Two of my students came up after a social psychology class in which we had been speaking of hypnosis, and told me that they had a friend who was a professional hypnotist whom they would bring to class to talk about it, if I wished. This small event turned out to be one of the most important things that ever happened to me.
The hypnotist friend came, gave a lecture on the history, nature and uses of hypnosis, and then a short demonstration. It was brief but big. The very last thing he did, anesthetizing the palm of my hand to pain of small pin pricks, finished it and my life was transformed.
I subsequently read everything I could find on the subject of hypnosis, took a seminar in it, and went around for three or four years hypnotizing anyone who was willing. I had many interesting and useful experiences with it but the greatest thing was that I learned beyond any doubt that we do indeed have a subconscious, that it is deep, real, helpful and powerful.
And that made possible, above all, the interpretation of dreams, then fairy tales and myths.
Finally, there came the appreciation of how deeply daily life consists of the play of the subconscious by a public that refuses to honor it or even try to understand it.
The hypnotist friend came, gave a lecture on the history, nature and uses of hypnosis, and then a short demonstration. It was brief but big. The very last thing he did, anesthetizing the palm of my hand to pain of small pin pricks, finished it and my life was transformed.
I subsequently read everything I could find on the subject of hypnosis, took a seminar in it, and went around for three or four years hypnotizing anyone who was willing. I had many interesting and useful experiences with it but the greatest thing was that I learned beyond any doubt that we do indeed have a subconscious, that it is deep, real, helpful and powerful.
And that made possible, above all, the interpretation of dreams, then fairy tales and myths.
Finally, there came the appreciation of how deeply daily life consists of the play of the subconscious by a public that refuses to honor it or even try to understand it.
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