Prescription drugs and hypnosis.

[angel2342]

I've got a decent case of social anxiety and I'm prescribed a relaxant. It helps with panic attacks and all that, but the effects felt from the drug when not experiencing a panic attack are pretty powerful; i.e. MUCH easier to relax, limp muscles, and even kind of puts me into a drowsy daze.

Would this kind of thing be useful if going into trance is a continuous problem for me?

[softline]

As far as various drugs go here are some quidelines.

Drugs like your relaxant should be avoided because they make the subject too relaxed. In other words they stop receiving any outside input or are very unfocused. Sort of like being unconscious. When you are hypnotized you are relaxed, but still very receptive. You see hear everything around you.

On the other hand stimulants (including caffiene) can be very anti-hypnosis. I usually tell subjects to abstain from stimulants including coffee for at least three hours before hypnosis.

From personal experience the drug I found works best for hypnosis is X. The medical reason the drug was developed was to enhance psychotherapy. Taken about an hour before you start a hypnosis session the subject is incredibly open and receptive to suggestions.

[DKaiser]

From my experience, it depends on the subject. Mainly, it's a nice boost to help you if you're having trouble going into trance, but you'll never go as deep as you can if you keep using painkillers or tranquilizers for hypnosis. I see nothing wrong with using them, I did such things myself when starting out, but only until you've gone into trance a few times and taught your brain that it's easy to do.
If you can stomach the taste, I found that 2/3 to an ounce of DXM(cough syrup, please do your research online first before taking any drug, even if it's legal) works wonders for getting rid of any aches/pains/discomforts that might hinder trance. Note the low dosage: higher dosages of DXM prevent your mind from being able to zone out, so while you'll be focused on the hypnotist's words, the conscious mind will be completely incapable of dissociating, thus preventing any real effect.
But again, it works wonders if you just wanna train your brain on how to relax.

EDIT: Just remembered another way to do it: If you're one of the people who doesn't come down off of DXM quickly(aka, it takes a day or three), then take a normal dose(4-6 oz), but don't bother trancing until after the trip has ended. The afterglow will leave you nicely sedate, but able to concentrate and dissociate normally, making it quite useful for trance, and unlike the previous method, you can use it for multiple trances, since it lasts much longer. Unfortunately, if you're one of the people who comes down in a couple of hours, well... you can do it either way in that case, I guess, since you'll only get one trance out of it regardless.

[angel2342]

Drugs like your relaxant should be avoided because they make the subject too relaxed. In other words they stop receiving any outside input or are very unfocused.

I wouldn't have expected this, interesting. I would have thought the relaxants just affected the body muscles and that the drowsiness was a result of being so relaxed haha

...the drug I found works best for hypnosis is X. The medical reason the drug was developed was to enhance psychotherapy. Taken about an hour before you start a hypnosis session the subject is incredibly open and receptive to suggestions.

I'm well aware of ecstasy. I spent a semester in college writing a research paper about it. Honestly, I've wanted to try it for hypnosis (rather than for recreation) for a long while, but obtaining it is a problem :\

From personal experience

Mind if I ask what personal experience you have(as either a 'tist or a subject)?

Thanks for your help!

If you can stomach the taste, I found that 2/3 to an ounce of DXM(cough syrup, please do your research online first before taking any drug, even if it's legal)

Interesting. I wouldn't have even considered DXM, although the taste is usually the problem for me.

If you're one of the people who doesn't come down off of DXM quickly(aka, it takes a day or three), then take a normal dose(4-6 oz), but don't bother trancing until after the trip has ended. The afterglow will leave you nicely sedate, but able to concentrate and dissociate normally, making it quite useful for trance, and unlike the previous method, you can use it for multiple trances, since it lasts much longer.

I'll keep that in mind, thank you very much!

[softline]

From personal experience

Mind if I ask what personal experience you have(as either a 'tist or a subject)?

I have studied Hypnosis extensively and hold professional certifications from a number of agencies and jurisdictions.

I have not actively "practiced" because my day job pays better.

I have found hypnosis very valuable in some of the volunteer work I do with a suicide hot line and teen crisis center.

I do see some clients in my spare time on a word of mouth basis.

I am a great believer in the recreational use of hypnosis and have used it to enhance various recreational experiences ranging from parties to one on one activities.

I actually encountered X and hypnosis at a party when I was asked to hypnotize some of the party guests who were on X. I was suprised how easy they were to hypnotize. This led me to try X and hypnotism in some more controlled situations.

I have found the 1/3 to 1/2 the dosage you would use at a rave or party taken about 1 hour before hypnosis works best. Remember the intended medical use of X was make difficult patients "open up" to their therapist. Basically the X fosters a tremendous feeling of trust and openness. You can usually use the mildest of inductions/deepenings and go right to your suggestions.

I have also participated in a number of university level studies of hypnosis both as subject and co-researcher.

I am also working on debunking the myth that "you can't hypnotize to do things against their will".

If you would like any more information on any of this contact me.

[DKaiser]

I am also working on debunking the myth that "you can't hypnotize to do things against their will".

I see it more as badly worded, rather than a myth. It's got two problems:

1 - Against someone's will is hard, yes, but things they are ambivalent about aren't actively resisted.

2 - With enough effort, or the right state of mind, a person may feel ambivalent towards the suggestions, regardless of how they would normally feel about them.

1 + 2 = Yes, resistance makes hypnosis hard, but it's not a sure-fire "not gonna happen".
I have many many pages I could write on the subject, and this is probably a bad description due to my sleep deprived mind, so I think I'll go do that sleep thing and leave it as it is.