Analyzing the Principles of Hypnotherapy through the Theory of Consciousness-Only (Yogācāra)

Hypnotherapy works by guiding the person being hypnotized to descend deep into the subconscious. At this point, the defense mechanisms in the hypnotized person's subconscious are largely dismantled, so the guided healing method can easily penetrate to the subconscious level and carry out healing. In the waking state, however, because the defense mechanisms provide effective protection, it is difficult to go deep.

What this passage means is that in the waking state, the mind consciousness behaves very actively; relying on the self-grasping nature of the manas, the seventh consciousness, it can plan, scheme, strategize, and calculate gains and losses for the self, effectively protecting the so-called self, and will not allow the manas's straightforwardness and lack of scheming to come into play. When the manas grasps at self, it has a powerful tool. When the consciousness is weak, the manas loses its powerful tool for grasping self, and He manifests straightforwardness, spontaneity, childishness, primitiveness, and guidability.

During hypnosis, the mind consciousness's activities of thinking and analysis are suppressed; it cannot think, analyze, judge, design, or scheme. With no defense mechanism, it cannot submit analytical and deliberative reports to the manas, cannot guide and control the manas, and cannot serve as the manas's advisor. The manas thus loses its capacity for self-protection, and it also cannot direct the consciousness to lie in order to safeguard its own interests—whatever the facts are, the consciousness simply says they are so. At the same time, the manas can be induced by external factors: encountering goodness, it becomes good; encountering evil, it becomes evil, drifting along with the circumstances. At this point, external force can fully substitute for the consciousness in guiding the manas, allowing the manas to be changed through the inspiration and guidance of that external force. Then the self's potential can be brought into play, the mind can be stimulated, mental illnesses can be cured, and the psyche can develop healthily.

The defense mechanism is the manas, through the mind consciousness's functions of scheming, skillful means, analysis, calculation, and so on, adopting certain measures and means to protect itself. The manas itself cannot think, analyze, or plan what means need to be adopted; it must rely on the consciousness's analysis and deliberation, and only through the consciousness's strategizing can it decide how to protect itself, and then direct the six consciousnesses to protect itself.

The manas wants to protect itself in every thought, but without the help of the consciousness, He is powerless; He has no mechanism, because His wisdom is lowly—He cannot think or plan, cannot calculate. Without the consciousness's false teachings, the manas manifests as extremely straightforward: He will not lie, will not deceive people, has no schemes, no calculations, and cannot carry out so-called self-protection. The consciousness's self-defense is never apart from the manas's self-grasping; the defense plan still needs the manas's approval before it can pass, and only then can it be concretely operated and executed. If the manas has no guidance or instruction from the consciousness, the manas by itself cannot defend against anything—He cannot calculate, cannot scheme, cannot think up bad ideas, cannot cover Himself up in roundabout ways, and will act entirely according to habit, manifesting straightforwardness, appearing foolishly simple.

After hypnosis brings the consciousness into the subconscious, the manas's knowing nature and its connection with past lives become prominent, and the manas may bring forth matters from past lives. Because the manas connects to countless kalpas of past lives—He has never ceased to exist—His connection with the karmic seeds of past lives is far closer than that of the consciousness; it is just that He cannot express it, so the consciousness cannot understand these matters, and we do not know them. This is the mystery of the intervening birth. Hypnosis can reveal matters of past lives that the mind consciousness itself does not know; these are revealed by the manas. There are extremely many secrets in the manas that the consciousness generally cannot discern, and since the manas has no names and words and cannot express them Himself, the consciousness is unable to discern them.