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Hypnosis is Demonic
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John Henry
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Jan 25, 2007 15:39 PST
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HYPNOSIS
Compiled by John Henry
Mesmerism
was 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).
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
"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."
"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or
his daughter to pass through the fire, or 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 ..." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
Ii their book
The Bible and Hypnosis 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."
"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)
Hope this helps,
John Henry
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