HYPNOSIS, TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE

Hypnosis has its origin from the Greek word 'hupnos' meaning sleep. The apt definition for hypnosis is: 'Hypnosis is a state of human consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestions.' The hypnotised one falls into a trance that is different from the conscious level of the normal one. Normally the hypnotised person acts as per the suggestion by the hypnotist ignoring all other things around. During hypnotic state the subject see, smell, feel and other perception, sensation, emotion, thought and behaviour are as guided by the hypnotist. Hypnosis can also be said as a mode of communication without the involvement of the conventional means. However it is still a controversial subject in science.

Another method of nonconventional communication is Telepathy. Telepathy too has its origin from tele + Greek  pathia. It means, distant perception. In parapsychology telepathy is considered to be a form of ESP.  Telepathy is a mind to mind communication without the application of known senses. While some societies have accepted this as a human faculty others believe it as a special ability generally belonging to mystics. Two people think or say the same thing at the same time is something that is experienced by most of us. Sigmund Freud termed telepathy a regressive and primitive faculty that was lost in the course of evolution, but which still had the ability to manifest itself. However, despite many arguments to support the existence of telepathy there is no much evidence available to reasonably substantiate the phenomenon does exist.

Clairvoyance is another method of communication from the purview outside the modern science. This is derived from the French words Clair and Vayance meaning clear vision. This so called ability is to perceive beyond normal senses. A clairvoyant is believed to have ability to have knowledge about people, things, places etc through ESP. This is said to be a paranormal ability to see people or events beyond the reach of time and space. In Jainism, the text 'Sarvarthasidhi' speaks extensively about clairvoyance. Early studies shows cases where patients during treatments go into trance and giving diagnosis and prescription for own disease and for others. Modern science has so far not recognised clairvoyance as any form of science. The scientific community consider this as hallucination, fraud, self delusion, wishful thinking etc. There is also a belief that a clairvoyant gets a symbolic image in the mind and interpret the same into real occurance.

All these three modes of communication have so far not been recognised as any branch of science. Unless we study something in minute details we can neither accept nor reject the same. If these are found to have some positive factors these could be effectively applied for unexplored area of communication. As such these should be included in the curriculum of at least by some selected universities so that students get opportunities to study these extensively.

KV George