I am wondering if hypnotism sometimes gets a bad reputation from those shows where they supposedly get someone in the audience to cluck like a chicken or something.
Yes , partially. Also check out about bad hypnotherapy ... there has been a spate of exposing it over the last few years
http://bscw.rediris.es/pub/bscw.cgi..._hypnosis_inappropriately_ineptly_applied.pdf
I can't see that someone would do that against their will, if they didn't really want to.
yes, but it isnt working so much as AGAINST the will, but allowing things a freer expression that are normally repressed or controlled by will. Example, a person, under 'regression' (and by subtle masked suggestion ) may 'remember' being molested by a parent. This may be nothing more than a mild Oedipean seed that has been allowed to flower in the unconscious and come out, via hypnosis, in the 'consciousness' . An exact case like this existed in W.A. years back, after a long and horrific court case and charges against a good and innocent father, it was eventually dropped and the girls ' Hypno therapist' was found responsible for it due to the way he managed his patients while they were 'under' .
This has happened a few times !
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201211/implanting-false-memories
Also, there is an oath taken against being hypnotised in some societies initiations . It is seen as an 'impairment of the True Will' .
Although thinking about it, in an everyday sense if there is only one large piece of chocolate cake left the secret impulse might be to grab it...mine... all mine... which is held back by social conditioning. If inhibitions are down and relaxed then maybe you might just do it. on one hand you don't want to, on the other you do
Oh ... that is easily fixed. Just grab it and eat it ! If someone objects ask ...
"Why?" (and when the other says )
"If it was me, I would have been polite and left it for someone else ! " (then you can respond)
"Well, good then , someone else got it ... me ! That's what you would have wanted. "
There seems to be some historical controversy about working with Enochian Magic. According to wiki Paul Foster Case was opposed to it's use and incorporation into the Golden Dawn by MacGregor Mathers.
Yeah but PFC is a bit of a Victorian snob ..... I bet he even objected to the 'stimulation' of the magician by numerous 'assistants' and copious amounts of 'post-Victorianally pure' cocaine .
But seriously .... does he or anyone say why ? I have read that it is one of the most effective for results systems .... which, for me, I agree with.
I have just been reading something about the calls, it might have been on one of the book reviews I was looking at. That mentioned that they can be quite powerful and caution needs to be exercised. Maybe scrying the Aethyrs is a less direct route to exploring, while using Crowley's visions rather than than going headlong in yourself. This could be a possible buffer, for beginners.
Oohhh .... <wince> .... maybe just to 'read about it' , but still I find even THAT indulgent ! A bit like having to listen to the endless fantastic dreams and details of a young woman one is 'enamoured with' .
As far as the danger aspect goes - no more so than other practices ... the safety practices are not outlined within Enochian, as such, but they should be part of all magical practice and learnt first at the preliminary stage - Enochian is more advanced practice and one should have a basic magical training at least before approaching it in any serious way.
On that note ( as well as the usual structures of banishings and balances ) ;
NOTE :
http://hermetic.com/crowley/libers/lib6.html points 1 - 5 . and
" III. If this idea be any but the Supreme and Perfect idea, and the student lose control, the result is insanity, obsession, fanaticism, or paralysis and death (add addiction to gossip and incurable idleness), according to the nature of the failure. " -
http://hermetic.com/crowley/equinox/i/ii/eqi02016.html
The other thing that maybe is helpful with this is not getting too internalised with your own stuff as maybe the attempt helps widen your consciousness to take in an 'other's viewpoint. Possibly an empathy stretch... still thinking about it.
this reminds me of a carpenter or artist really loving the medium they are using and connecting with it to realise what they are creating.
yes, and also the diff between making your own 'tools' (and what you learn from doing that ) or just buying them
http://hermetic.com/crowley/libers/lib412.html
- " .. ... by his understanding and ingenium devise .... "
.