Police Officers, Social Workers and other professionals in West Sussex are being offered the opportunity to learn the secrets to hypnotic communication on a new training course called 'Hypnotic Interviewing ' from Hypnotherapist Dan Jones. This hypnosis training is coming in 2010 in the form of group training, free taster workshops, talks and one-four to one personal private instruction.
Contrary to popular belief hypnosis isn't about swinging watches or making people do things they don't want to do; it's about forming a deep state of rapport and trust and communicating in a manner that allows for the client to have greater control over themselves and unconscious processes they normally wouldn't be able to control - like controlling blood flow. Under hypnosis no-one can be made to do something that is against their morals or anything they truly don't want to do.
One side effect of this deep state of rapport and trust is that people talk more freely in the same way that they would talk more freely to close friends and family members because they have naturally formed this state with those people.
Jones comments that "In the 1940's and 50's legendary Hypnotherapist & Psychiatrist Milton H Erickson MD worked with US police forces teaching them hypnosis so that officers could help suspects talk openly 'as if' the officer was a close friend. This is what I will be teaching on the 'Hypnotic Interviewing ' course"
The techniques that Jones teaches are of a more covert nature making the hypnosis not look like hypnosis so that the person being hypnotised doesn't realise it is happening.
Some people have said they think it sounds unethical or wrong to have people doing hypnosis with someone without that person agreeing to it?
"We are all hypnotising each other everyday without anyone asking permission, all forms of therapy & counselling are hypnosis without people calling it hypnosis. Hypnosis is about enhancing communication & the connection between people. No-one can be made to say or do anything they would see as unethical with hypnosis. Numerous studies have tried & failed to make people carryout immoral acts. With hypnosis all you are doing is making people comfortable enough to say things they wouldn't normally say. The state I teach these professionals to guide people into isn't the 'eyes closed state' associated with hypnotherapy it is an 'eyes open state of deep rapport'. It's about helping professionals like the police & social workers to help their clients, witnesses & suspects to open up & talk freely & honestly. Normally it can take many sessions to build up a relationship to the point where people can talk openly. With hypnotic technique this can in many cases occur during the first session." says Jones
There are two types of 'Hypnotic Interviewing'. The first type Jones prefers not to promote or teach and recommends that Police Officers, Social Workers and other professionals don't use it. This type is where the hypnotist will help someone recall the experience to get unremembered information like a description of a face or a car number plate. Unfortunately it is so easy to create false memories accidentally when doing this that the information can't be used unless it has been fully corroborated and backed up by other solid evidence.
"Everytime you recall something you alter it slightly depending on your mood and frame of mind and the questions you were asked as you were recalling that memory. False memories are created all the time even from everyday events like seeing a picture in a photo album and believing you remember the event even though the memory is actually based on what you see and the stories you have heard." Jones comments.
The other type of 'Hypnotic Interviewing' is where the hypnotist helps people to feel comfortable enough to talk about the things they know they know they just haven't wanted to tell people. This is the type of 'Hypnotic Interviewing' that Jones promotes and teaches as you are only after what the individual claims to remember rather than trying to help them remember details they were unaware of at the time or have forgotten. This type of interviewing is no more likely to cause false memories than any ordinary conversation. It is the skills that lead to this type of 'Hypnotic Interviewing' that Jones will be teaching.
Jones will be confirming dates of his £95 per person 'Hypnotic Interviewing ' courses at the start of 2010.
