Research Paper on:
Hypnosis and Altered Consciousness States

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
beneficial framework of reality in a number of circumstances. For example, countless numbers of people with chronic pain problems have learned the benefits of self-hypnosis to calm themselves and  their reactions to physical pain. While the term "hypnosis" often carries a certain number of negative connotations that do not truly convey the beneficial and physiological relation response that  is the legitimate hypnotic response, many people are still hesitant about the concept in general. The simple fact is that hypnosis is not a form of mind control and is  not the will of one person being exerted over another. Hypnosis certainly cannot force someone to do something they would not normally do. It is neither a strange, mystical force  or a state of being unconscious or out-of-control. What is hypnosis it is what the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter (10/00) calls "really about a person taking control of  his or her own mind and body" (pp. 4). Health professionals, mental health counselors, even sports performance consultants advocate hypnosis as a form of stress reduction, pain management and  personal performance enhancement. The ability to harness and control ones personal feelings and attitudes has proven to be immensely beneficial and offers potentials far beyond that of a some sort  of self-proclaimed fakir performing tricks to make "members of the audience" dance on table tops or bark like dogs. Hypnosis actually has little to do with performing tricks or  mind control and everything to do with reaching the inner stillness that exists at the core of all human consciousness and can serve as a guide and comfort in countless  situations. The Benefits and Processes of Hypnosis Hypnosis is a process that leads an individual into a deep state of rest and relaxation that allows him or her to "release"