On America’s Got Talent 2015 Howie Mandel, a celebrity well known for his OCD and refusal to shake other people’s hands, was hypnotized. Hypnotist Chris Jones assisted Howie into the hypnotic state. He then suggested that he was wearing thin gloves which couldn’t be seen. Howie’s acceptance of the suggestion allowed him to happily shake hands with and high-five his co-hosts.
I am happy that this show has put hypnotherapy in the spotlight.
No, Howie was not cured. What was done on stage is like a massage. Howie felt good, which allowed him to shake hands. The original issue is still in his subconscious mind. To assist Howie, or anyone else for that matter, with the past event causing the OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) requires deeper work. This can be done with several hypnotherapy sessions.
Most people see hypnosis/hypnotherapy and automatically think of stage shows where they feel that people are out of control. The fact is that the stage hypnotist: asks for volunteers (no one can be hypnotized against their will) and he tests people to ensure that they will be open to suggestion. When you are hypnotized you are in fully awake and in control. The reason you see what you see is that participants feel so good and relaxed that as long as the suggestion is not against their moral values, they will perform what is suggested.
A study was performed and shows the following recovery rates:
Psychoanalysis 38% after 600 sessions Behavioral Therapy 72% after 22 sessions Hypnotherapy 93% after 6 sessionsHypnotherapy is an effective protocol for many chronic medical and psychological issues.
#HowieShakesHands
