Hypnotists create book stores. Or Neuroscientists. I think that's the reason that books stores exist for book junkies like myself. I walk into one to purchase a journal for K's friend who's leaving for Europe, and I get all googly-eyed and drooly over the smell and look of all of the books I haven't read. The scent of new ink and 60% post-consumer recycled paper must release endorphins into my brain. I'm like one of those lab rats who can either get a pellet of food by tapping one paddle or getting a shot of drugs or an electrical charge by hitting another until I'm so doped up that I don't want to leave, and then I begin to ignore eating altogether. I get excited about the stories I know nothing about. It's an irrational sensation, and I understand this, but it does not take away from the fact that I'm launched into an adolescent-in-a-candystore mentality. Maybe it's just me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I drink too much coffee in a day. Which is possible. I even have about 30 books on my shelf that haven't been read, so I really don't need any extra books right now (or anytime soon)... does that prevent me from lusting after these paper-and-ink morsels? Methinks, uhh... not so much.
I'm glad I warned people that this blog doesn't have much of importance on it... it's always best to keep expectations low to prevent disappointment.
2 comments:
I hear you dude - bookstores kill me. It's my one guilty addiction. Luckily I've (mostly) shifted to buying books secondhand, which is a bit less $$$. Well, at least it doesn't wreck your liver or give you cancer, so I guess that you should just embrace it as one of the healthier addictions.
A typical dictionary definition of hypnosis states that it is: a state that resembles sleep but that is induced by suggestion. However, anyone who has tried hypnosis (and any self respecting hypnotist) will tell you that this is a very simplistic view of the subject!
A much better description comes from the Free Online Dictionary which states that hypnosis is: an artificially induced state of consciousness, characterised by heightened suggestibility and receptivity to direction. So what does this mean and how can it be used to your advantage?
Well, the subject of hypnosis has been discussed and pondered since the late 1700s. Many explanations and theories have come and gone though science, however, has yet to supply a valid and well-established definition of how it actually happens. It's fairly unlikely that the scientific community will arrive at a definitive explanation for hypnosis in the near future either, as the untapped resources of our 'mostly' uncharted mind still remain something of a mystery.
However, the general characteristics of hypnosis are well documented. It is a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, deep relaxation and heightened imaginative functioning. It's not really like sleep at all, because the subject is alert the whole time. It is most often compared to daydreaming, or the feeling you get when you watch a movie or read a captivating book. You are fully conscious, but you tune out most of the outside world. Your focus is concentrated intensely on the mental processes you are experiencing - if movies didn't provide such disassociation with everyday life and put a person in a very receptive state then they would not be as popular (nor would TV advertising be as effective!). Have you ever stated that a film wasn't great because you just couldn't 'get into it'???
This works very simply; while daydream or watching a movie, an imaginary world becomes almost real to you because it fully engages your emotional responses. Such mental pursuits will on most occasions cause real emotional responses such as fear, sadness or happiness (have you ever cried at a sad movie, felt excited by a future event not yet taken place or shivered at the thought of your worst fear?).
It is widely accepted that these states are all forms of self-hypnosis. If you take this view you can easily see that you go into and out of mild hypnotic states on a daily basis - when driving home from work, washing the dishes, or even listening to a boring conversation. Although these situations produce a mental state that is very receptive to suggestion the most powerful time for self-change occurs in the trance state brought on by intentional relaxation and focusing exercises. This deep hypnosis is often compared to the relaxed mental state between wakefulness and sleep.
In this mental state, people feel uninhibited and relaxed and they release all worries and doubts that normally occupy their mind. A similar experience occurs while you are daydreaming or watching the TV. You become so involved in the onscreen antics
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