Hillsong Church Featuring - The Days of God's Gathering and HOW TO WIN OVER DEPRESSION

Join us for live worship and an inspiring message from Brian Houston in our morning service from the Hills Campus, Sydney, Australia.[Video and more below] MESSAGE: The Days of God's Gathering SONG LIST Hindsight: https://youtu.be/Uy34gCRgUA0 Might Sound Wild Good Grace: https://youtu.be/EhKSRIvDFI0 Whole Heart: https://youtu.be/eRUM70CPYls O Come To The Altar: https://youtu.be/rYQ5yXCc_CA

HOW TO WIN OVER DEPRESSION

by Creflo Dollar | 18 Feb 2019

SUMMARY

Feelings are a part of everyone’s lives, but as believers, we do not have to be dominated by them. It is God’s will that we control our emotions and achieve emotional stability. We have been given authority in every realm and we have the power to defeat negative emotions, including depression; therefore, we are accountable for the way we feel. This is something we need to know, so that when our feelings threaten to sweep us away, we can resist the urge. Our emotions can either move us closer to, or away from, God’s will for us. They actually control the direction of our lives. Knowing what the Word says about our feelings allows us to master life instead of letting life master us.

A. When we are thinking correctly, trouble does not have the power to make us worried.

1. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth(3 John 1:2).

a. Another word for prosperity is “wholeness.” God wants us to be complete and whole, with nothing missing and nothing broken.

2. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace(Romans 8:6).

a. Regardless of how long we have been saved, the inability to control our emotions reveals that we are still spiritually immature Christians.

b. We must not think it strange when trouble shows up to derail our emotions.

c. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).

d. Jesus has already handled whatever situation we are going through.

e. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

f. A carnal mind is dominated by the five senses; a spiritual mind is only possible through the Word of God.

g. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).

3. Depression can be viewed from three different perspectives.

a. It is a result of external pressures in our lives getting inside our hearts and weighing us down.

b. It is stress and pressure internalized. At this point, we are constantly thinking about the issue.

c. It is feelings that come from thinking thoughts that weigh us down.

B. Godly wisdom shows us how our relationships with others can affect our emotions.

1. Depression is a demonic spirit. Therapists and psychologists can only help us manage depression; the Word of God teaches us how to completely banish it from our lives.

a. Whatever or whoever we expose ourselves to affects what we think about, and what we think about affects how we feel. How we feel determines our decisions; we should not make decisions based on negative feelings. This is because negative decisions lead to negative actions. Those actions create habits, and those habits create our character that brings us to our destination.

2. Other people can have a tremendous influence on us.

a. We must value ourselves enough to disconnect from negative “friendships.” If those relationships cost us our peace, they are too expensive to maintain. We must not spend our peace on someone else’s drama.

3. The three types of relationships are “outer court,” “inner court,” and “holy of holies.” Not everyone should be allowed behind the veil.

a. “Outer court” people are casual acquaintances that we may know superficially.

b. “Inner court” people are individuals with whom we have a casual friendship and socialize with occasionally.

c. “Holy of holies” people are those we open ourselves up to and share our most personal feelings with. We drop all acts and pretenses, and show our true selves to them.

C. Emphasizing our relationship with God more than with other people brings us peace.

1. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you(1 Peter 5:7).

a. If a thought is weighing us down, we must simply let it go.

b. This applies to everyone; we allhave had cares at one time or another.

c. God tells us to give our cares to Him because He loves us. Once we do so and the care later tries to re-assert itself, we must refuse to carry it. We should do this as often as necessary.

d. When we have negative thoughts and feelings, we must replace them with the Word of God.

2. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee(Hebrews 13:5).

a. “Conversation” in this context refers to our lifestyle. Our lifestyle must be free of the greed and idolatry that puts money or other things before God.

b. Life is the sum total of relationships, not the material things we collect.

c. But godliness with contentment is great gain(1 Timothy 6:6).

d. It is hard for us to be content when we compare ourselves to others.

e. What we have will never seem to be enough when we are overly concerned with measuring what we have against what others have. Only when we consider our vertical relationship with Christ instead of our horizontal relationships with others will we realize that what we have in Him is always more than enough.

3. Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!](Hebrews 13:5, AMPC).

a. “Love of money” is when we trust it more than God.

b. We have God’s eternal and unchanging promise that He will always stick by us, no matter what happens.

D. We can change our way of thinking by taking authority over worry and anxiety.

1. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you(Philippians 4:8, 9).

a. Our thought lives are extremely important. They determine what kind of person we are.

b. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…(Proverbs 23:7).

c. Depression is a way of thinking.

2. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?(Matthew 6:25-31).

a. We have authority over our thoughts; we can be custodians maintaining the way we think.

b. We should not have anxiety over the basic needs of life.

c. Worry is actually meditation on negative thoughts.

d. “Little faith” does not mean tiny faith; it means faith that is not kept out in the field doing its job until we see physical, tangible results. We need consistent faith, even when the circumstances are bad.

e. We “take” a thought by saying it. Verbalizing it gives it life.

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Discount School Supply Presents This Pac-12 Update Featuring: Victor Bailey Jr.: Oregon men's basketball's offensive spark plug and sharpshooter off the free...

Oregon's Victor Bailey Jr. provides a spark off the bench for the Ducks, averaging 8.6 points per game and shooting 93 percent from the free throw line this season. Catch the sophomore and the Ducks as they seek revenge against Arizona State on Thursday at 8 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network. [Video and more below]

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Gift Clubs Of America Present This Big 12 Update Featuring: Kalani Brown | Leading the Bears

Reached 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds in the same game vs. Kansas Saturday ... Averaged a double-double for the week at 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 60 percent from the floor ... added three blocks two steals and four assists while shooting a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line. [Video below]

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Penn State's Myles Dread goes off to power Penn State to a 42-20 halftime lead over Maryland.

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Beckett Media Presents This ACC Update Featuring: Duke's Zion Williamson's Best Plays of February

Duke's Zion Williamson is a walking highlight. He puts on a show game in and game out for the Blue Devils. From sensational dunks to fantastic passes and monstrous blocked shots, Williamson never fails to excite. Check out his best plays from the month of February right here! [Video and More Below]

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And now this Teachable Moment From CoachTube!

Defensive Skills and Drills

by Tom Izzo

About this Course

Tom Izzo's Defensive and Rebounding Skills course consists of a game-tested set of drills that can be used to enhance the fundamentals and techniques that are essential elements of great defensive play. Ideal for coaches and athletes at all competitive levels, this coaching video uses on-court player demonstrations to help explain and illustrate a series of instructional tools for developing basic defensive skills for basketball. 

Highlights include:

• Defensive mindset
• Jumping to the ball
• Defending cuts
• Elbow and block coverage
• Defending screen-the-screener plays
• Defending screen-and-roll plays
• Transition defense
• Developmental drills

Book This Course Today!

CoachTube Presents: Tyler Futrell - College Baseball Recruiting Video - Catcher - Class of 2020

Tyler Futrell - Class of 2020 - Perquimans Pirates - Catcher - Pop Time 1.90 - [Video below]

Presented by CoachTube Baseball!

Catching Skills and Drills

by Jerry Weinstein

About this Course

Want to improve your abilities as a catcher? These drills will have you seeing results in no time!

Catching Skills and Drills is a detailed overview of the basic throwing, receiving, and fielding techniques and fundamentals involved in developing great catcher play. This video coaching course is a fabulous resource for coaches, athletes and parents that is designed to help you at all competitive levels.  Book this course.....

Coach Credentials

Jerry WeinsteinField Manager of the Wareham Gateman. Former Colorado Rockies Catching Instructor
Jerry Weinstein is an American professional baseball coach. He works for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.

Weinstein began his coaching career at Sacramento City College. He led the school to 831 wins across 23 seasons, and led the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship in 1998.

Weinstein managed the Gulf Coast Expos in 1993. He managed the Geneva Cubs in 1993 and Williamsport Cubs in 1994. After returning to Sacramento City College, he served as director of player development for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000 and 2001 and then coached for California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) from 2001 through 2005. He left Cal Poly to become the manager of the Modesto Nuts in 2007 and managed them through 2011. The Rockies added Weinstein to their major league staff before the 2012 season.

After the 2013 season, the Rockies reassigned Weinstein, putting him in charge of player development in the minor leagues. Book this course.......

Beast Sports Featuring: BEAST Forearm Training

Want Popeye forearms? Team Beast athlete Rob Riches gives you the routine to get there! [Video below]

Team BEAST athlete Rob Riches presents a forearms focused workout to have them grow like Popeye!  Every time I hear people speak about their training goals and focus on muscle groups, it’s usually a mixture of abdominals, chest, or arms. Few times have I heard anyone say “I want to have great forearms." Similar to calves and the upper legs, they are typically an afterthought for training. Sure, having well-defined biceps and triceps is always an aesthetic goal. But balance and symmetry go well beyond just the upper arm. Having strong and powerful forearm muscles make your whole arm look better. They also mean greater grip strength, allowing you to lift more, especially with the back. In this article I devote to some of my favorite and most beneficial forearm exercises. Like all the past workouts, I begin with a specific stretch and mobility warm up routine.

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THE WARM UP

If you watched other videos within this series, you’ll know I set aside at least 10 minutes to mobilize the joints and warm up the muscles. This prepares them for the workout ahead, and the forearms are no different. I roll out the forearm over a barbell, which acts much like a self-myofascial release of all the muscle fibers. By rolling my forearm across the barbell as I rotate it with my other hand, I apply pressure downwards. I slowly flex and extend at the wrist and rotate the arm slightly to the left and right. The next movement really allows you to get deep into the fiber. Kneel in front of a bench with a massage ball under the forearm and a smash ball on top of the arm, and apply pressure downwards. Focus on passing the forearm back and forth in a slow and smooth fashion. The following movements involve a resistance band. One end loops around a fixed pole and the open end hooks around your elbow. Walk away from the fixed end to create tension in the band. Then plant your hand down on the floor with the knee of the same side resting on the floor. Keep the arm straight, then slowly tilt forward to feel a stretch at the wrist. Then, keeping in the same position on the floor, move the band down to your wrist and turn around. With the palm of the hand planted into the floor, tilt forwards until you feel a stretch within the wrist. You’ll see in the video, I used the massage ball to roll out the muscles in the hand by planting my hand on the floor with the ball underneath it. With an open palm, I apply pressure downwards as I move my hand over the ball. This is great for opening up the wrists.


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THE ROUTINE:

Like other training programs within this Beast Series, I used supersets. This helps reduce overall workout time, but also helps keep blood volume high within a particular region. It also keeps oxygen-rich blood present in the muscles, and helps shuttle away toxins that are a byproduct from intense training. This is especially beneficial for a forearm-focused routine. These muscles typically respond best to higher volume and intensity. If growth is your goal here, overall weight is important. But perhaps not as much as keeping tension high by super-setting complimentary movements back and forth.

SUPERSET #1: SEATED BARBELL CURLS and PRONATED EZ-BAR CURLS

3 SETS TOTAL. 15-20 REPS PER EXERCISE.

  If the barbell curl is the king of bicep training, then seated barbell wrist curls take the title for the best forearm exercise. This movement allows you to move the most amount of weight for any given forearm exercise. It also works the larger muscles within the forearm. Sit on a bench in a tripod position: hips pushed back and leaning forwards so the shoulders are above the knees. With your forearms resting along the bench with the wrists just off the edge, pick up a barbell with an underhand grip. Your hands should be about 6 inches apart. I find this particular exercise requires a little more finesse than most to really feel the forearm muscles get worked. As you lower the barbell down, extend at the wrists so the knuckles start to point towards the floor. Open up your grip so the barbell rolls to the ends of your fingers. Stretch the forearms, and then close up your fingers, allowing the barbell to roll back into the palm of your grip. Flex at the wrists and curl up your hands as high as you can, contacting the forearms as you do so. If  you’ve ever changed your grip from supinated (underhand) to pronated (overhand) during curls, you’ll no doubt feel the focus shift from your biceps to a little lower down. This is the brachialis muscle and it protrudes from beneath the biceps into the upper region of the forearm. It's not a direct forearm muscle, but does help contribute much of the forearm movement, especially when the elbow is flexed. Perform using either a standard straight barbell or the EZ-Bar. With the EZ-Bar you lessen the strain at the wrist and feel it more intensely within the forearms. Keep your grip no more than shoulder-width apart. Try to keep elbows tucked by the side of your body. As you raise the bar up, your elbows should remain fixed at the side. You should also keep your wrists straight. This ensures that the majority of the work is done by the brachialis muscle. Focus on a full range of motion. Lift the bar to mid-chest height, and lower it all the way down to your thighs to work the muscles through a fuller range of motion.

SUPERSET #2: SEATED PRONATED DUMBBELL WRIST CURL and PLATE EXTENSIONS

3 SETS TOTAL. 15-20 REPS PER EXERCISE.

These next two movements primarily focus on flexing the wrist. This helps strengthen and develop the forearms. We begin with pronated dumbbell wrist curls. I find these are best done with each arm separately, and the forearm rested across something that is mid-torso high. This is a relatively small muscle not used to working with heavy weight. So, start with a light dumbbell (5-12 lbs should be adequate). In much the same way you performed the seated barbell wrist curls, the movement is reversed. All the movement originates at the wrist, with each repetition performed at a smooth and controlled cadence. If reaching the 15-20 rep mark on each arm feels too much at first, perform 10 on each arm, and then repeat.For this next movement, I wanted to mimic that of the old-school Wrist and Forearm Developer. It consisted of a handle with a cable attached at the center and a weight at the bottom. You rotated the bar at arms length, pulling the weight up and lowering it. Given that the majority of gyms don’t offer this great piece of training equipment, I wanted to show something that mirrored the same movement. Pick up a weight plate, ideally one that has holes around the edges so you can grip it better. Hold it at arms length a few inches away from your thighs. Refrain from flexing the elbows as you flex at the wrists to curl up the plate. Your arms should remain fixed. The goal here is 15-20 repetitions of slow and controlled plate lifts. Another alternative for this exercise is performing it on a low-cable pulley with a short length handle that ideally rotates back and forth. Stand back with your arms extended straight and parallel to the floor. Repeat the same flexing at the wrist to lift the weight up and down.

SUPERSET #3: STANDING PRONATED CABLE CURL and BEHIND-THE-BACK BARBELL WRIST CURLS

3 SETS TOTAL. 15-20 REPS PER EXERCISE.

The final superset looks somewhat similar to the first two movements. But it actually works the muscles in a slightly different way. First up is the single-arm cable curl using a pronated (overhand) grip. By performing this exercise one arm at a time, you stand at an angle so your arm crosses your body. This shifts the emphasis on the muscles involved. Although a subtle change, you’ll certainly feel the difference. Remember to keep the wrist locked out straight, and raise the handle as high as you can until just before the elbow begins to pull forward. There is also an added benefit of working with cables. There is often much less of a sticking point than with free weights as the stacked-weight pulley system. This means tension is kept consistent throughout the full range of motion.The final exercise of this routine is a standing version of the first exercise. But with the barbell behind the body and arms kept straight, allowing for a full flexion and extension at the wrists. With gravity now working constantly against you, work with a lighter weight to get the optimal muscular contraction within each rep. Allow the barbell to roll down palm to the fingertips, before closing it back up and flexing at the wrist to curl the bar upwards.Forearms are a muscle group I’ll often focus on within one workout, and often during an active recovery where I’m giving my larger muscle groups a day off. I find they also pair well with either a back or arm workout, providing that you allow for enough time to commit to all the movements within this routine.

The Truth About Cancer Featuring: Eastern Medicine: Journey Through ASIA | Thailand Sneak Peek | Looking for Natural Cancer Remedies?

Join us for a sneak peek of our upcoming Eastern medicine documentary series coming soon April 3rd, 2019! Ty joins us from Thailand with Dr. Thomas Lodi and Dr. Abdullah El Hossami to discuss natural cancer treatments being used in Thailand. [Video below] Are you looking for natural ways to treat cancer? There are many types of treatment that simply aren’t made available by conventional medical professionals. Regimens like targeted metabolic therapies including vitamin C and intravenous curcumin. Or local hyperthermia, which literally makes the body’s environment too hot for cancer cells. And these remedies are just a tiny piece of the cancer treatment information we cover in this exciting new documentary series! In Eastern Medicine: Journey through ASIA, Ty and the team travel through 7 countries in 7 days. This groundbreaking series is COMING SOON in April 2019. Be sure to sign up for our email list to get all our latest updates! Sign up here: http://bit.ly/TheTruthAboutCancerGlobal There is hope, you are not alone, and there are steps you can take to be healthier. Follow this link to learn more about natural cancer therapies:

-------------------------------------------------- About The Truth About Cancer -------------------------------------------------- The Truth About Cancer’s mission is to inform, educate, and eradicate the pandemic of cancer in our modern world. Every single day, tens of thousands of people just like you are curing cancer (and/or preventing it) from destroying their bodies. It’s time to take matters into your own hands and educate yourself on real cancer prevention and treatments. It could save your life or the life of someone you love. --------------------------------------- About Ty & Charlene Bollinger --------------------------------------- Ty & Charlene Bollinger are devoted Christians, health freedom advocates, health researchers, documentary film producers, and best-selling authors. After losing several family members to conventional cancer treatments, they set out to learn the truth about cancer and the cancer industry, working together tirelessly to help others to learn the truth that sets them free to live healthy, happy lives. Ty & Charlene's heartbreak and grief coupled with their firm belief that chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery were NOT the most effective treatments available for cancer patients, led them on a path of discovery. On their journey, they interviewed cutting-edge scientists, leading alternative doctors, and groundbreaking researchers to learn about hidden alternative cancer treatments. What they uncovered helped to create The Truth About Cancer and its three awe-inspiring docu-series: ”The Quest for The Cures”, “The Quest for the Cures Continues”, and “The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest.”

Tactical Workouts Present Officers undergo homicide training and Investigative Hypnosis: Is It Effective Or Completely Bogus?

MSP homicide investigation school in Lansing. [Video below]

Revolutionary Tactical Strength and Conditioning Program Provides A Simple Training Blueprint to Help You Gain Strength, Boost Power, and Rebuild Your Body

World’s Greatest Military Operators and Law Enforcement Professionals Reveal the Secret Training System Used By Elite Tactical Athletes

TO: Military Operators, Law Enforcement Professionals, and Prepared Citizens Serious About Building Tactical Muscle

RE: Special Report by Joseph Arangio, Tactical Strength and Conditioning Coach...Keep reading......

Investigative Hypnosis: Is It Effective Or Completely Bogus?

By: George Babnick

Way back in the 1970’s when I was a college student studying criminal justice I participated in a student practicum at the local sheriff’s office. Most of my "work" consisted of going through stacks of crime reports and calling back theft victims to reassure them that even though the sheriff’s office had not yet been able to figure out who stole their property and the likelihood of them ever getting their stolen property back was minimal, the sheriff’s office was "still on the case." It was more of a public relations effort to make people feel that the sheriff’s office had not forgotten about their case and was concerned that they had been a crime victim. To my surprise, most people appreciated the follow-up. They understood that the sheriff’s office was doing what they could and in a few cases the victims provided new suspect information that could aid in the investigation. Some told me they understood there was little the sheriff’s office could do and suggested that the sheriff’s office discontinue investigating their case and concentrate on more serious crimes. Others told me that they had already figured out who stole their stuff and had recovered it themselves. Excellent – case closed! On one occasion a detective asked me if I would like to assist him in a Hypnotism Session. He explained that there had been a "grab-and-run" theft at a jewelry store and an elderly lady saw the thief run from the store and get into a waiting get-a-way car. This lady could not remember much about the get-a-way car and the detective was hoping that under hypnosis she could provide a good description of the car and maybe even a license plate. This sounded much more exciting than calling and propitiating theft victims, so I jumped at the opportunity. The hypnosis session occurred in a small quiet room at the sheriff’s office. I have no clue as to the training this detective had at the time, but since investigative hypnosis was in its infancy in those days, I suspect it was minimal. The lady sat in a big comfortable office chair and the detective sat in a smaller chair in front of her. The detective dimmed the lights and spoke to her in a soft tone and directed her attention to the incident. His words got slower and softer and it appeared as if he was trying to get her to totally relax. At one point he asked her to close her eyes and continue listening to him. It was surreal – almost right out of the movies! I sat in the back of the room with a pen and pad in hand. My job was to write down anything pertinent the lady might say. After about 10 minutes of soothing words, the lady was able to recall the color of the thief’s get-a-way car (bright red) and gave a general description of a sedan. Surprisingly, she was able to slowly and deliberately "recall" the license number. I dutifully jotted it down. After the session was over, the detective asked me what I thought. I said I didn’t know, but silently I thought she was faking it . . . but you never know. It turns out that two other credible witnesses described the thief’s car as blue, so it was likely not red. Also, the license plate information turned out to belong to a truck that had been crushed in a junk yard years before. The hypnosis session was certainly interesting, but it produced NO credible leads. In fact, it produced FALSE leads. MYSTERIOUS and Controversial Hypnosis can be traced back to ancient Egypt and has always been surrounded by mystery and controversy. During the last 20 years the use of hypnosis in criminal investigation has dramatically increased and acceptance has varied from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In very simple terms, the intent of investigative hypnosis is to aid a crime victim or witness in recalling important information that their mind has repressed. Investigators can then follow-up on this information and hopefully solve crimes that were likely otherwise unsolvable. It is not intended to be a tool for extracting "the truth" from suspects or for coercing witnesses into fabricating information. Today there are numerous classes, seminars, and other trainings that teach investigators (both law enforcement and private investigators) the science behind investigative hypnosis, how to do it properly, and the legal and ethical issues associated with using hypnosis in an investigation. A typical training might include (at a minimum) training in: PSYCHOLOGY of eyewitness testimony Procedures for obtaining identification evidence Field studies of eyewitness memory of actual crimes Traumatic Memory and Ordinary Memory Criteria-based statement analysis Investigative Memory Enhancing Techniques Legal issues associated with hypnosis including the admissibility of hypnosis-derived evidence. LEGAL Issues Abound Today most investigators agree that in some situations investigative hypnosis, like polygraph testing, can be a useful tool in investigating some crimes. Often it is used as a last resort when all leads have been exhausted and the crime remains far from being solved. But, acceptance of hypnotic induced testimony from witnesses and even investigator follow-up based upon hypnotic induced statements, has been scrutinized carefully and sometimes skeptically, by courts. Every situation is different and case law in many U.S. States is continually evolving, but the general rule is that SOMETIMES hypnotic induced testimony, or investigator actions that flow from it, are accepted in court and SOMETIMES it is not. How’s that for a clear legal line that only a lawyer could appreciate! In a published article, the respected Journal of the American Medical Association expressed a position paper that stated "The Council finds that recollections obtained during hypnosis can involve confabulations and pseudomemories and not only fail to be more accurate, but actually appear to be less reliable than nonhypnotic recall. The use of hypnosis with witnesses and victims may have serious consequences for the legal process when testimony is based on material that is elicited from a witness who has been hypnotized for the purposes of refreshing recollection." (JAMA 1985; 253:1918-1923) The general proposition that pre-trial statements made under hypnosis are hearsay and unreliable and therefore not generally admissible, is followed by most courts. See Creamer v. State, 232 Ga. 136, 205 S.E.2d 240 (1974); Emmett v. State, 232 Ga. 136, 205 S.E.2d 231 (1974); State v. Pierce, 263 S.C. 23, 207 S.E.2d 414 (1974); Greenfield v. Commonwealth, 214 Va. 710, 204 S.E.2d 414 (1974); State v. Conley, 6 Kan. App.2d 280, 627 P.2d 1174 (Kan. Ct. App. 1981); and State v. Beachum, 97 N.M. 682, 643 P.2d 246 (1981). And in some states, all testimony from a person whose memory was "refreshed" by hypnosis is prohibited. In the case of State v. La Mountain, 125 Ariz. 527, 611 P.2d 551 (1980), the Arizona Supreme Court stated: "Although we perceive that hypnosis is a useful tool in the investigative stage, we do not feel the state of the science (or art) has been shown to be such as to admit testimony which may have been developed as a result of hypnosis. A witness who has been under hypnosis, as in the case here, should not be allowed to testify when there is a question that the testimony may have been produced by that hypnosis." But consider a ruling from the North Dakota Supreme Court in the case of the State of North Dakota v. Joseph Lesley Brown. 337 N.W.2d 138 (1983). The court stated "The major issue raised on appeal is whether or not a witness whose memory has been previously enhanced through the use of hypnosis may testify in a criminal trial in North Dakota. We conclude that a witness who has previously been hypnotized is not rendered incompetent to testify. Rather, we hold that hypnotism affects the credibility but not the admissibility of such testimony." Other court cases, with different variations of these decisions, abound. In my home State of Oregon, there is yet another twist to the legality of testimony elicited under hypnotism. Oregon has a long-standing statute that allows witnesses who have been subjected to "hypnosis" or "mesmerism" prior to trial, to testify for either side in a criminal trial if the entire hypnotic procedure is "recorded on either videotape or any mechanical recording device." The statute further requires that "the unabridged videotape or mechanical recording shall be made available to the other party or parties." See Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 136.675. This seems to follow the North Dakota Supreme Court reasoning that witnesses who have been previously hypnotized are not incompetent to testify and it is up to the jury (or judge in the case of a Court trial) to assess the credibility of that testimony. SUMMARY Using hypnosis to help victims and witnesses recall information can sometimes aid an investigator in an investigation. It is being used with increasing frequency by law enforcement and private investigators but is still viewed skeptically by many courts. Usually, it is only used when investigators have exhausted all leads and the case would likely end up in the cold case file unless new leads can be developed. In private investigations, qualified investigators sometimes use hypnosis to recover memory for civil or criminal trials and it is also used to help investigators find lost or misplaced property.

George W. Babnick, is a 34 year law enforcement veteran from Portland, Oregon with an extensive background in physical security and criminal and administrative investigations. He is the editor of a blog devoted to physical & personal security issues and a licensed Private Investigator in his home state of Oregon. He can be reached at: www.physicalsecurityonline.com and www.babnickandassociates.com.