What does Christianity says about hypnosis? Let us define some facts first. Christianity is a faith based on the principles as taught by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The main thought of which is: love. When things come about that may disrupt this faith, questions arise, and we need the guidance of the Vatican to guide us to the right track.
One controversial question is: What does Christianity say about hypnosis? For this particular question, one must first define what hypnosis is according to the Vatican. The official Catholic online is encyclopaedia, www.newadvent.org, concludes on the dangers of hypnotism. To quote: “Hypnotism, therefore, is a dangerous, if not a morally detestable, practice. In the process of suggestion the individual alienates his liberty and his reason, handing himself over to the domination of another.”
Before making that “AHA!” reaction, yes it is true that it is as the definition says. However, do you really understand why this conclusion was reached? The whole idea of hypnotism was started over a thousand years ago and was used by practitioners to help ease some symptoms that were experienced by patients. Labelled as ‘sorcery’ and ‘magic’, the technique’s infamy has followed it to this very age. Hypnotism was primarily used as a form of treatment for the insane, and those who were in pain. The hypnotists, or magicians, applied it to ease the pain of their patients when no other restorative cures could be applied. The power of suggestion left the patients feeling less if no pain at all and it was met with scepticism and doubt by those who did not understand the process. As time went on, other cultures practiced the same techniques for treatment of diseases that were untreatable and their success also was met with the same reactions as before.
Hypnotism got its modern infamy when the scandalous Anton Mesmer decided to abuse the technique and used it for his own advantage to gain fame, money, and sexual partners. He would use the technique on unsuspecting, but gullible, ladies who thought of the process as an adventure. Not mentioned liberally in hypnotism history is the equally infamous Rasputin. He, too, abused the technique. He used hypnotism to treat the Tsarevich Alexei’s haemophilia and apparently succeeded not only in making the blood clot, but into ingratiating himself to the family and eventually helped in its deposition. Moreover conversational hypnosis also gives people to access the same power techniques.
So what does Christianity say about hypnosis? It is not the technique that is the problem; it is the hypnotist who abuses the technique that has made the whole idea repulsive to the faith.