my VIII (NTSC) american freezes at certain points in the game

not freeze as such the action of a battle stops,like when you summon it will go back to memebers but no freezes,there is away areound this (pause and unpause)or (or open lid and close)

but at one point (when i left the garden to go into FH) the screen went black,the music still played,the CD has NO scratches on what so ever!

thx