AccordingThere are, broadly speaking, two types of hypnosis: passive hypnosis, and command or authoritative hypnosis. Hypnosis, properly administered by skilled practitioners, has its proper place in psychiatric practice, and, in suitable cases, produces beneficial results. In the practice of medicine the type of hypnosis generally used is passive; the patient is allowed to, and helped to, go into hypnosis entirely voluntarily, and the hypnotist plays a completely passive role. This technique is quite the reverse of authoritative or command hypnosis, where the hypnotist assumes positive authoritative control over the patient who, though he may or may not be aware of what techniques the practitioner is practising on him, is nevertheless under the domination of the hypnotist pursuant to positive commands.

The Anderson Report firmly concluded that most scientology and dianetic techniques are those of authoritative hypnosis and as such are dangerous.

According to Josie Hadley and Carol Staudacher, co-authors of Hypnosis for Change, Third Edition, there are specific problem areas for which hypnosis is not well suited...the person who has unrealistic expectations, the borderline personality, and the psychotic.

The person who has unrealistic expectations:

This is a person who believes that hypnosis/scientology is a magic cure-all. Most, if not all, scientologists seem to fall within this category.

The borderline personality:

Manifestations of Borderline Behavior

• Idealizes and quickly attaches to other individuals
• Quickly and inexplicably transfers loyalties from one person to another without justification
• Mirrors behaviors deemed acceptable by the object of idealization
• Withdraws feelings of love and affection from significant other when having to deal with a family crisis
• Has experienced repeated episodes of dysphoria, each precipitated by a perceived threat, shame, or embarrassment
• Projects blame onto others instead of accepting responsibility for his behavior
• Doesn’t have a clearly defined sense of self or a clearly defined set of beliefs
• Needs to be in a relationship in order to have the sense of focus that comes from the false sense of self acquired from the other person.
• Dissociates from his past
• Uses work and lists as methods to avoid having to deal with painful feelings and emotions.
• Thoughts and perceptions are severely cognitively distorted and he feels that anyone who doesn’t think as he does is simply out to deceive him.
• He’s totally irrational and unreasonable refusing to break out of his delusion, which has now become his reality.

Borderlines may need to feel in control of other people because they feel so out of control with themselves. In addition, they may be trying to make their own world more predictable and manageable. People with BPD may unconsciously try to control others by putting them in no-win situations, creating chaos that no one else can figure out, or accusing others of trying to control them. Conversely, some people with BPD may cope with feeling out of control by giving up their own power; for example, they may choose a lifestyle where all choices are made for them, such as the military or a cult, or they may align themselves with abusive people who try to control them through fear.

The Psychotic:

This is a person suffering from severe thought or mood disorders. It is imperative that the hypnotherapist be a skilled professional with a wealth of experience. Scientology auditors and field ministers aren't even aware that what they are doing is hypnosis and therefore are not trained to properly deal with problems that may arise.

Hypnosis used as the sole treatment of serious disorders may either intensify the existing condition, or have no effect at all.

One can easily deduce that someone with a pre-existing serious mental disorder is very much at risk under the influence of cult indoctrination and practices, and it has been shown how very much more damaged they may become by being given a thought disorder by a group that conforms to a prior tendency to this sort of thinking disability.