REAL WORLD NEWS
HYPNOSIS IS DEMONIC
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
Mesmerismwas an 18th
century movement begun in France by the Austrian doctor Franz Anton Mesmer
(1734-1815), who believed that astrological influence
on humans was conveyed through a force or substance similar to magnetism. He
first began treating patients with magnets or charged fluids but quickly
modified his position, theorizing that cures were actually coming from an energy
or mysterious “magnetic fluid” coming from the hands, voice, or nervous system
of the practitioner. This invisible substance or magnetism was thought to be
similar to electro-magnetism and was dubbed “Animal Magnetism.” Mesmer’s pupils
were later able to induce a “magnetic sleep” (trance state or hypnotic
condition) in their patients. The term Mesmerism eventually became analogous
with hypnosis and was linked with both Spiritualism and Mind Science
religions. Hypnosis has long
been linked to ancient religious practices and eastern mystical experiences
involving similar trance states or altered states of consciousness. Such altered
states are essential to such practices as out-of-body experiences, astral
projection, and Yoga. William
Kroger, M.D. and William Fezler Ph.D. maintain that, "hypnosis has been
practiced in one form or another in the civilized and uncivilized world under
many different labels since the dawn of history." They further note that
historically elements of hypnosis have been an integral part of pagan religious
practices and world religions including Assyro-Babylonian exorcism, Egyptian
soothsaying, Jewish
mysticism, Byzantine Catholicism, Chinese Taoism, Sufism, Hinduism, Shintoism,
forms of Buddhism
(Tibetan and Zen), and Yoga (Hypnosis and Behavior Modification, pp.
6-8).
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." (Mark 12:30)
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D. gives us this advice in his
article entitled,
The Dangers of Hypnosis : "Hypnotism ... opens the mind to believe almost
anything. As one researcher put it, 'hypnotic induction ... consists of a system
of verbal and nonverbal manipulation to lead a person into a heightened state of
suggestibility -- more simply, a condition in which one will believe almost
anything.' [Hypnosis And The Christian; by Martin
& Deidre Bogan; Bethany House; p17]
That statement should alarm you because in essence it is saying that a person
who is hypnotized can be told a lie and believe it. But does this really
happen? The answer is yes. Bernard Diamond, a professor of law and clinical
professor of psychiatry wrote in an article for the California Law Review that
people who underwent hypnotism would 'graft onto their memories fantasies or
suggestions deliberately or unwittingly communicated by the hypnotist and that
after hypnosis the subject cannot differentiate between a true recollection and
a fantasy or a suggested detail.' [California Law
Review, March 1980; Article: Inherent Problems in the Use of Pretrial Hypnosis
on a Prospective Witness; by Bernard L. Diamond; p
314] ... Hypnosis is dangerous because the mind loses its ability to
distinguish between fact and fantasy (truth and error). ... Satan can and does
take advantage of the opportunity. Let me give you one example. Over a five year
period, in the late 70's and early 80's, a massive study was done of more than
6,000 people who had undergone hypnosis. It was discovered that one-fifth of
those people who had been hypnotized said that they had lived previous lives on
other planets! That is bizarre to say the least! But let me tell you about some
other experiments. According to one of Peter Francuch experiments 'The person
[who was hypnotized] was able very precisely to describe in minute detail what
was happening in another friend's house 300 miles away. At the same time, the
person was able to describe exactly what was happening a month ago, a year ago,
and ten years ago in the same place ...' [Principles of Spiritual Hypnosis;
by Peter Francuch; Spiritual Advisor Press, 1981; 924] One might ask, 'How
is that possible?' My answer is by demonic contact! One New Age author puts it
this way -- 'Hypnosis can be an open door to psychic experiences of many kinds,
and in an emotionally unstable, insecure, or neurotic person the possibility of
obsession or psychic invasion of one kind or another is always present...' [Many Lives, Many Loves by Gina Cerminara; Wm Morrow and
Company, 1963; p 83] It only takes a brief look at Acts
16:16-18 to discover the source of psychic powers. Hypnosis is dangerous.
At the least, it hinders one's ability to discern the difference between real
memories and suggested/engrafted memories. Even more dangerous is the fact that
hypnosis opens the 'heart's door' (mind) to demonic invasion. If you have not
been hypnotized, don't be. If you have been hypnotized I suggest that you
renounce your association with the practice by praying -- Dear Lord, I come to
you in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. I confess that I have participated in
Hypnotism. I ask your forgiveness and renounce hypnotism as contrary to the
Bible which warns me not to be brought under any power other than yours (I
Corinthians 6:12). I identify myself as a child of God by faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ who has been redeemed by His (Christ's) precious blood.
Amen." (David L. Brown, Ph.D., The Dangers of Hypnosis)
"There shall not be found among you any one that ... useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
In their book
Hypnosis: Medical, Scientific, or Occultic? Martin and Deidre Bobgan write: "Because
of the apparent occult nature of hypnosis (which is more obvious in the deeper stages) and
because hypnosis is practiced by many who involve themselves in other areas of
the occult, Christians would be wise to avoid hypnosis even for medical
purposes. The words from the Old Testament which are translated charmers
and enchanters seem to indicate the same kinds of persons whom we now call
hypnotherapists. Dave Hunt, author ... and researcher in the area of the occult
as well as the cults, says: 'From the Biblical standpoint, I believe that in such places as
Deuteronomy 18, when it speaks of "charmers” and “enchanters,” the practice
involved anciently was exactly what has recently become acceptable in medicine
and psychiatry as hypnosis. I believe this both from the ancient usage of this
word and from occult traditions.' [Dave Hunt, personal letter to Walter Martin,
January 13, 1982, p. 5.] ... There is general agreement that hypnotized
individuals are somewhat vulnerable to uncritically accepting as true any
suggestion given by the hypnotist. This factor alone creates the potential for
misuse and deception. Some Christian researchers go a step further warning that
it is possible for hypnotized subjects to be influenced by voices other than
that of the hypnotist. They believe that in a trance state one is more
susceptible to demonic oppression or even possession especially if the subject
has a history of occult experimentation . Hypnosis can be indirectly
linked to biblical admonitions against 'charming.' It is historically
linked to pagan and occult practices. ... Just because hypnosis has surfaced in
medicine does not mean that it is different from the ancient practices of
charmers and enchanters or from those which have been used more recently by
witchdoctors and occult hypnotists. John Weldon and Zola Levitt say that even “a
strictly scientific approach toward occult phenomena is insufficient protection
against demonism. The judgment of God does not distinguish between scientific
and nonscientific involvement with powers alien to Him. [John Weldon and Zola
Levitt. Psychic Healing. Chicago: Moody Press, 1982, p. 10.] In various
sections of Scripture, occult practices are listed side by side, because
although one activity may differ from the next, the power source and the
revealer of 'hidden knowledge' is the same: Satan. Enchanters, sorcerers,
wizards, charmers, consulters of familiar spirits, necromancers, soothsayers,
and observers of times (astrologers) are grouped together as those to avoid. See
Lev. 19:26, 31, and 20:6, 27; Deut. 18:9-14; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chron. 33:6; Isa.
47:9-13; Jer. 27:9. A singular word for those practicing the occult is used in
the New Testament: sorcerer." (Martin and Deidre Bobgan, Hypnosis: Medical, Scientific, or Occultic? pp. 104-106)
"And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to
bear the sins of many ..." (Hebrews 9:27-28)
"Another
form of Hypnotherapy involves the discovery of forgotten or repressed memories.
Just as a hypnotist can effectively suggest that the subject "forget" events
that take place during the trance, he can also elicit memories or details of
events long forgotten by the conscious mind. Critics warn that these "recovered
memories" may not correspond with reality. The phenomenon is too similar to the
testimonies of those who are able to "remember" through hypnosis being abducted
by aliens on a UFO or to those who recount vivid memories of reincarnation
after being regressed back to some alleged previous lifetime (John Ankerberg,
John Weldon, Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs, pp. 334-335). Many of
the early myths of hypnosis have been disproved and the medical and mental
healthcare communities have generally accepted the practice. Many Christians,
however, remain troubled by its occult history, the lack of a scientific
consensus on how or why hypnosis works, the potential of unethical influence,
and its possible link to biblical prohibitions against "charming" or
"enchanting" (Ibid., pp. 309-310)." (From Watchman Fellowship Profile
on Hypnosis by
James K. Walker)
The following concerning hypnosis and reincarnation is
from Dave Hunt's book Occult Invasion : "There are the
studies of clinical psychologist Helen Wambach. She hypnotically regressed
hundreds of subjects into "past lives" and found them to be more than 99 percent
accurate in descriptions of life and surroundings. Hypnosis, however, involves a
highly suggestible state in which one is controlled by the hypnotist. It is
entirely reasonable to believe that a demon would take advantage of this passive
state to interject its influence as well. Hypnosis is one of the oldest occult
practices. No one should ever submit to hypnosis."
"Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." (1 Timothy
4:1)
Hypnosis is an occult practice and is condemned strongly in
Scripture. No person, let alone a born again believer, should relinquish
the soul liberty that God gave them to anyone except their Creator. Doing
so opens one up not only to the hypnotist, but to devils. Dave Hunt has
pointed out that Nobel prize winning neurophysiologist Sir John Eccles described
the human brain is "a machine that a ghost can operate."
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
Further reading on the Net:
The Dangers of Hypnosis by David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Hypnosis by James K. Walker
Hypnosis: Medical, Scientific, or Occultic? by Martin and Deidre Bobgan
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