Are we living in a hypnotized state?
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We may indeed experience states resembling hypnosis in everyday life. According to experts such as and , our perception and cognitive states often reflect characteristics of a hypnotic or dream state.
explains that hypnosis is a state of highly focused attention with reduced peripheral awareness, much like getting engrossed in a good movie or becoming deeply absorbed in work, where one loses track of time and surroundings 1. This intense focus can happen naturally and allows cognitive flexibility and dissociation from one's usual mental framework, enabling new perspectives and profound mental and physical effects 1 2.
In discussing the subjective nature of our experience, argues that we essentially live in a dream state because our brains continually make best guesses about our sensory input, leading to a reality that is subjective and often counterintuitive 3.
In essence, while we may not be "hypnotized" in the traditional sense, our brains often operate in states akin to hypnosis or dreams, shaped by focused attention and subjective perception.
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