Describe what effect(s) hypnosis has on the following areas: physical strength, memory, amnesia, pain relief, age regression, and sensory changes

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer will include that hypnosis has no more effect on physical strength than instructions that encourage a person to make his or her best effort. There is some evidence that hypnosis can enhance memory. However, it frequently increases the number of false memories as well. For this reason, many states now bar persons from testifying in court if they were hypnotized to improve their memory of a crime they witnessed. A person told not to remember something heard during hypnosis may claim not to remember but may be nothing more than a deliberate attempt to avoid thinking about specific ideas. However, brief memory loss of this type actually does seem to occur. Hypnosis can relieve pain and is especially useful when chemical painkillers are ineffective, such as with phantom limb pain. Given the proper suggestions, some hypnotized people appear to "regress" to childhood. However, most theories now believe that "age­regressed" subjects are only acting out a suggested role. Hypnotic suggestions concerning sensations are among the most effective. It is possible to alter color vision, hearing sensitivity, time sense, perception of illusions, and smell.