As a result of Hollywood and stage hypnotist, people have so many misconceptions about hypnosis. so much so, that if people don't want to lose their reputations, they need to use euphemisms because the word hypnotism carries with it so many negative connotations. But yeah, unlike many assume, hypnosis is not some trance state where one becomes like marionette doll, subject to the whims of the puppeteer. but yeah, rather hypnotism is something we've all experienced, it pretty much is a relaxed state of being, where our subconscious is more open to suggestions from our conscious mind. Anyone who has watched a really good movie, played video games or read a novel has experienced a light hypnotic state, it is why they were able to enjoy it so much, feel the emotions and adrenaline rush. But yeah, as other books have pointed out and my own experience has confirmed, our subconscious is vary influential over what we want, do and how we interpret life. We can consciously want to change some bad habit, but our adaptive subconscious remains our worst enemy. So yeah, the point of relaxing, is we then can start suggesting things to our subconscious so its in line with our conscious desires and intentions.
Therapeutic hypnotism, the point is to relax the individual so positive suggestions can enter into their subconscious to help their change behavior. So now we see that Biblical meditation, is *gasp* similar to hypnotism. For unlike eastern meditation which point is to empty the mind and quite oneself for its own sake. Biblical meditation is quieting ourselves and then to reflecting upon God's truth, But yeah, Christian meditation upon scripture is one way we transform the inner man, and become more Christlike. We call it quite times, worship. Paul wrote "Be ye transformed by the renewing of the mind". I am now convinced that people who speak in tongues, are likely in a hypnotic state, and this is in part why it is so meaningful and they feel like they commune with God like they do, speaking gibberish, helps to quite down the critical part of their mind so they can think of the Lord. I think it interesting how if indeed God is working, as William James points out, He is like working through the subliminal realm, so I think its to harm, that the church ignores the subject.
So yeah, the book was interesting and easy to read. But I don't like his imagining oneself sun bathing script, for i deeply dislike being in direct sunlight, there is nothing at all relaxing about it to me, I suppose this is a result of doing tons of hard labor in Texas and Louisiana summer sun. But yeah, he had an alternative script for the next section, for those who don't want to imagine themselves in the elevator of some modern building. But there was no appendix for those who don't find the torturous rays of the sun pleasant. So yeah, that is my complaint. But other then that, I was pleased with it.