The term 'hypnosis' is misleading. Hypnosis is derived from a Greek root word meaning sleep and is as much related to sleep as I am to George Bush. When in the hypnotic state you are not asleep, far from it, often your senses become sharpened and you have a deeper concentration and inward focus. The hypnotic state is more frequently referred to as a 'trance' and is a state we all enter into many times a day.
When reading a book or watching a film you suspend belief and really live the experience. At the same time you may be so involved, and so focussed on the film that someone could be having a conversation with you and you don't even notice (or if you are hen-pecked you pretend not to notice.)
Trance is normal, relaxing, wonderful and very useful. With a Hypnotherapist you are guided into the trance in order to resolve your physical or mental issue, and you have given the Hypnotherapist your full cooperation to proceed. The trance you slip in and out of many times daily is a very personal state. Maybe just a daydream as you look out of the window for five minutes while sipping a cup of coffee at your desk.
There is no doubt in my mind that the human mind has an incredible capacity to heal itself and the human body. I have seen it myself and know what I am talking about.
However there is a general feeling within society still that hypnosis is some kind of mind control. This is vehemently denied by the hypnotherapy community and quite right too. But....and here's the rub...I also have no doubt that we (and by 'we' I mean everybody, not just hypnotists) are actually able to use very subtle hypnotic techniques to influence others.
In the hypnotic state you are fully aware and fully in control. You will not do anything that contravenes your ethics. If, for instance, you were on a stage during a hypnotic show and the hypnotist asked you to punch another member of the audience then you wouldn't. Just because you are in a trance doesn't mean you are out of control. This is an extreme example to illustrate a point, to my knowledge no stage hypnotists would ever do this!
However if that same hypnotist asked you to walk like a chicken, well then this probably isn't something you would normally do in the street obviously, but on a stage show why not! It certainly doesn't contravene your ethics and does no harm, not until you see the video anyway.
And that is the point. You can sometimes be lead into performing an act or doing something you wouldn't ordinarily do if the environment is conducive and the language is permissive. And hypnotism has a large base in the language and words used. Believe me, salesmen and marketing folk have been using hypnotic techniques, often probably without knowing, for years to make us buy anything from a bag of sweets to a new house.
Hypnosis isn't new, it isn't dangerous (quite the opposite - it is an incredibly powerful healing tool) and it isn't witchcraft. But it can be used in subtle ways without our conscious knowledge. And this could be described as covert hypnosis. Being able to persuade people is a skill some people possess naturally and others can learn, but it is there and it is a skill we all can use.
Covert hypnosis exists, but don't let that worry you!
Wednesday 12 November 2008
Tornado Facts
Tornado Fact 1. The deadliest ever tornado was the 'Tri-State' tornado that passed through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana on March 18th 1925. During its 3½ hour life this tornado killed 695 people along its 219 mile path.
Tornado Fact 2. Tornadoes are measured and rated using the Fujita scale.
Tornado Fact 3. Tornadoes tend to occur in mid-latitudes, and as they are restricted to land masses this means mainly in the northern hemisphere.
Tornado Fact 4. Those over the US tend to be the most violent as the North American continent has a combination of warm, moist Gulf air from the south colliding with cold air travelling down from the north west, producing ideal tornado forming conditions.
Tornado Fact 5. On some days up to 20 tornadoes may be spotted in Tornado Alley- the flat country of the mid-west stretching from Texas through to Oklahoma and Kansas.
Tornado Fact 6. A wind speed of 280mph was ascribed to a tornado that hit Texas in April 1958
Tornado Fact 7. The average life-span of a tornado is approximately 15 minutes. However some can last much longer, on 26th May 1917 the Mattoon-Charleston Tornado lasted seven and a half hours and travelled 293 miles.
Tornado Fact 8. A 'super Outbreak' of tornadoes during 3rd and 4th April 1974 saw 148 individual tornadoes cross and devastate and area from Alabama to Michigan.
Tornado Fact 9. Although they can and do travel in any direction, the majority of tornadoes travel from south-west to north-east.
Tornado Fact 10. The US endures around 750 tornadoes annually.
Tornado Fact 11. Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year, although there tends to be a peak in the US in Tornado Alley during May and June.
Tornado Fact 12. Few people survive seeing the inside of a tornado vortex. Bill Keller from Kansas survived such a vortex in June 1928: "A screaming, hissing sound came directly from the end of the funnel, and when I looked up I saw right into the very heart of the tornado...it was brilliantly lit with constant flashes of lightning...around the rim of the vortex, small tornadoes were constantly breaking away and writhing their way around the funnel"
Tornado Fact 13. The inside of the funnel contains extremely low pressure equal to the pressure difference between ground level and an altitude of 4,900 feet - giving huge suction power
Tornado Fact 14. In the town of Natchez, Mississippi, in 1840 a tornado one mile wide touched down killing 48 people on land and drowning a further 269 in river boats and steam ships on the Mississippi river.
Tornado Fact 15. A waterspout is a tornado that occurs over water rather than land. However they are generally less violent, and will not move systematically northeastwards like a tornado would.
Tornado Fact 16. A bridge is not a good place to shelter from a tornado! Generally the confined space will increase the overall wind speed. This is despite well known TV footage of a news crew sheltering under a bridge. They did not receive a direct hit from the tornado and the bridge was of a rare design where they could crawl amongst the exposed girders for shelter and grip.
Tornado Fact 17. The most northerly tornado ever observed was on August 26th, 1976 at Kiana, Alaska, 54 miles north of Anchorage.
Tornado Fact 18. Well this is advice, more than fact. If you are caught out in the open by a tornado with no nearby buildings to shelter in, lie in a ditch, or lowest possible area, and protect your head and neck with your arms. Then pray.
Tornado Fact 19. Tornadoes are transparent, and appear so in the early stages of development, until dust and debris are picked up and give them colour.
Tornado Fact 20. Only 2% of tornadoes are classed as violent (F4 and F5), but these account for 70% of all tornado deaths.
Tornado Fact 21. 70% of all tornadoes are weak (F0 and F1), and account for less than 5% of all tornado deaths.
Tornado Fact 22. 50% of all fatalities from tornadoes occur amongst residents of mobile homes.
Tornado Fact 23. Hurricane Beulah spawned 115 tornadoes over Texas in September 1967.
Tornado Fact 2. Tornadoes are measured and rated using the Fujita scale.
Tornado Fact 3. Tornadoes tend to occur in mid-latitudes, and as they are restricted to land masses this means mainly in the northern hemisphere.
Tornado Fact 4. Those over the US tend to be the most violent as the North American continent has a combination of warm, moist Gulf air from the south colliding with cold air travelling down from the north west, producing ideal tornado forming conditions.
Tornado Fact 5. On some days up to 20 tornadoes may be spotted in Tornado Alley- the flat country of the mid-west stretching from Texas through to Oklahoma and Kansas.
Tornado Fact 6. A wind speed of 280mph was ascribed to a tornado that hit Texas in April 1958
Tornado Fact 7. The average life-span of a tornado is approximately 15 minutes. However some can last much longer, on 26th May 1917 the Mattoon-Charleston Tornado lasted seven and a half hours and travelled 293 miles.
Tornado Fact 8. A 'super Outbreak' of tornadoes during 3rd and 4th April 1974 saw 148 individual tornadoes cross and devastate and area from Alabama to Michigan.
Tornado Fact 9. Although they can and do travel in any direction, the majority of tornadoes travel from south-west to north-east.
Tornado Fact 10. The US endures around 750 tornadoes annually.
Tornado Fact 11. Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year, although there tends to be a peak in the US in Tornado Alley during May and June.
Tornado Fact 12. Few people survive seeing the inside of a tornado vortex. Bill Keller from Kansas survived such a vortex in June 1928: "A screaming, hissing sound came directly from the end of the funnel, and when I looked up I saw right into the very heart of the tornado...it was brilliantly lit with constant flashes of lightning...around the rim of the vortex, small tornadoes were constantly breaking away and writhing their way around the funnel"
Tornado Fact 13. The inside of the funnel contains extremely low pressure equal to the pressure difference between ground level and an altitude of 4,900 feet - giving huge suction power
Tornado Fact 14. In the town of Natchez, Mississippi, in 1840 a tornado one mile wide touched down killing 48 people on land and drowning a further 269 in river boats and steam ships on the Mississippi river.
Tornado Fact 15. A waterspout is a tornado that occurs over water rather than land. However they are generally less violent, and will not move systematically northeastwards like a tornado would.
Tornado Fact 16. A bridge is not a good place to shelter from a tornado! Generally the confined space will increase the overall wind speed. This is despite well known TV footage of a news crew sheltering under a bridge. They did not receive a direct hit from the tornado and the bridge was of a rare design where they could crawl amongst the exposed girders for shelter and grip.
Tornado Fact 17. The most northerly tornado ever observed was on August 26th, 1976 at Kiana, Alaska, 54 miles north of Anchorage.
Tornado Fact 18. Well this is advice, more than fact. If you are caught out in the open by a tornado with no nearby buildings to shelter in, lie in a ditch, or lowest possible area, and protect your head and neck with your arms. Then pray.
Tornado Fact 19. Tornadoes are transparent, and appear so in the early stages of development, until dust and debris are picked up and give them colour.
Tornado Fact 20. Only 2% of tornadoes are classed as violent (F4 and F5), but these account for 70% of all tornado deaths.
Tornado Fact 21. 70% of all tornadoes are weak (F0 and F1), and account for less than 5% of all tornado deaths.
Tornado Fact 22. 50% of all fatalities from tornadoes occur amongst residents of mobile homes.
Tornado Fact 23. Hurricane Beulah spawned 115 tornadoes over Texas in September 1967.
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