help with hypnosis

i have a question for those who know the answer.

I have recently been interested in hypnotism becuase i always have a feeling that someone is looking at me and i want to fix it. its been going on for a year now and it has affected me socially and just in general. I have tried to fix this problem on my own, thinking that time would heal it but its still lingering and i thought that hypnosis would be a great solution to fix this. I have tried to hypnotize myself about 5 times and i always get this sinking feeling and i get all tingly all over, but once i feel that im going deeper i panic and snap out of it. Last week i went to a supposed hypnotherapist and she told me that real hypnosis is conscious, you are aware of what your saying and doing. But i thought hypnosis was unconscious....?

So , my question is , what does hypnosis really feel like? unconscious? awareness? and can you descripe how it may feel?

Thank you

Originally posted by lseekingtruthl
But i thought hypnosis was unconscious....?

That's a common misperception. In fact, it's a state of heightened conscious concentration. And generally, the smarter you are, the more likely you can be hypnotized, because intelligent people generally can concentrate on something better than a moron.

So , my question is , what does hypnosis really feel like? unconscious? awareness? and can you descripe how it may feel?

It feels pretty much like your normal conscious life. During hypnosis, a lot of people think to themselves, "I'm not really hypnotized, but I'll play along just for fun and to help the hypnotist out." And you are, sort of. You're concentrating on cooperating, and you'll do the best you can.

The most interesting thing about hypnosis, in my opinion, are the memory effects. The way the hypnotist can tell you to forget something, and you will, because you're cooperating with him (or her). And it's not just pretending not to remember. You actually won't be able to remember. It's an interesting illustration of the mostly-unused potential power of our own minds.

On a side note, if you feel you are being watched, you might want to check out Rupert Sheldrake's website and review the material there on "The Sense of Being Stared At." It might all be in your mind, but not the way you think:

The Sense of Being Stared At

[edit on 1-8-2006 by Enkidu]