I may be misreading your post. I had a hard time digesting it and focusing on it.

Different theories (such as theories of learning) also exist within the realm of hypnosis/ hypnotherapy. In one way, you may believe that everything in life is hypnosis. We go through different states of consciousness throughout our day. When a person undergoes hypnosis, it is for the purpose of something (entertainment, healing, changing habits, etc). What is achieved in these sessions will indeed reflect the intentions.


Associations are made as a way of learning. Look up Pavlov's dogs. We can train ourselves (and maybe others) to make associations both positive and negative. It's important to remember that we are not dogs.

I am a certified hypnotherapist (heart-centered hypnotherapy) and use hypnosis in combination with other therapy modalities in order to facilitate healing. Indeed associations have been formed through our lives as ways of learning. For instance, part of what I do is to assist people in identifying where certain emotions are stored in their bodies (body memories) and tracing the associated memory events as a way to show patterns and to heal the source of the issue. The healing is not an image and it is not something that is 'fooling' the person into becoming well. It brings things into light.

More on associations and this form of hypnotherapy. Another tool that I use is a 'body cue' which IS an association. Such a cue as bringing the finger and thumb together or placing one hand inside the other is a form of grounding a person to a certain resource state. However, there is really nothing extremely unique in this from any other type of grounding.
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Something to remember is that things that are learned (in hypnotherapy and in life) are adaptive. For instance, if we have learned to isolate ourselves and to keep others out, this was an adaptive way at one time of keeping ourselves safe (most likely no longer adaptive later in life). Sometimes we adapt by compartmentalizing and breaking off into parts or checking out of our bodies... again, no longer adaptive. So these things are maladaptive now and are hurting us but at the time, they were adaptive and they were learned.

I don't think of evil in quite the same way that you do but... if at some time playing in your dark side was adaptive, the that is where you were at that time. I guess that I don't judge that type of thing... but when whatever it was that made that adaption necessary is healed, the darkness doesn't really need to be explored anymore. When you find yourself, you find the light.

btw... you will not be manipulated to do something that you consider evil. Hearing someone cough, makes you subconsciously become aware of the feeling in your throat, etc. This is why maybe several people cough but still others do not. A yawn is even worse! But a yawn and a cough are not against anyone's ethical code of living. We are not giving credence enough to a person's values. In order for a person to commit an act that they otherwise would not (see Hitler), they must justify it under their current belief system. This means lying to themselves or being deceived in this type of way. I don't think that physiological desires are evil but they are sometimes maladaptive. :) Taking out the 'good' and 'evil' can sometimes be beneficial in understanding things more clearly. It is adaptive or maladaptive.