Just Relax Reading Answers

Jan 28, 2023

Just Relax Reading Answers contains sample answers about hypnosis and hypnotism. Just Relax Reading Answers comprising 14 different types of questions. IELTS Just Relax Reading Answers contains three types of questions, namely- choose suitable heading, complete the notes and choose the correct letter. Candidates are required to go through the IELTS Reading passage and decide which heading belongs to which paragraph from the given list of headings. Candidates are supposed to complete the notes on the history of hypnosis using no more than three words from the passage. For the last set of questions, candidates are required to choose the correct letter from the given list of options. To gain proficiency, candidates can practise from the IELTS Reading practice papers

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Just Relax Reading Answers

Hypnosis is an intriguing and fascinating process. A trance-like mental state is induced in one person by another, who appears to have the power to command that person to obey instructions without question. Hypnotic experiences were described by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, whilst references to deep sleep and anaesthesia have been found in the Bible and in the Jewish Talmud. In the mid-1700s, Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician, developed his theory of 'animal magnetism', which was the belief that the cause of disease was the 'improper distribution of invisible magnetic fluids'. Mesmer used water tubs and magnetic wands to direct these supposed fluids to his patients. In 1784, a French commission studied Mesmer's claims, and concluded that these 'cures' were only imagined by the patients. However, people continued to believe in this process of 'mesmerism' and it was soon realised that successful results could be achieved, but without the need for magnets and water.
The term hypnotism was first used by James Braid, a British physician who studied suggestion and hypnosis in the mid-1800s. He demonstrated that hypnosis differed from sleep, that it was a physiological response and not the result of secret powers. During this same period, James Esdaile, a Scottish doctor working in India, used hypnotism instead of anaesthetic in over 200 major surgical operations, including leg amputations. Later that century, a French neurologist, Jean Charcot, successfully experimented with hypnosis in his clinic for nervous disorders.
Since then, scientists have shown that the state of hypnosis is a natural human behaviour, which can affect psychological, social and/or physical experiences. The effects of hypnotism depend on the ability, willingness and motivation of the person being hypnotised. Although hypnosis has been compared to dreaming and sleepwalking, it is not actually related to sleep. It involves a more active and intense mental concentration of the person being hypnotised. Hypnotised people can talk, write, and walk about and they are usually fully aware of what is being said and done.
There are various techniques used to induce hypnosis. The best known is a series of simple suggestions repeated continuously in the same tone of voice. The subject is instructed to focus their attention on an object or fixed point, while being told to relax, breathe deeply, and allow the eyelids to grow heavy and close. As the person responds, their state of attention changes, and this altered state often leads to other changes. For example, the person may experience different levels of awareness, consciousness, imagination, memory and reasoning or become more responsive to suggestions. Additional phenomena may be produced or eliminated such as blushing, sweating, paralysis, muscle tension or anaesthesia. Although these changes can occur with hypnosis, none of these experiences is unique to it. People who are very responsive to hypnosis are also more responsive to Suggestions when they are not hypnotised. This responsiveness increases during hypnotism. This explains why hypnosis takes only a few seconds for some, whilst other people cannot be easily hypnotised,
It is a common misunderstanding that hypnotists are able to force people to perform criminal or any other acts against their will. In fact, subjects can resist suggestions, and they retain their ability to distinguish right from wrong. This misunderstanding is often the result of public performances where subjects perform ridiculous or highly embarrassing actions at the command of the hypnotist. These people are usually instructed not to recall their behaviour after re-emerging from the hypnotic state, so it appears that they were powerless while hypnotised. The point to remember, however, is that these individuals chose to participate, and the success; of hypnotism depends on the willingness of a person to be hypnotised.
Interestingly, there are different levels of hypnosis achievable. Thus deep hypnosis can be induced to allow anaesthesia for surgery, childbirth or dentistry. This contrasts to a lighter state of hypnosis, which deeply relaxes the patient who will then follow simple directions. This latter state may be used to treat mental health problems, as it allows patients to feel calm while simultaneously thinking about distressing feelings or painful memories. Thus patients can learn new responses to situations or come up with solutions to problems. This can help recovery from psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression or phobias. Sometimes, after traumatic incidents, memory of the events may be blocked. For example, some soldiers develop amnesia [loss of memory] as a result of their experiences during wartime. Through hypnosis these repressed memories can be retrieved and treated. A variation of this treatment involves age regression, when the hypnotist takes the patient back to a specific age. In this way patients may remember events and feelings from that time, which may be affecting their current well-being.
Physicians also have made use of the ability of a hypnotised person to remain in a given position for long periods of time. In one case, doctors had to graft skin onto a patient's badly damaged foot. First, skin from the person's abdomen was grafted onto his arm; then the graft was transferred to his foot. With hypnosis, the patient held his arm tightly in position over his abdomen for three weeks, then over his foot for four weeks. Even though these positions were unusual, the patient at no time felt uncomfortable!
Hypnosis occasionally has been used with witnesses and victims of crime to enable people to remember important clues, such as a criminal's physical appearance or other significant details that might help to solve a crime. However, as people can. both lie and make mistakes while hypnotised, the use of hypnotism in legal situations can cause serious problems. Also hypnosis cannot make a person divulge secret information if they don't want to. This was confirmed by the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association, which, in 1985 reported that memories refreshed through hypnosis may include inaccurate information, false memories, and confabulation (fact and fantasy combined).

Section 2

Solution with Explanation
Questions 14-18:
The passage has eight sections A-H. Choose the most suitable heading for sections B-F from the list of headings below. Write the appropriate numbers (i-ix) in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

NB: There are more headings than sections, so you will not use all of them.

List of headings: I. Use of hypnotism in criminal cases II. The normality of hypnotised subjects' behaviour III. Early medical experiments with hypnotism IV. Early association of hypnosis with psychology V. Dangers of hypnotism VI. How to hypnotise VII. Hypnosis and free will VIII. Difference between mesmerism and hypnotism IX. Therapeutic uses of hypnosis

Section B

Answer: iii
Supporting Sentence: "The term hypnotism was first used by James Braid, a British physician who studied suggestions in the mid-1800s. He demonstrated that hypnosis differed from sleep."
Keywords: hypnotism, 1800, hypnosis
Keywords Location: Paragraph B, the first line
Explanation: As per paragraph B, British physician James Braid initially coined the term hypnotism in the middle of the 1800s when researching suggestions. He provided evidence that hypnosis was distinct from sleep. The article states that James Braid, a British physician who studied suggestions in the middle of the 1800s, coined the term "hypnotism" in the early stages. He offered evidence demonstrating the distinction between hypnosis and sleep. In the text, the author also discusses the earliest hypnosis trials. So, we draw the conclusion that this paragraph relates to the early study of hypnosis in medicine.

Section C

Answer: ii
Supporting Sentence: "The state of hypnosis is a natural human behaviour, which can affect psychological, social and/or physical experience.”
Keywords: natural, human behaviour, psychological, social, physical experience
Keywords Location: Paragraph C, the first line
Explanation:According to paragraph C, hypnosis is a normal human behaviour that can have an impact on one's psychological, social, and/or physical experiences. As per author, hypnosis is a normal human behaviour that can have an effect on one's psychological, social, and/or physical experiences. Given that hypnosis is a typical human behaviour, this assertion suggests that the behaviour of the hypnotised patient is being analysed in this paragraph.

Section D

Answer: vi
Supporting Sentence: “There are various techniques used to induce hypnosis."
Keywords: hypnosis, techniques, induce
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, the first line
Explanation: The use of several hypnotic induction techniques is mentioned in paragraph D. According to the author, there are various techniques used to induce hypnosis. The fact that numerous hypnosis treatments are suggested in this line leads us to believe that hypnosis is the subject of this paragraph.

Section E

Answer: vii
Supporting Sentence: “It is a common misunderstanding that hypnotists are able to force people to perform criminal or any other acts against their will.”
Keywords: hypnotists, criminal, subjects, ability
Keywords Location: Paragraph E, the first line
Explanation: It is a prevalent misconception that hypnotists may make people do crimes or other against their will, as per paragraph E. There is a myth that hypnosis induces criminal behaviour. In actuality, individuals can still distinguish between good and evil and reject ideas. This evidence suggests that the topic of this verse is hypnosis. As per the passage, the phrase "retain ability to differentiate right from wrong" refers to the fact that hypnosis does not impede free choice.

Section F

Answer: ix
Supporting Sentence: "This latter state may be used to treat mental health problems, as it allows patients to feel calm while simultaneously thinking about distressing feelings or painful memories."
Keywords: relaxes, mental health problems, feel calm
Keywords Location: Paragraph F, 3rd line
Explanation: The latter stage may be employed to address mental health issues, according to paragraph F. Because it enables patients to reflect about upsetting emotions or sad memories while remaining calm. Thus, according to the author, hypnosis was employed to treat mental health issues. The paragraph also discusses different therapies and the discomfort brought on by unpleasant recollections. Hypnosis therefore had therapeutic purposes.

Questions 19-23:
Complete the notes on the history of hypnosis using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

References to hypnotism can be found in both the Talmud and The 19......

Answer: Bible
Supporting Sentence: "references to deep sleep and anesthesia have been found in the Bible and in Jewish Talmud".
Keywords: anesthesia, bible, Jewish Talmud
Keywords Location: Paragraph A, 3rd line
Explanation: As per paragraph A, the Jewish Talmud and the Bible both make mention of anaesthesia and deep slumber. As a result, it can be seen that the Bible makes mention of hypnosis as well.

Even when Mesmer's 20..... were not used, successful results occurred without them.

Answer: Magnets and Water
Supporting Sentence: "people continued to believe in this process of 'mesmerism' and it was soon realised that successful results could be achieved, but without need for magnets and water.”
Keywords: mesmerism, process, successful results
Keywords Location: Paragraph A, last line
Explanation:People continued to have faith in this mesmerising process, according to paragraph A. It became rapidly apparent that successful outcomes could be achieved without the use of water and magnets. This indicates that Mesmer could employ mesmerism successfully without the aid of water or magnets.

Braid identified hypnosis as a natural 21..... response, rather than magical or mystical. Early psychological studies showed the difference between sleep and hypnosis.

Answer: Physiological/human
Supporting Sentence: “he demonstrated that hypnosis differed from sleep, that it was a physiological response and not the result of secret powers.”
Keywords: hypnosis, differed, sleep, physiological response
Keywords Location: Paragraph B, 2nd line
Explanation: It was established that hypnosis was distinct from sleep, as stated in paragraph B. It also proved that it was a physiological reaction and not the product of undiscovered abilities. Hypnosis, in Braid's view, is not a special talent. In its place, it is an intrinsic physiological response.

Successful hypnosis requires the subject's active 22......

Answer: (mental) Concentration
Supporting Sentence: "it involves a more active and intense mental concentration of the person being hypnotised."
Keywords: active, intense, person, hypnotised
Keywords Location: Paragraph C, 4th line
Explanation:The subject of the hypnosis is said to engage in a more active and intense mental attention in paragraph C. We can infer from the term that the author is arguing that successful hypnosis requires active mental focus.

Consequently subjects can speak or move around and are 23..... of their surroundings.

Answer: (fully) aware
Supporting Sentence: “hypnotised people can talk, write, and walk about, and they are usually fully aware of what is being said and done."
Keywords: talk, write, walk, hypnotised
Keywords Location: Paragraph C, last line
Explanation: People who are hypnotised can talk, write, and move around, and they are typically completely aware of what is being said and done, according to paragraph C. The fact that hypnotised people may move or act normally suggests that they are completely aware of their surroundings.

Questions 24-28:
Choose the correct letter A-D. Write the correct answers in boxes 24-28 on your answer sheet.

In order to induce hypnosis, the hypnotist will

encourage the person to relax using a repetitively even tone of voice.
say a specific set of words in a special tone of voice.
say any words but in a particular tone of voice.
encourage the person to relax while focussing on a slowly moving object.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: "the best-known is a series of simple suggestions repeated continuously in the same tone of voice."
Keywords: best known, continuously, tone, voice
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, 2nd line
Explanation: As per paragraph D, the most well-known technique is a sequence of straightforward ideas that are repeatedly repeated in the same tonality. For this reason, for hypnosis to be successful, the hypnotist must relax and speak in a steady, even tone. So, the right answer is option A.

Hypnotised subjects can be instructed to ...

do something they have previously said is against their wishes.
demonstrate physical strength they would normally not have.
reveal confidential information against their will.
do something that they would not normally be opposed to doing.

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: "as the person responds, their state of attention changes and this altered state often leads to other changes.”
Keywords: attention, altered, changes, respond
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, 4th line
Explanation: According to paragraph D, a person's attentional state changes as they respond, and this altered state frequently causes further modifications. In this line, the word "altered state" implies that individuals in hypnosis will behave in a way that they would ordinarily find unacceptable. Therefore, the right answer is option D.

Past events are recalled under hypnosis ...

to entertain the hypnotist.
to allow subjects to reassess them without distress.
to help the subjects improve their memories.
to make the subject feel younger.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: "it allows patients to feel calm while simultaneously thinking about distressing feelings or painful memories."
Keywords: allows, calm, simultaneous, distressing
Keywords Location: Paragraph F, 4th line
Explanation: According to paragraph F, it enables patients to experience calmness even as they are thinking about upsetting emotions or sad memories. This claim argues that hypnosis makes it possible to assess difficult feelings without getting anxious. Hence, the right answer is option B.

After surgery, hypnosis may be used....

to make drugs unnecessary.
to keep the patient mobile.
to make the patient forget to move.
to minimise patient's discomfort while immobile.

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: “even though these positions were unusual, the patient at no time felt uncomfortable."
Keywords: unusual, uncomfortable, patient
Keywords Location: Paragraph G, last line
Explanation: Despite the unusualness of these positions, the patient never felt uncomfortable, according to paragraph G. Due to the hypnotised patient not feeling pain throughout the procedure, it can make the patient feel less uncomfortable while immobilised. Therefore, the answer is option D.

The American Medical Association reported that...

people lie when giving evidence under hypnosis.
people should be hypnotised before giving evidence.
evidence given, when hypnotised may be unreliable.
Secret evidence can be obtained through hypnosis.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: "American Medical Association which, in 1985 reported that memories refreshed through hypnosis may include inaccurate information, false memories and confabulation."
Keywords: American Medical Association, memories, hypnosis, confabulation
Keywords Location: Paragraph H, last line
Explanation:According to paragraph H, it is believed that memories revived under hypnosis may contain misleading information, fabricated recollections, and confabulation. According to an American Medical Association report, this shows that hypnosis may not be reliable because it contains false information. Thus, the answer is option C.

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