The Roman Catholic Church issued statements approving the use of hypnosis. In 1847, a decree from the Sacred Congregation of The Holy Office stated, “Having removed all misconceptions, foretelling of the future, explicit or implicit invocation of the devil, the use hypnosis is indeed merely an act of making use of physical media that are otherwise licit and hence it is not morally forbidden provided it does not tend toward an illicit end or toward anything depraved.”

The late Pope Pius give his approval of hypnotherapy. He stated that the use of hypnosis by health care professionals for diagnosis and treatment is permitted. In an address from the Vatican on hypnosis during childbirth given in 1956, the Pope gave these guidelines:

1. Hypnotism is a serious matter, and not something to be dabbled in.
2. In its scientific use, the precautions dictated by both science and morality are to be used.
3. Under the aspect of anesthesia, it is governed by the same principles as other forms of anesthesia.

This is to say that the rules of good medicine apply to the use of hypnotherapy.
Some in the Christian Church oppose hypnosis because the say it has been used by the occult, yet prayer has also been used for occultist purposes.

The fact is, everything can be used for good or evil. There are some lawyers, chiropractors, and physicians who can work wonders while others who can cause much harm. Doesn’t it make the most sense to choose the most ethical doctors to use the most powerful tools in the most constructive ways to achieve the greatest results?

Others in the Christian Church oppose hypnotherapy because they believe it is a form of mind control. Yes, it is true that is a form of mind control but is one that returns powerful control back to the person undergoing hypnosis. Without hypnotherapy, the subconscious habits control us. Hypnosis helps allow the patient is able to regain control of limiting thoughts, beliefs, and habits that were unconsciously acquired over their lifetime in a way that enables them to regain control of their emotional or physical condition.

Hypnotherapy is very safe. People will not do or say anything in the trance that they would not normally do or say in their normal waking state as can be seen in the following examples:

There is a story about Milton Erickson telling his secretary that he was wanted to rest so if anyone called, she was to tell them he is out of the office. She agreed to do this. Several days later Dr. Erickson put his secretary into a hypnotic state. When he made the same request she responded that she could not. When asked “Why,” she responded, “Because it would be a lie.” She had stronger morals under hypnosis than in her normal waking state.

I have a friend who is an excellent hypnotic subject. Because of this, most hypnotists chose her for their demonstrations. One day she did a demo on being a human bridge in which she was lying face up between two chairs while someone stood on her abdomen. This was highly successful. Prior to bringing her out of the trance, however, she was given the suggestion that upon awakening she would cluck like a chicken. Because this was something she would not do in her waking state, she did not come out of trance for several minutes. It wasn’t until the hypnotist reversed this suggestion that she was able to pop right out of the trance.

If you would like to regain powerful control of your mind in a way that is safe and effective and has been approved by the Pope and The Roman Catholic Church and can be beneficial to your emotional and physical well-being, you may wish to explore the studies on the efficacy of hypnosis.

Disclaimer: All information provided by Dr. Bloom is for educational purposes only It is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure any disease or injury. Individual results may vary. No results are guaranteed.