Faith Healing and Hypnosis

The Washington State Supreme Court is going to hear the appeal of two parents convicted of homicide after opting for prayer over medical care when their daughter was dying of undiagnosed diabetes. In the same state another family prayed for their son who had a ruptured appendix, rather than taking him to a doctor. Their son died. Washington State law allows treatment by a “duly accredited Christian Science practitioner in lieu of medical care,” but atto
eys for the family, which belong to the Church of the First Born, argued that they were not being treated equally under the law. They want to change the law to allow more people to allow people to die while they wait for the healing power of prayer. Many people faced with a serious or debilitating illness will consider supe
atural healing or faith healing as an option. The mind is a very powerful tool for change in a body, but does it hold the power to heal? Millions of people believe it does. What is faith healing? “Faith healing means healing that takes place based on unconditional belief into healing, “says Elena Beloff.

Elena Beloff is a Certified Clinical Hypnotist and Master NLP Practitioner and a filmmaker. She is writing a book and directing a documentary about hypnosis. She hopes to educate people about its uses and to dispel myths and stereotypes that people associate with hypnosis. I spoke with Elena Beloff, a filmmaker and Certified Hypnotist who has been making a thorough study of hypnosis for an upcoming book and documentary. She told me “Faith healing works on a person's belief in healing. It is placebo. The difference between placebo and faith healing is what I would call an agent that causes that faith or belief into healing. For example, in placebo experiments the agent would be a sugar pill or something similar, and in faith healing cases that agent would be a healer. In other words, a person associates their healing with the power of the pill or `special power’ of the healer. In reality they cause their own healing with their belief into it. Their mind causes it. The mind has an incredible ability to cause transformation, when you unconditionally believe in what you desire. Some people need gurus or healers to help them believe in what they want, others can set their mind to it themselves, other uses self-hypnosis.“

Faith healing and hypnosis are very similar in how they work. They both use the power of belief. However, Beloff explains “professional hypnotists do not claim to possess special powers or any form of divinity. Clinical hypnotists help clients unlock the power within their clients’ subconscious. Hypnotists induce trance and use positive affirmations which they repeat to clients during that state of trance. It becomes clearer in their mind and they accept the new information. Being guided through the visualization of desired goals while in trance can enhance the belief in positive change. When the mind sees and feels what it has been programmed to want to achieve it will do whatever is possible to achieve it.”

Elena Beloff is available for sessions, for more information visit www.insidehypnosis.com.