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Hypnosis

Ok I dont know if this is the right section for this or not so here I go.Ive been thinking for a while I might do hypnotherapy for my horrible anxiety and depression.Its affecting my life too much and Ive tried everything else.So my question is has anyone else here done it and what was your experience?
 
Ok I dont know if this is the right section for this or not so here I go.Ive been thinking for a while I might do hypnotherapy for my horrible anxiety and depression.Its affecting my life too much and Ive tried everything else.So my question is has anyone else here done it and what was your experience?

Hypnosis give words in the subconsciousness mind that connects to other thing in your life. When those things trigger in your life those planted words in your sub conscience also come in. Like every time you see dirty dishes you feel peace. This is sort of how it works, these planted ideas are suppose to come out and sort of combat those negative thoughts.

The Word of God however has power in itself to manifest as God said it would. Nothing God said returns void, but will accomplish What God said. Unlike Hypnosis which uses programing by our own mind to combat those negative thoughts, the Word of God not only is able to change us inside but also has more than enough power to line up physical things just as God spoken.

So, you can sit in a chair and have someone try to attempt to plant positive things for your brain to use under your brains own power, Or you can stop being spiritually lazy and meditate on the Word that contains actual power to change us and the environment around us. God does not charge for this awesome service.

All depression and anxiety is caused by our faith and belief in our thinking and surroundings. We can replace that thinking with the Word of God. We can choose to believe something stronger such as the Word that created everything, instead of relying on our own mind and ability.

Psa 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Here is one scripture I use out of hundreds. When things go wrong, I ask myself do I believe what God said, or do I choose to walk by sight and believe how I feel and what I can sense.

Your issue is not enough time with God and enough time meditating on scriptures. Dumping suggestions in your head is trusting your brain to think right things and it won't change physical things you need fixed in your life.

Mike.
 
Hi Bonnie. Please stay far away from this stuff. You can file it under "occultic." When I was a baby Christian I was interested in it and the Lord told me in a POWERFUL way--STAY AWAY. Have you tried traditional counseling/therapy? But, if you're having panic attacks that's biological and needs medicine to treat.
 
PS: Depression (especially chronic) alters the chemicals in your brain as well and sometimes also need medication to treat. Just something to consider. God is good and He wants to help you through this and see you set free. You can PM me if you want to chat more in depth. :)
 
yeah I felt not to strongly about doing it just trying to see options,i was in therapy but i lost my insurance due to my hours being cut at work and i couldnt afford any of it anymore.I tried antidepressants but they made my attacks worse.I am trying to find another job where i can get fulltime work its been frustrating ive been applying all over the place.These past few weeks my attacks have only been a handful a day so i know God is helping me im trying to wait and not get so frustrated and be still.
 
Hypnotherapy has proven to be effective against a number of mental issues, but as far as I know for a depressions and anxiey the most recommended course of action would be a cognitive behavioural therapy. Maybe in combination with antidepressant medication, depending on how severe your depression are.
 
The Lord is much more powerful than mankinds remedies, and you should turn it over to the Lord, rather than pursue Hypnotism.

Praise God!!! Working with one of my wife's friends who was bi-polar on meds and in and out of mental hospitals she came to me for prayer. I told her no prayer, we are going to learn about the power of the word of God, and faith. Very few understand the power of the Word of God and God's unfailing ability to perform the word for someone that believes what God said.

The Lord never told me to lay hands on her or pray for her. Wisdom is the principle thing, not faith, or prayer, though we get wisdom through prayer.

Finally the Lord spoke to me and told me her answer to years of being mentally ill. He said, "Have her meditate on my Word, this scripture day and night." Does not seem very miracle like, but if that is what the Lord said, then do what he said do. No word, no victory anyway.

2Ti_1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

That was it, all she had to do, real simple. So she wrote it down and confessed constantly she had what the Word said she had. She had a Spirit of Power full of Love and a sound mind. She said it something like this......."I have a sound mind, I have a mind full of love and right things. I know what is true and not true, I have power working in me, I have a sound mind, I don't think wrong things and cast down bad things."

It was about a month of doing this that she was at the doctors office getting her meds refilled when suddenly it just dawned on her that "I am not mentally ill, I don't need meds, I think only right things"

She told me it was if a light flooded the room and it became so real to her that she felt she never even been mentally ill. She got off the meds, (Had to be weaned off 2 of them because of the after effects) and has been living free now for over 10 years, no issues at all.

Why God did it this way? She learned that God's word works and never fails. A pit bull had gotten loose and she and her 3 year old were outside. The dog ran for her little boy and chomped down on his neck and dragged her 3 year old by the neck across the yard. Instead of fear, she said in the name of Jesus, let go my son, no harm come to him. The neighbors came out who owned the dog, the police called and the boy rushed to the hospital. They found only skin impressions, no injury, nothing despite the dog shaking the little boy violently back and forth.

Praise God....

The word works, Far more than some suggestions planted in your head or mind altering drugs that mess you up, trying to fix something else.

Mike.
 
Hypnosis also may be known as brain washing. It allows a person to submit under these authorities. They have given the mind over to what is the power behind this. It is uncertain for sure. But it is possible it can also be a work of demonic force who one has volunteered to let them interact with our own thinking. Submission to evil Spirits and demons are known to whisper lies. They also create a false sense of security even if it all seems good and safe. As one poster said one needs to turn over to the word of God to live by faith alone. Jesus wants us to live by faith and not control from another person. Drinking and stealing can be addictions. But also to sin our addictions can be we are a prisoner of sin. But God has the power to set us free if we listen to Him.

Some people start reading the Bible then give up soon. God is not helping they said. I asked and God did nothing. But having one drink a week is a tiny cut. Addiction is a very deep wound. So that is not going to heal over night. God works with us day after day to work on the healing of our addictions. What if we have temptations? God knows to you this is not easy. But don’t give in. It does take hearing and faith.

· Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:16-18 (in Context) Romans 10 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
 
OH BOY is there misinformation here. Common that this happens though.

Hypnotherapy is 100% safe and ethical. There is no brain washing. There is no mind control. Nothing is against your will. You will never do something against your beliefs. Throughout the session, you are in full control of your mind and body. The reason I bring this up is because I am a supporter and have experienced it for myself. At any time I can get up and walk away. If I was told to kill someone, I would get up, leave, and never come back again.

I don't see any replacement of God. It's a matter of understanding psychology. It works. I can instantly relax myself by touching two fingers together because of hypnosis. Has my relationship with God diminished? Am I demon possessed? This to me sounds like fear and lack of understanding.

If you are dying and need heart surgery to live, are you going to pray to get better, or go visit the surgeon? I would hope you'd do both, because I find it unlikely you would live otherwise. God didn't give us the world to have us ignore it.
 
If my life always depends on doctors I would not be alive today. More than once I have had serious issues that Doctors did not believe me. One such case has to do with my vision. Their decision left me in a bad circumstance today.

Yes I begged the doctor over and over please do this the other way. The doctor told me okay. But then he did not do this. Everyone knew what he was supposed to do. They were in sick when he did not.

Next I was in the Hospital that I could not eat for months. Well hardly at all mostly on an IV. I told the doctors all this time. I ate for one week I said. I did not go to the bathroom. They said the problem is in the gas of your stomach. But I told them I am not eating or going to the rest room. . . after being there 3 months at one visit only the doctor believed me. He gave me the right medicine. But I always had to fight for my own case.

Now my Fiancée is having trouble now. The doctors are telling her its all in your head. But she has Hypothyroidsim. We’ve read all about it. We compared all her symptoms over and over again even read the article Stop the Thyroid madness. Doctors are often to practice to want their way. I’ve been to Psychiatrists.

These Doctors have done anything God has? No because Doctors make mistakes. Jesus died on the Cross. Nothing else is needed on His part. We place faith in God. We don’t place our faith in Psychology. That is the place for Atheists that believe Psychology is greater than Bible Christianity.

I did not say ‘Demon Possession. . I said Demon involvement. Who do you think tempts us to lie? . To steal? to Drink? Do you see these Demons? No but they can be influential. You don’t need hypnosis to stop doing something. Its learning self control. I was once addicted to Pornography. It was at one time impossible to stop. Psychiatry helped me? Nope made all things worse. Therapy? They listen but no real solutions. The answer was always there. Heart Surgery to need a doctor is not the same with compulsion. Compulsion is of our mind.

Imagine now a man says Jesus I have a compulsion to steal. I desire to steal when I see things. Jesus says I could help you but I’m on my way to Capernaum. Listen go down the road. Meet this man in his office. What shall he do Lord? He will hypnotize you. That’s going to work Lord? Yes says Jesus its just as good as anything I could have told you. So listen says Jesus any troubles on your mind see the man that hypnotized your problems.

Would Jesus do that? Certainly not. In fact we do need therapy. It’s good to talk to a Christian counselor who also will take God into all circumstances of our problems. The world has worldly solutions to solve our Mind. But the Lord has spiritual solutions to work to the center of our Heart. Doctors can only reach a mental state. God can reach every state.

Don’t trust hypnosis to solve our dilemmas. If you are a Christian open the Bible because as I was a porn addict the answers were there. Simply it’s wrong and don’t do it. Remove your eye. Remove your hand. Cut off the sin. With God’s help hypnosis will replace Jesus. That will be the Day.
 
I didn't say that we're putting science or psychology over God. Prayer is good. Faith is good...but God himself doesn't intervene in everything. If someone is experiencing depression, it may be because of imbalanced chemicals in the brain. Medication can help that. Science has a time and place and prayer is good as well.

Demon involvement? Please back that up. Don't make claims about a field of science without evidence.

Hypnosis is direct communication with the subconscious mind. When you are very relaxed, your conscious mind slows down. Your subconscious mind becomes more receptive. Here, let me present to you some studies that have been done:

Hypnosis can speed up recovery from bone fractures.
Source: Barrios, Alfred A. "Hypnotherapy: A Reappraisal," Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice

Following Hypnotherapy, patients with arthritis have achieved significant decreases in pain, anxiety, and depression.
Source: Domangue, B.B., Margolis, C.G., Lieberman, D. & Kaji, H. "Biochemical Correlates of Hypnoanalgesia in Arthritic Pain Patients." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 46, 235-238.


Women with metastatic breast cancer who received group Hypnosis therapy were able to reduce their pain experience by 50% compared to a control group.
Source: Spiegel, D. & Bloom, J.R."Group therapy and Hypnosis Reduce Metastatic Breast Carcinoma Pain." Psychosomatic Medicine, 45, 333-339.

In Britain 55% of birthing women using hypnosis required no medication for pain relief, compared with 22% of women in non-hypnosis groups. In two other reports 58% of women using hypnotic analgesia required no medication. And five other reports quoted 60-79% of women using hypnosis required no medication.
Source: Schwartz, M. The Cessation of Labor Using Hypnotic Techniques." American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 5, 211-213.

In a stop smoking study, where smokers attended individual hypnotherapy for stop smoking over three sessions, 81% had stopped smoking after the treatment ended, and at a 12 month follow-up nearly 50% remained smoke free. And 95% of the people were satisfied with their treatment.
Sources: Elkins GR, Rajab MH. (2004) "Clinical hypnosis for Smoking Cessation: preliminary results of a three session intervention." International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 2004 Jan; 52 (1):73-81


No, you don't have to use hypnosis, but please do not spread misinformation about it. It IS effective and many people have experienced relief.

Why do I defend this field so strongly? I have personally had success and it is a very comfortable experience. I would recommend it to anyone, and with other methods it could remove the problem entirely. My relationship with God remains strong.
 
This topic suddenly is reminding me of The Oprah Winfrey Show. It has often been that Oprah invites guests on the show. Not specifically remembering any of her guests practicing hypnosis but she did have doctors, psychologists, and even health experts those who also claim to be in line with God. Oprah has a way of combining knowledge from back ground Professionals to her version of God. But Bible Believing Christians know many of her accounts are not scriptural since her point being ‘There are many ways to get to Heaven, not just Jesus’. To prove her point she will use these doctors being a part of all of God’s work what may be called the alternative method of well being.

So if Oprah believes anyone can institute their professional practice even to make it a claim of God’s doing or support, sure she would get that guest on the program. I believe a hypnotist could qualify to get on her program. Notice Oprah has struggled for years with her weight and other health problems. Look at all the professional fields she has worked with. One minute she is doing fine and well the next minute she is in trouble in again. One technique is working for a while then not switching to a new one. But none of them was calling upon the Lord and how God guides our understanding to learn and know things. While she may not be the strongest of evidence she does show that many Bible Believing Christians can see through her act. Trying to be of God of spirit using every doctor and technique as this is what we should rely on. Oprah is a billionaire she supports and sponsors so many of them as the alternative well being don’t need Jesus solutions.

Next I am reminded of Pat Robertson. He is to be a TV Healer. Does he work? He is claiming to heal people over the air. Of course he does not mention anyone’s name. Sure I used to believe this. But lots of Christians have protested. This healing is not happening. Is this guy real or what is he doing? Pat Roberson has made many false Prophecy accounts. That ought to show the kind of record he has and how accountable if he is one anyone should trust. Year after year he has claimed doomsday events never taking place. On his program he mentioned my own sickness. So I looked to see if I was healed. I prayed at the same time. I stopped watching years ago this is not working.

When I finally became a Christian I started watching Benny Hinn. This guy can be very captivating when you first see him. He really does seem to have such a kind heart and the motivation to want to heal people by the name of Jesus. But now many know he is using many techniques of hypnosis to draw his audience in to lay a hand on someone as they ought to fall backwards. He uses hypnotic words of suggestion. Sure he claims to be from God and doing God’s work. But is he? I really don’t believe what he does is Jesus miracle healings. He also called out on TV my sickness. I looked to see if I was healed. Over and over I was hoping. Nothing had happened. Benny Hinn is known as part preacher part Hypnotist. But many say they have evidence he is staged. He is using people mostly that work under his trance.

Think about what the person is doing when they come to meet a person to be hypnotized. They are allowing this person to go way far in their mind. You have given them permission to give yourself over to the words that they will tell you. You are allowing them to somehow change any part of your thinking. How you believe or you don’t believe. He the Hypnotist is planting suggestions in one’s mind. This can also be like reprogramming. This is a deeper technique then what we may call brain washing. Brain washing merely convinces us to believe. Hypnosis allows the other person to plant these suggestions in your own mind. You are after all hypnotized.

Please know that even those who say there are good results also must know every good thing is not necessarily from a source of good. There are those who practice white magic. They say it is good. No it’s not bad they say. It’s good because we practice good.

Miracles Jesus warns us in the Bible that Satan can transform himself as the Angel of Light. Yes appearing to be good in his image. It is the good we see in appearance to accept something believing it is good. A Psychic also can get in your head. They start asking you things. They will tell you what you are thinking. Amazing you say. How did you do that? I never told you this. But if God created us not to read someone’s mind where does this Psychic get their abilities? . From a Spirit that channels one thought of ones mind to another mind.

This is why we are warned in Deuteronomy of enchanters, Witches, and spells. Many of these groups and occults, New age, Asian practices of Meditation,. Levitation, Healing, or many are similar to the practice of Hypnosis. These suggestions must draw in our mind that we as the subject give permission to this person, suggestion, belief our mind will obey these instructions to follow.

I will then promise now this is not a Christian thing to do. Neither of course anyone should ever try to be hypnotized. You are handing your mind over to someone else. It might help someone to doing something they don’t want to do. But if a person quits it’s only by someone else’s suggestions they have planted in ones mind. It is exactly opposite of what God tells us to do. We don’t place faith in any man to heal our mind. We don’t heed over to man to solve our problems of consciousness of thinking and belief. Even if there may be no demon involved, someone else rather than our self have control over us. It may work for some. But its source isn’t good or Christian like. We are never ever to totally take all of our thinking and or belief to give permission to one to alter our own thinking, behavior, attitude, addictions or anything that involves the mind.

The Bible teaches to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and spirit. We are in fellowship with the Lord. He is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is the Spirit of Truth.. Read Psalms chapter 1 about what happens when we meditate on His words.

If you don’t believe what I am telling you I want to share what I found on one true Testimony who has experienced Hypnosis.
 
“KristenM says:

October 26, 2012 at 11:13 pm

Diana,

My heart goes out to you and I’m very sorry for your experiences. Unfortunately, for the past four months I did six hypnosis sessions and they gave me tapes of each session. I grew up Catholic and I didn’t always go to church like I should but I never denied Jesus Christ, God, or the Bible and I went there to try to fix procrastination and organization habits I had and for some reason I never related it to something like a psychic and I didn’t even think about it. I don’t know what I was thinking. After the first two times I thought maybe I felt weird but he assured me that it was the “procrastinator” “unorganized” me that the world subconciously created in my head that was shedding it’s old ways and I was going to finally become who I really was. I really just thought I was going to be soo super organized and more efficient. I know that seems weak but I just thought it would help me stay more on top of things. Now I know it was a bad mistake.

I started feeling different and telling everyone I knew that I felt different and something “important” was happening to me. They would ask why and I would tell them I didn’t know but that I was never going to be the same again. Honestly, I don’t even know what the hell I was talking about looking back and I feel like I wasn’t really even there because who I normally am before and *sort of* kind of am now can’t even relate to the thought process I had at that time. It was only about three weeks ago that I noticed the difference and I didn’t know what to think and I honestly don’t know what I really was thinking then anymore. I started to tell people that everything we ever learned was a lie, that everything we learned about God and life has all been a lie. I told people there are probably really aliens and that we have been in this world more often than we thought and I was very passionate and confident about what I was saying and I can look back now and sort of remember these things (I wrote a lot down immediately after I realized what was going on because I am beginning to forget the whole experience … it feels like it was a dream now) I can’t remember what could have possibly been going on in my head to think this.

I started telling my friends and some actually agreed and some just wanted to know my proof and I tell them that it just came to me but there are more people than me that are experiencing this because I found all this information after I realized it on the internet and that it was called a spiritual awakening. It is so weird looking back on this experience now, luckily it was only four months for me, but even four months longer than I wish I had spent time doing that. Things started getting weird and I was getting weird and then by some serious GRACE of GOD I had a thought, what do christians think about hypnotism? and I read sort of in terror and I started thinking back about the whole experience and it was like the whole world came crashing down in front of my eyes.
 
Here are things he kept saying -
- You were asleep before but now you are going to awaken to who you really are
-All of those things your parents embedded in your head is not true
-I want you to go back to the womb, to your previous life (I never really felt like this worked so I would just tell him whatever story came to my head and then he would try to investigate and ask me “Who was it?” and I would say I don’t know and he would say “Do you think it’s your spiritual mother?”
-”I suggest that you don’t tell people you are doing this kind of work because they won’t understand or agree with what you are doing?”
-People don’t understand you because you are different

That’s all I can remember right now but that lead to this after:
-thinking we have been here for many lives before this one and that we were meant to come and live the divine human experience
-I was having a spiritual awakening and when I tried to figure out who I could talk to I somehow related it to the hypnotist and when I asked him if he could help me he said, “you are actually getting into the bigger side of what I really do” come talk and this is spiritual guidance so it’s of no charge
-Talks to me about how all this confusion I am going through is just me changing and it’s part of the process
-”Coincidentally” has all the same beliefs I do
-I am pretty fidgety at times and he would give me tea to help me relax he claimed, I always thought it was weird … the whole experience gives me the chills
-Told me he would be my spiritual guide and that I needed to formally ask him but I was so sucked into it then I did
-I was so consumed by it that I couldn’t stop looking up information about it, talking about it, preaching about it, thinking about it, it was like taking over me
-Next time I went he asked if I was ready to be a mystic … I wasn’t really sure what the description of this was and he said “seeker of the truth” I said sure the truth sounds good
-He said if I went through with this that I would get all these new skills and abilities that I didn’t have before and that as my spiritual guide he would instruct me on how to adapt through these stages
-Gave me more tea and then initiated me into the “Sufi Order”
-Was still believing it over the entire weekend and then Monday came and for some reason I looked up the Christian perspective on hypnotism and every single thing raced through my mind and everything finally made sense … I was hearing white noise everywhere from my television randomly out of nowhere, my phone, my car AFTER it was already turned off but he was making me believe I would talk to good spirits and NORMALLY I WOULD NEVER BELIEVE THAT BS
-So, to sum up my story … I joined a CULT!! I couldn’t believe it but I remember him telling me that, “I was probably going to leave my friends and family behind because they wouldn’t understand me anymore, but new people would come into my life and they would love me”

-It seriously gives me the chills to think about this … it hasn’t happened as much yesterday and today so I hope I am completely snapping out of it but every day I kept getting stuck in these trance like states and I was really sad. I felt so violated like he had raped my mind of every belief and value and that he took me personality and turned me into someone I didn’t even know and would never, ever agree with and it lasted pretty much throughout the whole time from start to finish. It all seems like a blur now.

I deleted an old email I had and it wasn’t even because of the hypnotist, it was before that but I guess he was going to send me another letter that assured me that not feeling like i know who i am, being confused, and sometimes even sad was totally normal and how I should feel. This mean I am making “progress” and getting closer to becoming my true self.

He encouraged me to go to a group meeting at his home that he had once a month and it was like 8 hours long or something where I would meet some people who I would really like and that were awake like I was. We were awake and he directed me that I wasn’t allowed to wake up anyone who was asleep. I kept telling him that everyone needed to understand it and I wanted to tell everyone so they could be awakened too and he would tell me that he knows I want to but they will think I am crazy so I can’t because they are ignorant and asleep.

(Seriously dude, I wouldn’t believe this if it didn’t happen to me – I don’t know where the normal me was through all of this but I don’t feel like this could’ve possibly really happened but it did)

He would always sit a little too close and it made me feel a little uncomfortable but I told myself not to be silly and he was a really nice old guy and his wife was there too and they wouldn’t be weird. He looked me right in the eyes (kinda freaky once) and said “Would you believe it if I told you that I knew you before?” and I don’t know … at the time in my head I was thinking, “Maybe?” – oh and he meant before this lifetime by the way but I just said yes cause it was a little weird.

Another time before I left he put his hand over my forehead and bent down so he was eye level with me and stared me straight in the eyes (it was a little awkard) and said “you are going to be okay, you are going to be okay, you are going to be okay”

I don’t even know … so much craziness I don’t even want to write anymore to think about it. I hate it, I am forgetting a lot but I wonder maybe if it was traumatic for me to have someone get into my head and manipulate my mind, thoughts, beliefs, everything … even personality and turn it into something else. How SERIOUSLY is that possible? I can’t understand it and I can’t wrap my head around it and I don’t know what the hell I was thinking … literally! How is it possible? I never thought I would try to get more organized and more efficient and somehow, OUT OF THAT, end up blindly joining a cult and NOT even knowing it?

I am SURE I would know this if I was in my normal state of mind but I definitely couldn’t have been and the whole thing is starting to seem like a fuzzy dream I am trying to remember. I am sad some things before seem distant and fuzzy and I don’t want to stop remembering :*( I am only 29 and I have a 9 year old son and I feel so sad that I almost got involved in this. It breaks my heart, literally … I have never felt so violated in my entire life. I don’t even know who I was then.

Once I realized it, I went to everyone I talked to and told them not to listen to one word I said and the whole story and how I got initiated into a cult. I told them to stay away from mediation, hypnosis, psychics, horoscopes, tarot card readers … ANY of them. It is the devil’s work and I promise you it is evil. This guy claimed to talk to spirits and said I probably would be able to soon.

I snapped out of it enough to know it wasn’t right and then I was under some sort of serious mind control or something. He tried to send an email to my deleted email account and it bounced back (day after I realized) and called my cell phone but I didn’t answer. Then I had messages at my work (it was like filling information for a doctor’s office before I ever got hypnotized) and one of the messages from him saying that he tried to send me an email and it bounced back and to let him know what was going on (Really? I didn’t realize my email account being gone was so dramatic that he needed to call for an explanation right away) again, I didn’t return his call … he called the entire week except for today (THANK GOD). He has my address and doesn’t live far so I hope he doesn’t go as far as to come to my house. I don’t know, I am really scared for some reason … I don’t even want to listen to my voicemails because I don’t even want to hear his voice) … he is freaky and I will never, ever again in my life dabble in anything I shouldn’t. I called a Christian pastor I met after it happened and told him what happened and he prayed for me and invited me to attend a Bible study and to start coming to church and BELIEVE ME I AM!!! NEVER, EVER AGAIN … don’t let anyone get into your head like that. They may talk to spirits but they are demonic and NOT good! Please don’t ever put yourself in this weird position.

Diana, I will most definitely pray for you. I will never stray away from God, ever again in my life. We are not our own saviors and neither is any hypnotist, we must trust in God that he will help us and bring us good things in life. All of the self-help books, “The Secret”, psychics, card readers, hypnotists … they are providing these temporary “reliefs” that are manipulating people and opening them up to bad, evil things they never thought possible. They are not good, stay far far far away!”

Yes there is always someone in the crowd that may support this practice. But talk to people in large number. Get to know their testimonials.
 
This has certainly expanded into a rather large topic of discussion and inevitably, theology enters into it. I've gotten myself into a little trouble in Christian circles before because my perspective is very old and apparently uncommon nowadays. I don't feel this thread is for that. What I may do is create a new thread where my beliefs are outlined and go from there. I'll do my best to stick to the topic here as best as possible.

First off I want to establish that I do not believe God intervenes in everything. If I pray, there is no guarantee that he will directly intervene in my life. God is not an excuse for me to not pay attention in my life or not to use the resources at my disposal.

This is why many nonbelievers get turned away from Christianity. They are promised that if 'they just have faith' God will help them when they need it. Sadly, this is not the case. God doesn't always intervene. Let me give you an example. There was a pastor friend I had in a nearby city. He was a truly Godly man...one of the few people I can say was truly doing the Lord's work. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer in his 40s. He had thousands of people praying for his health. He was praying for his own recovery too. He is no longer with us. All the prayer in the world didn't heal him. It was modern medicine that kept him alive for 4 times longer than was expected. He would have died in 6 months had he not gone for treatment. There are people that cry out for aid and God does not intervene. I will not tell people that God will do everything they need. Yes, he does love them, but I won't give them false expectations, because the Lord does not always give us what we want.

Pat Robertson has no accountability and is not any sort of prophet.

There is a difference between charisma and charm, and hypnosis. Don't mix the two up. There are bad people in all fields. Wolves in sheep's clothing.

No. You are in control, not the hypnotherapist. Everything they say passes through your filter. If they told me I was to become an angry hateful person, I would stop them, get up, and leave. I am in control at all times. You may open up areas of your life to them, but you do so willingly and with full understanding of what you're doing. Just like revealing your issues to your medical doctor, you have to trust the hypnotherapist to be ethical. To be clear: There is absolutely no form of mind control during hypnosis. You can go through the entire session rejecting everything they say...but that defeats the purpose. You go to the session because you want to quit smoking. When you are deeply relaxed, the hypnotherapists suggests to your subconscious that you will feel ill whenever you begin to smoke a cigarette. You want to quit smoking, so that information will pass through your filter and you will accept it. After a few sessions, you will find yourself feeling sick when you pop out a cigarette. They are helping you...but they have no power over you. You only listen to them of your own will.

Magic? You can monitor the brain of someone under hypnosis. Hypnosis is almost synonymous with relaxation. There is nothing voodoo about it. It isn't witchcraft or enchanting.

Psychics do something called a "cold read" where they will throw a bunch of information at you and wait to see how you react. We tend to ignore all of the incorrect information they give us and instead focus on the ONE thing they got right. They are just good at playing off of people.

The devil doesn't do good. Let's see a scripture where he does.

"It was only about three weeks ago that I noticed the difference and I didn’t know what to think and I honestly don’t know what I really was thinking then anymore. I started to tell people that everything we ever learned was a lie, that everything we learned about God and life has all been a lie."

I'm sorry. What does that have to do with hypnosis? You're making a correlation between the hypnosis and her decision about "everything being a lie". There is absolutely nothing connecting organization and efficiency with everything being a lie. Please enlighten me on how those are connected. In fact, it looks like up until that point, it was successful!

There are people out there that are evil. There are people that do wrong. Maybe this person found a bad one. That doesn't mean they all are.

I am a testimonial. It works and I am as strong a Christian as I ever have been.
 
Hi Tristan
I’m sorry to hear about your friend. Cancer is one of the worse and sometimes incurable states of illness. My Mother died of stomach cancer about seventeen years ago. Your friend was not alone as all these people gathered in much support. It’s hard to understand why God does not answer some of our prayers even as urgent as this ones life. Perhaps sometimes we don’t seem to realize a person in a state of being in tremendous pain. I had gallstones and I am sure cancer is much worse than that.

What would it feel like if your friend was suffering with intense pain around the clock? Maybe your friend did everything that God wanted him to accomplish that the Lord did not feel a need for your friend to be with his family here but to bring him to the Family of God. So if God wanted this friend to come home those who are praying may have not known this.

We often in suffering judge God as to why and what He did for what reason. But that’s where Faith is needed. You may not know the answers now but later God will reveal these things. Faith is that what we do not see. Genesis One God created the Heavens and the Earth. So where is God? Prove this? But by Faith you do believe God. You were not there at the beginning of creation. But the evidence of God’s work shows His finger prints of design. God even shows in the constellations to make pictures as full. God is everywhere and has considered all things.

How well does God know you? God has counted your every tear. Yes He heard every prayer. But remember a child who asks his Mother I need money. My friend is inviting me on a trip. The child of course is disappointed knowing his Mother just got the pay check from work. He reasons in his mind that mother is selfish. Why did not she give me the money? I can have fun with my friend. Then a few weeks had passed. The mother says to her son. Remember that bike you were talking about? The one we saw in the store. You said you would anything to get this bike. Well I paid for it. See she says I said no about the trip when I got paid. But I put money aside instead to get you this bike you wanted over a year.

God is often like that with us also. God sometimes does not answer certain prayers for a good reason. Also remember God must consider perfect timing. We ask God to help us but the Lord says child the time is not yet. God can see inside out and outside in. Outside the Earth, on the Earth, and around the Earth God is planning things for us much further down the road we had ever expected years ago.

But this plan also works by obeying God and trusting him. Because when a person loses faith and they leave God, God does not walk away from us. Rather we walk away from Him. God seems distant and at times has abandoned us in bad circumstances. God has not left but the Bible does tell us we in this life do experience suffering. The word tribulation also means our sufferings. Let me share these verses how they help us build our faith in God.

Romans 5 New King James Version (NKJV)
Faith Triumphs in Trouble

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
 
But God does not have a plan that we need to suffer forever. It is not his will. But God however is the Lord and does judge good and evil, right and wrong and even faith and those of no faith.

I am blind now completely. This is the way it is going to be the rest of my life here. I can’t be angry at God because I know it was the doctor who did this to me. And I am not upset knowing God can do all things but does not heal my vision in this life.

The Lord’s primary purpose is not to heal our sight, hearing, or our legs. But God is to heal our heart and to save our spirit and soul for eternity to live in peace to be in His love and presence. That is why Jesus said when He healed the man who was trying to go to the pool but could hardly walk Do Not Sin anymore. You see Jesus did not say just because He healed him that He is all well now. No the man was not. Healing is only temporary. But salvation is forever. It’s His life of eternity Jesus is concerned about. That sin itself could have brought death on this man even though Jesus healed him and gave him a chance to live.

To have faith does not mean to reject doctors. To reject medical care would be blind faith of nonsense. So a person both prays and goes to the doctor for help. But this person has surgery and dies a year later? Why? We don’t know but God has the answer to that question. We don’t know the heart of no other man it’s out of our control. But we cry and mourn for that one lost. Yet we in faith still need to know the Lord has not abandoned us in this time of great pain.

I lost a woman I was going to marry about fifteen years ago. I was angry at God back then. I cried and said God why did you allow this? I know in your power you could have stopped her. But Lynn committed suicide. God didn’t desire for her to do this. He could have said to her heart. No Lynn trust Me have faith. You still have reason to live. But she said Lord No I don’t have any reason to live. She took this decision into her own hands because she lost all her faith. We had just gotten evicted and moved into our new apartment. Lynn was not used to the new surroundings. She had some family issues with her son and other members at the time not realizing how far out Lynn was at the time. Ok I admit it. I was kind of acting selfish at the time myself. I should have gotten her to the doctor. She really needed her medicine back in her system. I was so worried about myself and other things. Even I did not have faith at that time.

But let’s turn the clock back. Let’s suppose we did have faith in God. She still would have been alive. Maybe we would have been together unless we broke up. We could not fit in Gods plan because our ideas often went against what God wanted us to do.
 
But in this case no doctor of any kind could bring us on the right track with God Himself who is going to heal our broken faith and our Trust? I can have a cast put on my arm but when we don’t believe we have separation from God. Jesus will walk with us in the storm. It is because of these testimonies proves God is always with us. He is full of surprises. Just when we think He left God can do great things. So don’t believe that God is not faithful sometimes He is all the time. God’s wisdom is higher than our own. You say Lord I don’t know why but I trust you’re doing right because you are a good God. Believe it in the end God will say Good servant you have walked through trials. You have been tested by faith. Enter now into God’s Holy kingdom. So we are tested even when things don’t work out and when prayers have not been answered.



As dealing with addictions smoking, drugs, drinking I would not recommend hypnosis but counseling and group meetings. Dropping a habit can be almost as next to impossible. But through God all things are possible who believe Him. If there is any medicine to quit smoking, drinking, or drugs that would not be wrong at all. Set up your own traps to stop your habits. Punish yourself somehow without hurting yourself teaching yourself this is wrong. Find some kind of activity you don’t like doing. This is what your parents would do to get you to stop doing things.

I had a cigarette. I should have not. I’m stuck with this boring task. Or do the opposite find things that distract you at most. Replace addiction with someone else more productive. You might get headaches and light headed from resistance, urges, and sweating but a person won’t die.



Only however prescription medication may need to gradually be lowered until one can stop. Ativan is one of them. It’s ok to get some medication from psychiatry to help stop smoking or drugs to cope for a while. If it helps hyper tension, anxiety, or depression. Hopefully medicine counseling or self discipline can get us to kick these habits. Read the Bible at least 3 times a week. God knows when a person is sincerely trying to quit. Lots of things don’t happen over night. Keep studying. Keep Praying. Keep working and progressing because faith in God will let us to trust Him more than anyone even doctors. If you got out of surgery God was there in the room also that you are still alive. God may have answered your prayers leading you into special medical care. He turned out to be the best surgeon in all the area. Ironic? Coincidental? God did not save you? Sure He brought you to the best doctor. So we can’t count God out even when doctors are among us. Here is a good section in Psalms to show his presence your friend words into Harmony

Psalm 139
New King James Version (NKJV)

God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
 
I really don't disagree aside from the fact that you and I have different preferences as for the action that should be taken. My faith is not shaken. I knew that my pastor friend was at the end of the road. I knew that his race was finished. I'm comfortable with the fact that God doesn't talk to us very much or intervene much. What I see here is fear of the unknown and a lack of understanding.

Oh, and I don't smoke...never have.

My faith in God is rock solid...but I'm not going to sit and wait for him to do something. I need to get out there and do things. Prayer itself doesn't do anything except serve as a line to God. He is the center of my life, but that doesn't mean that I won't seek out aid and relief where I know it will work.
 
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