histories in a nicely bound book.
There are many self-publishing services that copy and bind
books. Because of new print on demand technology, people can
order 10 copies or 1,000 copies. Some of these services even
sell the books online, making it easy for family members and
members of the community to obtain copies.

No matter how you choose to proceed, preserve your family’s
history in written form before the stories are lost to coming
generations.

Visit articles.TheWritin
gTutor.biz for more articles by this author

Michele R. Acosta
http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/dont-let-the-global-village-prevent-you-from-sharing-your-family-history-with-future-generations-3409.html

Hypnosis

Introduction:

When you hear the word hypnosis, you may picture the mysterious hypnotist figure popularized in movies, comic books and television. This ominous, goateed man waves a pocket watch back and forth, guiding his subject into a semi-sleep, zombie-like state. Once hypnotized, the subject is compelled to obey, no matter how strange or immoral the request. Muttering “Yes, master,” the subject does the hypnotist’s evil bidding.

This popular representation bears little resemblance to actual hypnotism, of course. In fact, modern understanding of hypnosis contradicts this conception on several key points. Subjects in a hypnotic trance are not slaves to their “masters” — they have absolute free will. And they’re not really in a semi-sleep state — they’re actually hyper attentive.

Our understanding of hypnosis has advanced a great deal in the past century, but the phenomenon is still a mystery of sorts. In this article, we’ll look at some popular theories of hypnosis and explore the various ways hypnotists put their art to work.

Why the name “Hypnosis”?

James Braid, a 19th-century Scottish surgeon, originated the terms “hypnotism” and “hypnosis” based on the word hypnos, which is Greek for “to sleep.” Braid and other scientists of the era, such as Ambroise-Auguste Liebeault, Hippolyte Bernheim and J.M. Charcot, theorized that hypnosis is not a force inflicted by the hypnotist, but a combination of psychologically mediated responses to suggestions.

In the proper nomenclature, hypnosis refers to the trance state itself, and hypnotism refers to the act of inducing this state and to the study of this state. A hypnotist is someone who induces the state of hypnosis, and a hypnotherapist is a person who induces hypnosis to treat physical or mental illnesses.

History of Hypnotism:

People have been entering hypnotic-type trances for thousands and thousands of years; various forms of meditation play an important role in many cultures’ religions. But the scientific conception of hypnotism wasn’t born until the late 1700s.

The father of modern hypnotism is Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician. Mesmer believed hypnosis to be a mystical force flowing from the hypnotist into the subject (he called it “animal magnetism”). Although critics quickly dismissed the magical element of his theory, Mesmer’s assumption, that the power behind hypnosis came from the hypnotist and was in some way inflicted upon the subject, took hold for some time. Hypnosis was originally known as mesmerism, after Mesmer, and we still use its derivative, “mesmerize,” today.

So what is Hypnosis?

People have been pondering and arguing over hypnosis for more than 200 years, but science has yet to fully explain how it actually happens. We see what a person does under hypnosis, but it isn’t clear why he or she does it. This puzzle is really a small piece in a much bigger puzzle: how the human mind works. It’s unlikely that scientists will arrive at a definitive explanation of the mind in the foreseeable future, so it’s a good bet hypnosis will remain something of a mystery as well.

But psychiatrists do understand the general characteristics of hypnosis, and they have some model of how it works. It is a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination. It’s not really like sleep, because the subject is alert the whole time. It is most often compared to daydreaming, or the feeling of “losing yourself” in a book or movie. You are fully conscious, but you tune out most of the stimuli around you. You focus intently on the subject at hand, to the near exclusion of any other thought.

In the everyday trance of a daydream or movie, an imaginary world seems somewhat real to you, in the sense that it fully engages your emotions. Imaginary events can cause real fear, sadness or happiness, and you may even jolt in your seat if you are surprised by something (a monster leaping from the shadows, for example). Some researchers categorize all such trances as forms of self-hypnosis. Milton Erickson, the premier hypnotism expert of the 20th century, contended that people hypnotize themselves on a daily basis. But most psychiatrists focus on the trance state brought on by intentional relaxation and focusing exercises. This deep hypnosis is often compared to the relaxed mental state between wakefulness and sleep.

In conventional hypnosis, you approach the suggestions of the hypnotist, or your own ideas, as if they were reality. If the hypnotist suggests that your tongue has swollen up to twice its size, you’ll feel a sensation in your mouth and you may have trouble talking. If the hypnotist suggests that you are drinking a chocolate milkshake, you’ll taste the milkshake and feel it cooling your mouth and throat. If the hypnotist suggests that you are afraid, you may feel panicky or start to sweat. But the entire time, you are aware that it’s all imaginary. Essentially, you’re “playing pretend” on an intense level, as kids do.

In this special mental state, people feel uninhibited and relaxed. Presumably, this is because they tune out the worries and doubts that normally keep their actions in check. You might experience the same feeling while watching a movie: As you get engrossed in the plot, worries about your job, family, etc. fade away, until all you’re thinking about is what’s up on the screen.

In this state, you are also highly suggestible. That is, when the hypnotist tells you do something, you’ll probably embrace the idea completely. This is what makes stage hypnotist shows so entertaining. Normally reserved, sensible adults are suddenly walking around the stage clucking like chickens or singing at the top of their lungs. Fear of embarrassment seems to fly out the window. The subject’s sense of safety and morality remain entrenched throughout the experience, however. A hypnotist can’t get you to do anything you don’t want to do.

Myths and Misconceptions:

There are many myths and misconceptions concerning hypnosis, for example, that a client is completely under the hypnotist’s control. A hypnotist cannot make an individual do anything under hypnosis that they do not want to do. Hypnotic subjects are totally alert under hypnosis and can remember everything that happened while they were in trance. And if an emergency were to occur during a session, such as a fire, the subject would simply snap out of trance, and attend to the problem at hand.

The Role of unconscious mind:

Often the conscious mind and the unconscious mind are in conflict or disagreement. For example, consciously you may want to stop smoking, but unconsciously you may still associate smoking with being macho or looking sophisticated. Or you may consciously want to eat better food and smaller portions, but unconsciously may associate eating with a positive experience like being nurtured or loved.

During a hypnotic session, clients are helped to progressively relax. As they do so, their conscious mind lets go more and more and the unconscious mind starts to play a more active, more dominant role. The same thing happens in the early stages of sleep; however, in the hypnotic state the unconscious mind maintains a peculiar ability to remain extremely alert and to receive whatever suggestions the client has asked to receive, without normal conscious resistance. In this way, the conscious mind and the unconscious mind are finally able to agree on the desired results. The hypnotist is the facilitator or guide during the journey.

Methods of Hypnotism:

Hypnotists’ methods vary, but they all depend on a few basic prerequisites:

1.The subject must want to be hypnotized.

2.The subject must believe he or she can be hypnotized.

3.The subject must eventually feel comfortable and relaxed.

If these criteria are met, the hypnotist can guide the subject into a hypnotic trance using a variety of methods. The most common hypnotic techniques are:

Fixed gazed Induction or Eye Fixation:

This is the method you often see in movies, when the hypnotist waves a pocket watch in front of the subject.

The basic idea is to get the subject to focus on an object so intently that he or she tunes out any other stimuli. As the subject focuses, the hypnotist talks to him or her in a low tone, lulling the subject into relaxation. This method was very popular in the early days of hypnotism, but it isn’t used much today because it doesn’t work on a large proportion of the population.

Rapid Induction:

The idea of this method is to overload the mind with sudden, firm commands.

If the commands are forceful, and the hypnotist is convincing enough, the subject will surrender his or her conscious control over the situation. This method works well for a stage hypnotist because the novel circumstance of being up in front of an audience puts subjects on edge, making them more susceptible to the hypnotist’s commands.

Progressive Imagination and Imagery:

This is the hypnosis method most commonly employed by psychiatrists.

By speaking to the subject in a slow, soothing voice, the hypnotist gradually brings on complete relaxation and focus, easing the subject into full hypnosis. Typically, self-hypnosis training, as well as relaxation and meditation audio tapes use the progressive relaxation method.

Loss of Balance:

This method creates a loss of equilibrium using slow, rhythmic rocking.

Parents have been putting babies to sleep with this method for thousands of years.

Before hypnotists bring a subject into a full trance, they generally test his or her willingness and capacity to be hypnotized. The typical testing method is to make several simple suggestions, such as “Relax your arms completely,” and work up to suggestions that ask the subject to suspend disbelief or distort normal thoughts, such as “Pretend you are weightless.”

Depending on the person’s mental state and personality, the entire hypnotism process can take anywhere from a few minutes to more than a half hour. Hypnotists and hypnotism proponents see the peculiar mental state as a powerful tool with a wide range of applications. In the next section, we’ll look at some of the more common uses of hypnotism.

Applications of Hypnotism:

Habit Control:

In this application, a hypnotist focuses on one particular habit that is embedded in your unconscious (smoking or overeating, for example). With the “control panel” to your mind open, the hypnotist may be able to reprogram your subconscious to reverse the behavior. Some hypnotists do this by connecting a negative response with the bad habit. For example, the hypnotist might suggest to your subconscious that smoking will cause nausea. If this association is programmed effectively, you will feel sick every time you think about smoking a cigarette. Alternatively, the hypnotist may build up your willpower, suggesting to your subconscious that you don’t need cigarettes, and you don’t want them.

Psychiatric Theory:

In a therapy session, a psychiatrist may hypnotize his or her subject in order to work with deep, entrenched personal problems. The therapy may take the form of breaking negative patterns of behavior, as with mass habit-control programs. This can be particularly effective in addressing phobias, unreasonable fears of particular objects or situations. Another form of psychiatric hypnotherapy involves bringing underlying psychiatric problems up to the conscious level. Accessing fears, memories and repressed emotions can help to clarify difficult issues and bring resolution to persistent problems.

Law Enforcement/Forensic Science:

Hypnotists may also tap dormant memories to aid in law enforcement. In this practice, called forensic hypnotism, investigators access a subject’s deep, repressed memories of a past crime to help identify a suspect or fill in details of the case. Since hypnotists may lead subjects to form false memories, this technique is still very controversial in the forensics world.

Medical Hypnotherapy:

Doctors and spiritual leaders all over the world claim that hypnotic suggestion can ease pain and even cure illness in some patients. The underlying idea behind this is that the mind and body are inextricably intertwined. When you suggest to the subconscious that the body does not feel pain, or that the body is free of disease, the subconscious may actually bring about the change.

There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to support this idea. Using only hypnotic suggestion as an anesthetic, thousands of women have made it through childbirth with minimal pain and discomfort. Countless cancer patients swear by hypnosis, claiming that it helps to manage the pain of chemotherapy, and some former patients credit their recovery to hypnotherapy.

The success of hypnotherapy is undeniable, but many doctors argue that the hypnotic trance is not actually responsible for the positive results.

• Conclusion:

Thus it is clear from the above topic that hypnotism though seems like hypothetical concept hypnotism is present in our life almost every day.

Pranav Bhat
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/hypnotismthe-basics-for-the-novice-136726.html

In this article, I’d like to discuss a topic very dear to my heart- guiding teen girls into womanhood. Why do I feel so passionate about this subject? Well, I was one once many moons ago and I can’t believe I made it out alive and am now a well-adjusted, mostly-healthy woman. One of the things I say to teen girl clients a lot is, “I hope there’s no such thing as reincarnation because I wouldn’t want to have to come back and be a teenager all over again!”

I’m sure you’re sitting there nodding ferociously thinking, “I hear you, sister!” And I’m also guessing that your teen years were far from easy and idyllic. I’m also guessing that whether you’re a mother, an auntie, a teacher, a counselor, or just plain ‘ol friend of a teen girl who is near and dear to your heart, you’d love to be able to give her something, anything, to make her journey along the rocky road to womanhood a little less difficult.

“But what can I possibly give her?” you ask.

My answer: MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW.

Why do I say this?

Because having worked as a therapist with teen girls and women for over a decade, I have learned one very valuable thing: teen girls need guidance from their ‘elders’ (that’s you and me!) in order to navigate their way through the myriad experiences and choices that face them in their adolescent years.

I think that we, as women, constantly negate what our gifts are and what we’re capable of, and being a role model to a young woman who needs help and guidance is no exception. I have experienced this first-hand with my 18-year-old sister (huge age gap between us as you can figure out). When she was born, I had never felt a love so deep and so great. Our bond was immediate. I can still remember holding her little 8-pound body in my arms at the hospital and looking into her face and realizing that this little person was a miracle.

Because my mother was on her own and I still lived at home, I became a sort of ‘second mother’ to my little sister. We were a family of three girls (and still are!) and I cannot say enough about the bond we all have with one another- three generations of women with similar genes, great intellect, compassion, beauty, and elegance (I’m saying these things in order to encourage you to also sing your own praises and those of the women in your family- it feels really good- try it!). However, we are all very different and unique and have learned how to honour our differences and even celebrate them in ourselves and each other.

How is this possible? Well, I believe that it has a lot to do with the fact that all three of us are highly inquisitive, open-minded, loving, and thoughtful women. And then add that we all see the virtue of learning from one another. And while a big part of this involves learning from our ‘elder women’; it also goes both ways. I know for a fact that my sister is one of my greatest teachers, and that I am also one of my mother’s…and vice-versa. That’s the beauty of it- it flows in many different directions.

I believe that this phenomenon is as natural to girls and women as breathing, but somewhere along the way, we lost it. We are however, en masse, reclaiming this beautiful style of learning by the evidence of countless rites-of-passage ceremonies for girls and women being performed and added in many spiritual faiths.

As well, there are some fabulous books out there which speak to this innate need to both initiate, and be initiated into, womanhood and there are too many to list here, but I urge you to check them out and find the ones that speak to you and the teen girls in your life.

One that I have recently completed is based on this concept entirely, featuring 20 women’s stories of their teen years and the wisdom they have gained since then. It is called, “What Your Mama Can’t or Won’t Teach You: Grown Women’s Stories of their Teen Years” and can be ordered at: www.guidebooktowomanhood.com

I want to leave you with something to get you started on the path to guiding teen girls in a positive way.

“Esther’s 10 Tips to Being a Guide and Mentor to Teen Girls”

1. Make room in your life for at least one teen girl who you feel a bond with and spend time with her regularly.

2. Let her guide your interactions and conversations and don’t assume that you need to be in control. In fact, the more you let her control the time, the more empowered she will be to take charge of other areas of her life.

3. Remind her often of her wonderful qualities and attributes and PLEASE focus mostly on who she is as a person; not what she looks like.

4. No matter what she says or does, love her unconditionally and release the temptation to judge. If she even sniffs a hint of judgment coming from you; you run the risk of losing her trust.

5. Never tell her what she SHOULD or SHOULDN’T do- when you are with her, leave your preaching at the door and just be a friend. (A caveat to mothers of teens- you can’t really expect to be your daughter’s friend but it still helps to not “should” her.)

6. Wipe the horror off your face if and when she reveals things in her life that freak you out (trust me, there can be many). Instead, practice the Zen concept of “loving detachment” and just “be” with her without reacting (this can be most challenging even for those of us who meditate everyday!)

7. Share stories of your own teen years with her, even if it makes you uncomfortable- she will probably learn a lot anyways. Remember, this is for her; not you. Girls need to hear what other women did in similar circumstances and situations in order to make informed choices.

8. Be critical of the media and it’s representation of women and encourage the teen girls in your life to do the same. If you want some help with this, get the book, “All Made Up” by Audrey Brashish- it’s fabulous and it’s written especially for teen girls.

9. Do fun things with her that you both enjoy! Let out your own “inner teen girl” and have some fun! Teens are usually quite good at this and you’ll both have a hoot (and a holler if you’re lucky!)

10. And lastly, RELAX and be yourself when in the presence of said teen girl. You can lower your standards and be imperfect, fallible, and even downright goofy if need be. Girls don’t need “perfect” role models- there are enough of those out there who lead them to starving themselves to death and other dangerous behaviours. Be real. Be authentically you. Be genuine and proud of who you are. I can’t think of a better role model than that!

Esther Kane
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-issues-articles/guiding-teens-on-the-rocky-road-to-womanhood-99295.html