Is it against the Bible to be hypnotized?

Answer 1

One Contributors opinion

The Bible tells us to submit our minds to God, not to a hypnotist. Hypnotism is an occult science and can lead to demon possession. The Bible says "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" in Philippians 2:5, and also, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." in Philippians 4:8. In hypnotism, you do not control your thoughts, you let someone else control your mind. That is against what the Bible teaches us to do with our minds.

Another Contributors opinion

I have to disagree with this. Hypnosis is not demonic. It does not lead to demon possession. The hypnotist does not control you when you are in hypnosis. You are in hypnosis all the time.....the TV, the movies etc. So does the bible say that you can't watch movies or TV? Don't you watch these? What about driving a car? Do you drive a car and forget how you got there? You are in hypnosis. When you read you are in hypnosis. Have you fallen in love before? You are in hypnosis. Are these spoken against in the bible? When you go to school do you think you are not in hypnosis? How about when you go to a sermon at your church? Do you think the pastor does not hypnotize you by repetition, by making you sing, by preaching to you over and over and over again. Making you read passages form the Bible over and over and over again. The more you do it the more you believe it. Come on lets get real. The bible is not meant to be taken absolutely literally. It is full of metaphors left to the interpretation of the reader - that is exactly what hypnosis is metaphors left for the interpretation of the person receiving it. If hypnosis is so bad then how come it helps so many people. So what is the real difference? There is none.

An opinion:

"Hypnotize: 1. Put somebody into hypnosis: to put somebody into a state of hypnosis. 2. Fascinate: to fascinate or charm somebody utterly. Synonyms: fascinate, mezmerize, spellbind, entrance, enthrall, compel, absorb."

"Hypnotize" is what the "Serpent" did to Eve.

The "nachash"... translated "serpent" in the KJV from its "hiss" is more like a "whispering enchanter." Evidently, he spoke to Eve in a soft whispering voice of "secrecy" conveying an air of intimacy between them. He was the epitome of the "traveling salesman" [selling his 'merchandise' - Ezek.28:16]. He sowed seeds of doubt in her heart that God was holding back the truth from her... not telling her everything. The subliminal message was that 'God can't be trusted... trust in me.'

"'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God..." (Gen.3:4-5 NIV)

Satan [that 'old serpent' - Rev.12:9] "fascinated" Eve. He hypnotized her. He mezmerized her... entranced her, enthralled her, compelled her... spellbound her.

The human mind is easily influenced from any number of directions... the five physical human senses are easily desceived. TV, commercials, ads, public speaking, and more, are geared to entrancing, compelling and initiating a response in those "mezmerized" by their messages.

The gospels are filled with instances of people "possessed" of unclean spirits. Jesus cast them out of people right and left, it seems, as commonly as we take our next breath.

The human spirit is subject to them. Some people "dabble" in spiritual pursuits, seemingly asking for trouble. Others are mezmerized without any conscious thought. Most people aren't aware that anything's going on at all.

Drugs can dull and open the mind to hypnotic influences, also... and hamper one's ability to fight them.

The "business" of hypnosis, from an individual's perspective, is a conscious decision on the part of a person to allow someone else to "take over" their spirit [intellect]... to clinically dull their mind. It's a willing surrender of one's sovereignty... also opening the mind up to outside influences, demonic or otherwise.

Being "hypnotized" isn't "against" the Bible. It's recorded in the Bible to be a fact of human nature. The human mind is naturally subject to it... unless one is aware of it and subsequently able and/or prepared to fight it... or "overcome" it [ideally, through the power of God].

From another contributor:

Hypnosis is not against the bible or God. Stop relying on misinformation from people who do not understand hypnosis. and get educated about the subject. Fear of the unknown is the real enemy. Here is the Catholic Churches official stance on hypnosis that was established back in the 1950's.

Catholic Church Stance on Hypnosis:

From the allocution to doctors by Pope Pius XII in 1957 which directly references the medical use of hypnosis and his allocution from 1956. Excerpt below:

3. HYPNOSIS

But consciousness can also be affected by artificial means. That one may obtain this result by the application of narcotics or by hypnosis (which one can call a psychic analgesic) that does not make any essential difference in the moral point of view. Hypnosis however, even considered only in itself, is subject to certain rules. may We be allowed on this matter to recall Our short allusion to the medical use of hypnosis which We made at the beginning of the allocution of January 8, 1956 on painless natural childbirth.

The issue which occupies us now concerns hypnosis practiced for clinical purposes by the doctor, while keeping the precautions that medical science and ethics require from the Doctor Who employs it as well as from the patient who subjects himself to it. On this given use of hypnosis, will apply the moral judgment, which We will formulated on the suppression of consciousness.

But we do not want that We extend purely and simply to hypnosis in general what We are saying on hypnosis at the service of the doctor. This, in as much as it is a scientific object of research, cannot be studied by any person indiscrimately, but only by a serious scientist within the moral boundaries valid for any scientific activity. It is not the case of any circle of laymen or ecclesiastics, who would occupy themselves with it as with interesting subject by way of pure experiment, or even by simple pastime.

END EXCERPT

Catholic Answers apologist Jimmy Akin also had a fairly good article with his view of the Catholic thinking on hypnotism in his blog.